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Shaikhah Alhomaizi – Assignment 9

Coming from a society that has many prejudices like every other society, I had serval expectations to uphold as a Kuwaiti woman. Social obligations, family obligations, and many more were expected of me. Not living by society’s rules automatically made an individual an outsider.

When I was a freshman in The Gulf University of Science and Technology in Kuwait, I expected the students including myself to focus on studying and gaining a proper education. However, it was not the case, I was considered an outsider for not maintaining a very active social life (regularly attending societal functions) and not dressing up like the other girls. Because I came from a certain social class I was expected to be like the other girls in my class. Occasionally I would dress up like these girls and attend societal events, yet I was not always accepted. Although I was within this class and within this gender, I was not accepted because I didn’t uphold their standards regularly. On the occasions when I was accepted into this group, I still didn’t feel like my true myself. I felt like an outsider within my own group. In addition, as I was adjusting to this new university environment, I realized that although Kuwaiti women had several expectations to maintain, the Kuwaiti men had very few. These men came to university dressing up in any way they wanted to, sweat pants or dress shirts it didn’t matter.

This experience showed me the importance of self-value in terms of being an outsider. If I wanted to be an insider or a part of a group, I would have to erase all my individuality.

I think that “Learning from the outsider within,” by Patricia Hill-Collins, demonstrates to us how a person can be an outsider within their race, gender, etc. In my case I was considered an outsider within my own class and within my own gender. Although people outside of my group thought I belonged to my group, people inside my group considered me an outsider.