Quarterly Journal of Political Science > Vol 7 > Issue 1

What's So Special about the Arabian Peninsula? A Reply to Groh and Rothschild

Michael L. Ross, University of California, mlross@polisci.ucla.edu
 
Suggested Citation
Michael L. Ross (2012), "What's So Special about the Arabian Peninsula? A Reply to Groh and Rothschild", Quarterly Journal of Political Science: Vol. 7: No. 1, pp 89-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/100.00012004

Publication Date: 22 Mar 2012
© 2012 M. L. Ross
 
Subjects
Human rights,  Women in politics,  Comparative politics,  Religion and politics
 

Share

Download article
In this article:
What Does My Article State? 
The Link Between Oil Rents and Female Political Representation 
What Explains the Arabian Peninsula Effect? 
Summary 
References 

Abstract

My 2008 article suggested that oil wealth, but not Islam, has impeded progress towards gender equality in the Middle East. Groh and Rothschild re-examine one part of my study, which reported a statistical correlation between oil rents and female labor force participation; they argue that the "deep cultural history" of the Arabian Peninsula offers a better explanation for the observed correlations. In this brief reply, I note that they do not accurately describe my conclusions and analysis; that other evidence in the article does not support their argument; and that they have not identified what makes the Arabian Peninsula so different from the rest of the Middle East — apart from its extraordinary oil wealth.

DOI:10.1561/100.00012004