Existing without living: a sociological perspective of Bedoons’ educational experience at Kuwait university

Abstract

ABSTRACT The impact of the restrictive and implicitly repressive system adopted by the Kuwaiti government against Bedoons (stateless people living in Kuwait) is investigated through semi-structured interviews with seven Bedoon students at Kuwait University. The study analyzes their narratives in order to critically deconstruct Bedoons’ experiences and how they conceptualized their interactions educationally and sociologically. The findings reveal that the restrictions have negatively influenced Bedoon students’ academic accomplishments at Kuwait University. The participants’ narratives delineate a blatant oppression that deprives them of all means of success and a normal academic journey. The dilemma of having the rare chance to earn a bachelor’s degree but then not being able to receive it after graduation or being assigned to a major that is not their choice or knowing in advance the impossibility of finding a job are some of the situations in which Bedoons find themselves in their academic trajectories.