Master’s in Emirati Folk Literature

Head of Department: PROF. Haithm Zinhom Morsy

Programme Overview

This programme centres on Emirati folk literature, shedding light on its sources, major genres and leading figures. It examines the distinctive formal, thematic and functional features of this body of literature and traces its transformations over time, in comparison with related folk literatures in the wider region and beyond. This is achieved by bringing Emirati folk texts into the field of systematic analysis and studying them in their historical and cultural contexts, as well as in relation to the different circumstances that shaped their production and transmission.

The programme places particular emphasis on the classification of the various genres of folk literature found in the UAE. It considers forms that have a broad international presence—such as the folktale, myth, proverb, riddle and diverse poetic genres—alongside those that embody specifically Emirati forms of distinctiveness, in both poetry and prose. In tracking sensibilities, experiences and transformations across different regions, generations and social groups, the programme also grounds itself in an exploration of inherited Emirati values and their role in fostering social cohesion among the country’s diverse communities.

The programme draws on the latest international methodological approaches to the study of folk literary phenomena and texts, as well as current technical and digital developments in documentation and analysis. It further seeks to channel research outcomes into institutional projects and initiatives.