Religion in the Formal and Informal Economy: Catholicism and Professionals in the Arabian Gulf.

This paper examines the role of religious institutions in shaping the formal as well as informal economy in rapidly developing cities in the Arabian Gulf. Focusing on one religious institution, Roman Catholicism, this study draws on data from six months of participant observation and interviews (N=70) with expatriates of diverse nationalities and occupations in five Gulf cities. Results shed light on ways in which religious institutions can provide two forms of cultural capital--technical and ideational--that contribute to members' economic survival in the formal as well as informal economy. Findings resonate with some previous research in the west on spirituality in the workplace, but also suggest new directions for the fruitful study of the relationship between religion and economic globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]