Negotiating autonomy and surveillance: Gendered experiences of shisha smoking among university students in Palestine

Shisha (waterpipe) smoking in Palestine is a social practice shaped by gender norms. This qualitative study examines the experiences of 50 university students (28 females, 22 males) at An-Najah National University, focusing on how shisha use reflects broader negotiations of autonomy, identity, and social control. Thematic analysis identified six themes: shisha as sanctuary and escape; social surveillance and stigma; honor and shame; health discourses and double standards; peer dynamics and gendered exclusion; and agency in redefining womanhood. Female participants described shisha as a rare space for personal freedom, yet one fraught with risks of exposure, familial censure, and social punishment. Men's use, by contrast, was normalized and free from comparable sanctions. Health warnings were often used to police women's behavior more than men's. Peer groups both enabled belonging and reproduced pressures for conformity among women, while men experienced fewer social risks. The findings illustrate how shisha functions as a contested site where gender, morality, and modernity intersect. This study highlights the need for gender-sensitive approaches that address the social meanings and risks of shisha use in Palestinian society.