This work assesses the impact of globalization on women in Middle Eastern societies. To explore the gendered effects of social change, the authors examine trends within, as well as among, states in the region. Detailed case studies reveal the mixed results of global pressures.

Examining globalization in the Middle East, this book provides a much needed assessment of the impact of globalization in the ‘greater’ Middle East, including North Africa, in the context of the powerful geopolitical forces at work in shaping the region today. Written by a well-known authority in this area, this book demonstrates that, unlike in other regions, such as East Asia, geopolitics has been a critical factor in driving globalization in the Middle East. The author argues that whereas elsewhere globalisation has opened up the economy, society, culture and attitudes to the environment; in the Middle East it has had the opposite effect, with poor state formation, little interregional trade, foreign and interregional investment, and reassertion of traditional identities. This book explores the impact of globalization on the polities, economies and social environment of the greater Middle East, in the context of the region’s position as the central site of global geopolitical competition at the start of the twenty-first century.

The Middle East and Globalization discusses past and contemporary political, societal, economic, and cultural trends in the Middle East against the background of comprehensive theories of globalization. The chapters draw on a shared methodological approach, looking at the fractures and horizons of globalization that are shaping the Middle East.

Is today's changing media landscape in the Middle East empowering women? This is the first book to address the dynamics of media ecology and women's advancement in the contemporary Middle East. The book spans both the region and media forms, from Iran's women's press, via Maghrebi women filmmakers and Egyptian political films, Palestinian TV and Hezbollah's TV station, Al-Manar. It takes as its starting point the diverse experiencees and multi-layered identities of women and treats media institutions and practices as part of wider power relations in society. By analysing media production, consumption and texts, it reveals where and how gender boundaries have been erected or crossed.

The situation unfolding in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab Middle East has important implications for the future of the Arab political order. For the first time, a secular but inclusive political alternative to Islamism has emerged. It has captured the political imagination of the emerging Arab middle class. It will shape the regional security environment. Its consequences are unpredictable but the greatest risk to the region is the marginalization and alienation of a movement that has raised and galvanized its political horizons. Robert Bowker In his book Egypt and the Politics of Change in the Arab Middle East, Professor Robert Bowker argues that if regimes fail to address effectively the demands for empowerment of its educated youth, they face the prospect of a tsunami-like current of instability and regression. Ambassador Bowker s new book achieves the challenging objective of making a contribution to scholarship on Egypt and the Arab world while being accessible to a general audience. He addresses the key drivers of change, such as globalization and Islamicization, and the entrenched attitudes, behavior and institutions they confront. Drawing upon an impressive array of empirical information, case studies and first hand observations, he both illustrates and assesses the contending forces and the likely outcomes of their confrontations. Robert Springborg, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, US [This book is] certain to be a valued and respected addition to the literature on the eve of a potentially transformational moment in Egyptian history and thus possibly for the Arab world as well. Jerrold D. Green, Pacific Council on International Policy, Los Angeles, US In this illuminating and informed book, Robert Bowker tackles the prospects for change in the contemporary Arab world. He persuasively argues that while long-term demographic, educational, and social transformations pose formidable challenges for the future, the important issues of political reform, Islamism, and regional security are contestable. The message that this book so engagingly conveys is that change is both inevitable and not necessarily to be feared. It is a refreshingly constructive, and timely, reminder for all who would see the new Middle East as destined to be volatile and precarious. James Piscatori, Durham University, UK Dr Bowker s study provides the best encapsulation and explanation of changes in the Arab world s social and economic landscape in an age of faster and deeper interdependence. Measured and sober in its analysis, and challenging in its conclusions, it should be read by all those who want to have a better understanding of the Middle East in general, and Egypt in particular. Amin Saikal, The Australian National University Egypt and the Politics of Change in the Arab Middle East is a forward-looking analysis of the relationship between economic and political reform in Egypt, and of the evolving nature of Arab society and political culture both in Egypt and elsewhere. Writing from the perspective of a recently retired ambassador with extensive Arab regional experience, Robert Bowker discusses the potential impact of systemic resistance to pressures for greater transparency, accountability and political reform amid ongoing demographic, educational and generational changes. His analysis encompasses the military and security services, the influence of the shadow state and the impact of social surveillance, coercion and corruption. Looking ahead, he discusses emerging business models, returning Arab expatriates, the gradual empowerment of women and the impact of Islam. He considers the political sustainability of economic reform, including the challenges facing marginalized groups. His analysis concludes by reviewing the regional security and political context of reform, the importance of political leadership over the coming decade and the role of external parties. Compelling, insightful and thought-provoking, the book provid

Written by a pioneer in the field of Middle Eastern women's history, Women in the Middle East is a concise, comprehensive, and authoritative history of the lives of the region's women since the rise of Islam. Nikki Keddie shows why hostile or apologetic responses are completely inadequate to the diversity and richness of the lives of Middle Eastern women, and she provides a unique overview of their past and rapidly changing present. The book also includes a brief autobiography that recounts Keddie's political activism as one of the first women in Middle East Studies. Positioning women within their individual economic situations, identities, families, and geographies, Women in the Middle East examines the experiences of women in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, in Iran, and in all the Arab countries. Keddie discusses the interaction of a changing Islam with political, cultural, and socioeconomic developments. In doing so, she shows that, like other major religions, Islam incorporated ideas and practices of male superiority but also provoked challenges to them. Keddie breaks with notions of Middle Eastern women as faceless victims, and assesses their involvement in the rise of modern nationalist, socialist, and Islamist movements. While acknowledging that conservative trends are strong, she notes that there have been significant improvements in Middle Eastern women's suffrage, education, marital choice, and health.

This book presents a new and nuanced exploration of the position of women in Muslim countries, based on research involving more than 300,000 women in 28 Muslim countries. It addresses topical debates on the role of Islam, modernization, globalization, neocolonialism, educational inequalities, patriarchy, household hierarchies, and more.

Contemporary approaches to comparative studies of the Middle East increasingly recognize how globalization and regional mass communication have blurred differences across countries. Populations travel across national borders and compare narratives about political change, economic futures, and the role of the outside world in shaping their lives. Organized by five principal themes of a regional overview, politics, economic development, social context, and international issues, Interpreting the Middle East provides a vibrant introduction to the Middle East that is compatible with this regionalist perspective. Invited authorities contribute insightful and accessible original discussions of central headline-fresh issues such as the aftermath of the Iraq war, Iran's regional ambitions, developments in the Israeli'Palestinian conflict, and the global politics of Middle East oil, gender, and religion. Section introductions by the editor integrate the contributions, and suggested readings, a glossary, and a biographical list of key persons provide helpful guidance for readers.

A Companion to the History of the Middle East offers a fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of this region. A fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of the Middle East Comprises 26 newly-commissioned essays by leading international scholars Primarily focused on the modern and contemporary periods Covers religious, social, cultural, economic, political and military history Treats the region as four differentiated political units – Iran, Turkey, Israel and the Arab world Includes a section on current issues, such as oil, urban growth, the role of women, and democratic human rights