Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East: Second Edition [Paperback]

Donna Lee Bowen (Editor), Evelyn A. Early (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0253214904 | ISBN-13: 978-0253214904 | Publication Date: January 2002 | Edition: Second Edition

"[A] timely, well-researched and written analysis of popular and private life that is too often underestimated or overlooked yet which constitutes the majority of human existence in a region too often viewed from the narrow constraints of the state and its unrepresentative elites." —John Entelis

"The broadening of Islamic studies (or regional studies on Islam) to include study of ordinary people, their daily lives, and popular cultures has been long overdue. [An] extremely interesting and innovative study which, in its own way, successfully challenges the pervasive misperception of the Middle East simply as a conflict-prone region." —Journal of Islamic Studies

"... provides useful background reading for introductory courses to everyday history of the Middle East." —Journal of Palestine Studies

"presents a grassroots look at what it is like to actually live in the Muslim Middle East... from Aghanistan and Iran to Morocco. [It] shows how religion is an important part, but not the sole part, of these people's lives." —Middle East Insight

"This book is a welcome addition to the literature...." —The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences

Focusing on the experiences of ordinary men, women, and children from across the Middle East, from Iran and Afghanistan in the east to Morocco in the west, the 35 stories, poems, and essays collected in this anthology vividly convey an intimate sense of life in the Middle East today. Newly revised and updated to reflect recent changes in Middle East politics and society, this anthology will engage students and scholars of this vast and complex region.

Contributors include Lila Abu-Lughod, Jon W. Anderson, Walter Armbrust, Bishara Bahbah, Brian Barber, Anne H. Betteridge, Annabelle Boucher, Donna Lee Bowen, Steven C. Caton, Dawn Chatty, Driss Chraibi, Susan Shaefer Davis, Kevin Dwyer, Evelyn A. Early, Christine Eickelman, Dale Eickelman, Elizabeth Fernea, Angel Foster, Erika Friedl, Steve Howard, Michael E. Jansen, Margaret Mills, Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Emily Nasrallah, Kristina Nelson, Susan Ossman, Tayib Salih, Diane Singerman, Susan Slyomovics, Jenny White, and Quintan Wiktorowicz.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] timely, well-researched and written analysis of popular and private life that is too often underestimated or overlooked yet which constitutes the majority of human existence in a region too often viewed from the narrow constraints of the state and its unrepresentative elites." - John Entelis "The broadening of Islamic studies (or regional studies on Islam) to include study of ordinary people, their daily lives, and popular cultures has been long overdue. [An] extremely interesting and innovative study which, in its own way, successfully challenges the pervasive misperception of the Middle East simply as a conflict-prone region." - Journal of Islamic Studies "... provides useful background reading for introductory courses to everyday history of the Middle East." - Journal of Palestine Studies "presents a grassroots look at what it is like to actually live in the Muslim Middle East ... from Aghanistan and Iran to Morocco. [It] shows how religion is an important part, but not the sole part, of these people's lives." - Middle East Insight "This book is a welcome addition to the literature..." - The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences

About the Author

Donna Lee Bowen is Professor of Political Science and Near Eastern Studies at Brigham Young University. She is co-author (with Evelyn A. Early) of Baladi Women of Egypt.

Evelyn A. Early, an anthropologist, has served with USIA in Morocco and Syria. She is currently the Public Affairs Officer in Prague, Czech Republic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; Second Edition edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253214904
• ISBN-13: 978-0253214904
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An AWAIR Pick!!!, June 3, 2011

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AWAIR Reviews (Berkeley, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East: Second Edition (Paperback)

Focusing on the experiences of ordinary men,women, and children from Iran and Afghanistan in the east to Morocco in the west, this anthology vividly conveys a "grassroots" sense of Middle East culture and society today. The work locates Islam as a major influence in the everyday life; however, it also demonstrates that other factors such as work patterns and community and gender relations are often based on traditions outside/older than Islam and that these, too, are of great importance in shaping individuals' lives, beliefs, and hopes. Thirty-four selctions include essays, short stories, poetry and more.

Teacher/Librarians: 9th grade to adult. Social Studies/Humanities/Language Arts. See The Arab World Studies Notebook for lesson plans designed by Genevieve Wilson for using two of the essays from this work: (1) Chraibi's story "The Son's Return" for teaching about the Colonial Legacy; and (2) Donna Lee Bowen's "Abu Illya and Zakat" for teaching about the month of Ramadan fasting. These are wonderful short stories/essays and like the other thirty-two have a rich role to play in your classroom. Wilson's lesson plans are thoughtful, authentic, and provide springboards for much discussion.