Sharabi argues that the historical patriarchal authority structure of the Middle East has not succumbed to modernization and disappeared or even been fundamentally revised. Instead it lives on as neopatriarchy: an inherited patriarchal authority which manifests itself at the level of the state and the family in the form of modernity, while retaining the essence of patriarchy in family, clan, and religion. At the heart of the problem is a petty-bourgeois elite that has frozen further political and social development by frustrating the emergence of a full-blown bourgeois class or an empowered proletariat. Disquieting forces such as sexism and fundamentalism become the end result of the overall societal stagnation.
Reviews
'brief but impressively rich and thought-provoking book ... The book is a valuable reference for students of the Middle East. With greater theoretical refinements, it could serve as a solid source for developmental studies.' Mehran Tamadonfar, University of Nevada, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 26:1


Awards
Winner of Winner of the Alpha Sigma Nu National Book Award in the Arts and Humanities.



Book Information
ISBN 9780195079135
Author Hisham Sharabi
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 295g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 139mm * 14mm