Power, Sect and State in Syria
The Politics of Marriage and Identity amongst the Druze
Seiten
2016
I.B. Tauris (Verlag)
978-1-78453-220-8 (ISBN)
I.B. Tauris (Verlag)
978-1-78453-220-8 (ISBN)
An impressive account, based on extensive fieldwork, of marriage in Syria and how it embodies major power dynamics therein.
The Syrian state's rhetoric of Arab nationalism left little room for the official recognition of minority identities in pre-war Syria. Yet in practice, the state continually engaged with the Druze and other minorities to reinforce its legitimacy, often through cultural policy. Uncovering this neglected aspect of pre-war Syrian politics, Kastrinou explores the cultural politics of marriage in Syria, primarily among the Druze, to reveal how practical rituals of marriage inform sectarian and national identity formation.Challenging the assumed inherence of sectarianism and Druze endogamy, the book provides an historical and ethnographic account of political power and its relation to social control in Syria. It demonstrates the centrality of the body to Druze cosmology and how ritual performances of birth, marriage and death maintain and negotiate sectarian cohesion. Connecting these struggles to national and international politics, Kastrinou examines how both the Syrian government and the European Union have sponsored marriage-themed dance performances in Syria, each leveraging its cultural importance to legitimise their own policy goals.
The book establishes marriage as a pervasive idiom for the construction of collective identity in Syria, which is appropriated by individuals, sects, states and intergovernmental organizations alike. Its conclusions are relevant to scholars of Middle East studies, sectarianism, anthropology and politics.
The Syrian state's rhetoric of Arab nationalism left little room for the official recognition of minority identities in pre-war Syria. Yet in practice, the state continually engaged with the Druze and other minorities to reinforce its legitimacy, often through cultural policy. Uncovering this neglected aspect of pre-war Syrian politics, Kastrinou explores the cultural politics of marriage in Syria, primarily among the Druze, to reveal how practical rituals of marriage inform sectarian and national identity formation.Challenging the assumed inherence of sectarianism and Druze endogamy, the book provides an historical and ethnographic account of political power and its relation to social control in Syria. It demonstrates the centrality of the body to Druze cosmology and how ritual performances of birth, marriage and death maintain and negotiate sectarian cohesion. Connecting these struggles to national and international politics, Kastrinou examines how both the Syrian government and the European Union have sponsored marriage-themed dance performances in Syria, each leveraging its cultural importance to legitimise their own policy goals.
The book establishes marriage as a pervasive idiom for the construction of collective identity in Syria, which is appropriated by individuals, sects, states and intergovernmental organizations alike. Its conclusions are relevant to scholars of Middle East studies, sectarianism, anthropology and politics.
A. Maria A. Kastrinou is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at Brunel University London. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from Durham University and has conducted long-term fieldwork in Syria. Her research has been published in the journals History and Anthropology and Mediterranean Politics.
List of Illustrations
Note on Arabic Transliteration
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Preface: Now and Then
1. Introduction
2. Sect and House
3. Marriage, Death and Reincarnation
4. Marriage and Politics in Jaramana
5. Marriage, the State and Folklore Festivals
6. Power, Resistance and Youth Politics
7. Dancing Marriage with Leish
8. The Intimate and Violent Struggles Ahead
Notes
Bibliography
Index
| Zusatzinfo | 22 bw integrated |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 138 x 216 mm |
| Gewicht | 479 g |
| Themenwelt | Sozialwissenschaften ► Ethnologie |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Spezielle Soziologien | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-78453-220-7 / 1784532207 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-78453-220-8 / 9781784532208 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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