Arab Cultural Studies: Mapping the Field
London; New York: Tauris (2012), xiv, 321 pp.
Contains index
ISBN 978-1-8488-5558-8 (pbk); 978-0-7556-1115-7 (online)
Signature commbox: 300A:10-Culture 2012
"Arab Cultural Studies: Mapping the Fieldis the first attempt to explore ways of conceptualizing and theorizing the nascent field of Arab Cultural Studies. It reflects and engages in an interdisciplinary discussion on the different facets of Arab cultural studies, including gender, economy, history, epistemology, language, method, politics, literary and cultural criticism, institutionalization, popular culture, creativity and much more. The book presents a meta-narrative about how scholars have thus far thought and re-thought the field. It brings together prominent and emerging experts, writing from both Arab and Western academia, to engage with key complex, epistemic and methodological questions and to articulate in the meantime the new kinds of language and hermeneutics necessary for the appropriation of an historically conscious and coherent field of scientific enquiry into contemporary Arab media, culture and society." (Publisher description)
1 Introduction Arab Cultural Studies: Between 'Reterritorialisation' and 'Deterritorialisation' / Tarik Sabry, 1
2 History in Arab Media Studies: A Speculative Cultural History / Walter Armbrust, 32
3 Arab Media Studies Between the Legacy of a Thin Discipline and the Promise of New Cultural Pathways / Mohamed Zayani, 55
4 Cultural Studies in Arab World Academic Communication Programmes: The Battle for Survival / Muhammad Ayish, 79
5 In Search of the Great Absence: Cultural Studies in Arab Universities / Riadh Ferjani, 101
6 Rethinking the Arab State and Culture: Preliminary Thoughts / Dina Matar, 123
7 The Necessary Politics of Palestinian Cultural Studies / Helga Tawil-Souri, 137
8 Rethinking Gender Studies: Towards an Arab Feminist Epistemology / Layal Ftouni, 162
9 Disarticulating Arab Popular Culture: The Case of Egyptian Comedies / Iman Hamam, 186
10 Placing Political Economy in Relation to Cultural Studies: Reflections on the Case of Cinema in Saudi Arabia / Naomi Sakr, 214
11 The Saudi Modernity Wars According to Abdullah Al-Ghathami: A Template for the Study of Arab Culture and Media / Marwan M. Kraidy, 234
12 Cultural Criticism: Theory and Method / Abdullah Al-Ghathami, 255
13 Language as Culture: The Question of Arabic / Atef Alshaer, 275
14 Internationalising a Media Studies Degree in Arab Higher Education: A Case Study Arising from an Agreement Between New Zealand and Oman / Susan O'Rourke and Rosser Johnson, 297
2 History in Arab Media Studies: A Speculative Cultural History / Walter Armbrust, 32
3 Arab Media Studies Between the Legacy of a Thin Discipline and the Promise of New Cultural Pathways / Mohamed Zayani, 55
4 Cultural Studies in Arab World Academic Communication Programmes: The Battle for Survival / Muhammad Ayish, 79
5 In Search of the Great Absence: Cultural Studies in Arab Universities / Riadh Ferjani, 101
6 Rethinking the Arab State and Culture: Preliminary Thoughts / Dina Matar, 123
7 The Necessary Politics of Palestinian Cultural Studies / Helga Tawil-Souri, 137
8 Rethinking Gender Studies: Towards an Arab Feminist Epistemology / Layal Ftouni, 162
9 Disarticulating Arab Popular Culture: The Case of Egyptian Comedies / Iman Hamam, 186
10 Placing Political Economy in Relation to Cultural Studies: Reflections on the Case of Cinema in Saudi Arabia / Naomi Sakr, 214
11 The Saudi Modernity Wars According to Abdullah Al-Ghathami: A Template for the Study of Arab Culture and Media / Marwan M. Kraidy, 234
12 Cultural Criticism: Theory and Method / Abdullah Al-Ghathami, 255
13 Language as Culture: The Question of Arabic / Atef Alshaer, 275
14 Internationalising a Media Studies Degree in Arab Higher Education: A Case Study Arising from an Agreement Between New Zealand and Oman / Susan O'Rourke and Rosser Johnson, 297
