Gender, Religion, and State in the Middle East
Title
Gender, Religion, and State in the Middle East
Author
Charrad, Mounira M.
Zarrugh, Amina
Research Area
Class, Status and Power
Topic
Gender and Gender Inequality
Abstract
This essay discusses the major trends in the study of gender, religion, and state in the Middle East from colonialism to the Arab Spring. Showing how the field started as a critique of colonial representations of women in the Middle East as passive and subordinate, it reviews briefly the foundational studies. It then indicates the major frameworks that scholars have used subsequently to show the complexities of the linkages between gender, religion, and state. Diversity within Islamic law, the role of kinship and states, and the significance of women's agency are highlighted. The essay proceeds with a discussion of cutting‐edge issues raised by the Arab Spring and suggests future directions for research.