Rethinking Nationalism in the Arab Middle East

by Israel Gershoni (Editor)

Today's discourse on nationalism is engaged by dynamic theoretical models derived from studies in literary criticism, cultural anthropology, socioeconomics, and psychology. This is the first book of its kind to apply this new theoretical framework to the Arab Middle East, with essays by Beth Baron, Fred Halliday, Rashid Khalidi, and Emmanuel Sivan.

Genres: Politics, History, Middle East

408 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1997

Reviews

[Gabriele Barra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely good source, one is hardly ever interested in all the ramifications of different Arab nationalisms, I myself have only read the chapters on Palestine, Syria and Egypt, which are extremely valid and offer an insightful outlook on the matter

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, the essays in James Jankowski and Israel Gershoni’s Rethinking Nationalism in the Arab Middle East manage to remain accessible and, at times, even engaging despite beginning with a complex and nuanced theoretical base that eschews, and even outright rejects, a simpler historiography. The collection begins with the assertion that Arab nationalism has been mostly written about in terms of models that were either “reactive”, “imitative”, or “diffusionist” and that scholars have failed to take advantage of newer theoretical perspectives. In particular, the editors are dismayed at the lack of literature that studies Arab nationalism from a non-elite perspective or champions the diverse elements that make up the phenomenon, as well as those that ran counter to it and were ignored, destroyed, or somehow coopted. This volume intends to work towards correcting that lacuna by presenting a series of essays by distinguished historians that attempt to reveal the high degree of complexity that underlay the Arab national movement and get people thinking about new perspectives.

Without going into detail about the individual contributions, some general comments can be made. For one thing, as the collection admits in the introduction, each of the scholars is treading into a mostly unexplored realm by re-envisioning Arab nationalism through new theoretical frameworks. As such, many of these essays exude a degree of cautiousness and have an overall underdeveloped or unfinished feel, as if they were more of a work in progress or a side project. Several easily recognizable scholars, including Rashid Khalidi, James L. Gelvin, Zachary Lockman, and Philip Khoury, are represented, but their prestige adds only so much to a collection where many of the essays seem oversimplified or lacking in depth. On the other hand, this style does foster accessibility, while the novelty of the volume allows for a handful of essays on subjects or areas that have not previously received a high level of academic attention. The added variety of topics such as nationalist iconography and Egyptology in Egypt is what helps make this an interesting and enjoyable read for an academic text and, considering that many authors are engaging with ideas from theorists such as Ernest Gellner, John Armstrong, Anthony Smith, and Benedict Anderson, they are fully accessible to someone who is not familiar with the modern theoretical concepts and frameworks.

Overall, Rethinking Nationalism in the Arab Middle East is a great volume to introduce one to newer modes of thinking about Arab nationalism. It is accessible to the non-specialist, covers a wide array of regions and topics, and does an excellent job of highlighting complexities and steering analysis away from traditional, elite-based studies. As an introductory-level foray into an unexplored topic, it does lack in depth and drive at points, and it is certainly not strong enough as a whole to radically alter one’s academic perspectives. What it does do, however, is present a fresh perspective and demonstrate how more recent theoretical frameworks can be applied, fruitfully, to a subject that they have only occasionally touched upon. Any work that encourages readers and scholars to evaluate concepts in terms of previously unrecognized complexity and diversity, and encourages new perspectives, is worth at least one read.

[Rachael MacLean]

I'm not entirely sure that I read this WHOLE book, but I read so much out of it that I think it counts. Great collection of articles!

[Liam Arne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of essays that expand the study of Arab nationalism.