Description
Book SynopsisThe lives of female performers and the reasons why work they regard as "a trade like any other" is considered disreputable in Egyptian society.
Trade ReviewThis fascinating ethnography of professional female entertainers in Egypt brings together issues and ideas relevant to dance, anthropology, ethnomusicology, gender studies, and area studies.... By providing new insight into historical, political, economic, religious, and cultural forces, van Nieuwkerk accounts for the ambivalent attitudes towards female professional performers in Egyptian society as well as the way they cope with their status. * Ethnomusicology *
Van Nieuwkerk's book is unique because it transcends formulaic suppositions and provides intelligent analysis of a world which has been overlooked for too long. She has partaken in the life of humble entertainers and has tried to understand and explain what their daily and professional lives are like, how they perceive their profession and themselves and how they are perceived by others. In doing so she has written a highly readable and enjoyable ethnography. * Middle Eastern Studies *
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Note on Transcription
- One. Introduction
- Two. Female Entertainment in Nineteenth-Century Egypt
- Three. Female Entertainment in The Twentieth Century
- Four. Life Stories of Female Entertainers
- Five. Marginality
- Six. Honor and Shame
- Seven. Gender
- Eight. Female Entertainers: Feminine and Masculine
- Nine. Conclusions
- Appendix: Methodological Notes
- Notes
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
