Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on the political life of the sha'b in Cairo, this book shows how men and women develop creative and effective strategies to accomplish shared goals, despite the dominant forces ranged against them. It examines communal patterns of allocation, distribution, and decision-making.
Trade Review"Political anthropology of a high order. Singerman shows how family ties empower people...Her picture of women black marketeers is especially revealing. As a social scientist, she is determined to challenge the stereotype of the passive urban poor, and she makes a largely successful case for seeing politics in other than elite terms."--Foreign Affairs "[An] outstanding piece of scholarship that forces us to rethink and broaden our understanding of political participation to better appreciate the alternative institutions that marginalized communities create in order to satisfy their political and economic needs... [Singerman's] vivid account is one of only a handful of studies that provide a detailed picture of the daily political and economic experiences of lower-class communities in the Middle East."--Guilain Denoeux, American Journal of Sociology "Singerman's work cuts across a variety of disciplines--comparative political science, anthropology and sociology, women's studies, and economics--and all are handled deftly... She is a superb writer and has produced an enjoyable, informative, and challenging piece of scholarship."--Denis J. Sullivan, Middle East Journal
Table of ContentsList of TablesForewordAcknowledgmentsA Note on TransliterationIntroduction3Egypt and Popular Political Expression5The Context and Approach of the Study17Ch. 1The Family, Politics, and the Familial Ethos41The Public/Private Dichotomy and Political Participation44Patrimonialism, the Family, and Participation in a Middle Eastern Context45The Familial Ethos49Conclusion: An Ethos beyond the Household71Ch. 2Reproducing the Family74Choosing a Mate: "Shababiik, shababiik, id-dunya kullaha shababiik"77Marriage Protocol, or the Rules of Engagement85Sexuality and the Transgression of Public Norms92The Cost of Marriage: An Economic Nightmare109Raising the Capital to Marry121Conclusions: Marriage, the Economy, and the State126Ch. 3Networks: The Political Lifeline of Community132Earning a Living138Development: Education Networks160The Bureaucracy and the State164Ch. 4Informality: Politics and Economics in Tandem173Informal and Formal Economic Activity in a Shabi Community179Family Enterprises199Informality Meets the State205The Shab and Informality: Wages and Wealth231Informality: The Economic and Political Consequences for the Nation238Ch. 5Politics as Distribution244Private Voluntary Organizations: A Mediated Distribution Point246Elite Politics, the State, and the Shab255Conclusions269Notes273Bibliography315Index331
