Description
Book SynopsisSocial Currents in North Africa presents a multi-disciplinary analysis of social phenomena unfolding in the Maghreb today. It explores some of the most salient institutional and cultural parameters at work, through topics ranging from the workings of religious belief in the public sphere to the moral economies of language instruction and cultural production. Abi- Mershed delivers critical comments on the genealogies of contemporary North African behavioural and ideological norms, and offers insights into the new rationalities of governance after 2011. This volume raises important conceptual interpretations for the field of North Africa studies.
Trade Review'Osama Abi-Mershed has pulled together a comprehensive and insightful edited volume that covers several important aspects of Maghrebi political and social currents. Ranging across several countries and topics, but with a focus on social currents in the region, this volume is testimony to the emergence of a new, younger generation of North Africa scholars that promise to provide new and continuing insights into a region of the world that is not usually the subject of sustained inquiries.' -- Dirk Vandewalle, Associate Professor of Government, Dartmouth University, and author of 'A History of Modern Libya'
'Given the trauma and turbulence experienced in recent years by North African peoples, societies, and polities, Social Currents in North Africa is a breath of fresh air. Rather than viewing the region as a hotbed of dysfunction and disintegration, as the media would have it, this book provides an insightful and empathetic cross-disciplinary comparative study by a distinguished group of scholars and keen observers. Both serious and lay students of the subject will find this book deeply informative and rewarding.' -- John P. Entelis, Professor of Political Science, Fordham University
'This excellent book covers salient issues about the Maghreb, which academics have hitherto overlooked, covering such questions as the transformation of the Islamist parties in the region, the Amazigh movement, non-state actors support for the Western Saharan nationalist movement, or Jewish heritage tourism in Morocco and Tunisia. A welcome addition to the literature, I strongly recommend it.' -- Yahia H. Zoubir, Professor of International Relations, KEDGE Business School, France
