Search results for ""Author Yonatan Mendel""

Published in honour of Professor Yasir Suleiman, this collection acknowledges his contribution to the field of language and society in general, and to that of language analysis of socio-political realities in the Middle East in particular.

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Explores the dynamic relationships between language, politics and society in the Middle EastPublished in honour of Professor Yasir Suleiman, this collection acknowledges his contribution to the field of language and society in general, and to that of language analysis of socio-political realities in the Middle East in particular. Presenting a range of case studies relating to the role of language in the Middle East, each shows that the study of language unearths deeper processes relating to political affiliations, social behaviour and transnational as well as religious and sectarian identities. It also explores questions related to the power of language as a socio-political instrument, and addresses current issues that facilitate an understanding of the evolving intersections in the areas of language and politics in the modern Middle East. This includes how language forms and is shaped by its social and political surroundings, the language manifestations of social, religious and political identifications, as well as groupings, divisions and polarisations in the encounter between language, conflict and politics in contemporary Middle Eastern communities. Looking at language as a proxy for social and political struggles, the volume gives prominence to the long-lasting legacy and great contribution of Professor Yasir Suleiman to the field.Key FeaturesBrings together scholars from the fields of sociology, political science, Middle Eastern history, linguistics, socio-linguistics, political communication and media studiesIncludes chapters on identity changes via literary creations and word choice, code-switching and its importance in understanding political realities; Arabic studies in Jewish schools in Israel; the influence of the dominant Hebrew on Arabic spoken by Palestinians in Israel, and 'the language of the revolution' with case studies from Tunisia, Egypt and LibyaContributorsAshraf Abdelhay, Clare Hall College, CambridgeMariam Aboelezz, Lancaster UniversityMuhammad Amara, Beit Berl Academic CollegeReem Bassiouney, The American University of CairoMaisalon Dallashi, Tel Aviv UniversityEirlys E. Davies, King Fahd School of Translation, Tangier Carole Hillenbrand, University of St Andrews and University of EdinburghRana Issa, University of OsloJohn E. Joseph, University of Edinburgh Chaoqun Lian, Peking University and University of CambridgeSinfree Makoni, Pennsylvania State UniversityKarin Christina Ryding, Georgetown UniversitySonia Shiri, University of Arizona

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This book presents a collection of articles that put forward original research and significant insight regarding several key issues related to knowledge and language in Middle Eastern societies. The aspects studied include: the role of knowledge and language in affirming and negating political agendas and self-identities within areas of conflict and tension; ideas regarding the usefulness and interaction of religious and secular knowledge; and the attributes that render knowledge and language, especially that which is believed to be of divine origin, outstanding and worthy of admiration. The selection of studies has been purposefully diverse to include a variety of languages, including Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew and Persian, within multiple traditions, including Hellenism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while focussing on a range of periods, from the classical to the mediaeval to the modern, and examining a range of issues, such as methods of analysing and interpreting Persian, Turkish and Arabic literature, literary and other attributes of the Bible and the Qur’an, diglossic languages, the Turkish modernisation project, Turkish-Kurdish tensions, Andalusian music, Azerbaijani politics, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.By underlining the substantial commonalities that exist between such seemingly different fields of research, the book highlights the idea—increasingly on the wane in departments of Middle Eastern Studies across many universities—that a shared area of study, viz. the Middle East, naturally and inherently entails a shared cultural, historical, and sociological milieu. It suggests that academics who engage in different branches of research related to this area should—rather than focussing singly on their own field—avail substantially and meaningfully of one another’s scholarship, learn from each other’s methodologies, and collectively build upon a body of knowledge that should never be seen as dissociated.

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