The Social History of Cities in the Middle East (Paperback)

Providing a practical review for historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and upper-level students of urban studies, this book seeks to unravel the mystery surrounding the urban social history of the Middle East from the mid-18th century to the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. In his introduction, the editor places the practice of Middle Eastern social history in the context of social history as a whole, and then presents case studies. The contributing authors address central conceptual and methodological issues, producing a research agenda for studies on the social history of the Middle East. The editor also provides a critical overview of the current literature, which is crucial to the discussions that follow. The case studies highlight transitions over time, exploring such areas as population changes and urban growth due to changes in urban wages, the changing roles of minority communities (Christians, Jews, Europeans), and women's changing social and economic roles, reflected in marriage and divorce. Many of the discussions also examine economic and political relations, such as economic relations between cities and the hinterlands, state-versus-local political functions, and the buying-up of crop futures in the organization of labour and production. The text concludes with a review of popular protest movements, including the anti-colonial struggle, and considers the social and political effects of the European economic penetration in the Middle East.