Culture and Psychology

1. Culture and Psychology of Arab-Muslim Societies

2. Course Topics • Introduction to Middle East – North Africa “culture area” • Social structure, family organization & “code” of honor and modesty • Islam and Islamism • Modernization, underdevelopment & identity • Gender, children, & development • Arab Spring protests & revolutions

3. Readings • Naguib Mahfouz: Palace Walk • The Middle East: A Cultural Psychology • Henry Munson: Islam and Revolution in the Middle East • Ryszard Kapucinski: Shah of Shahs • Excerpts from books & articles ( many on electronic reserve )

4. Assignments • “Key concept” papers (~3-4 pgs.) on each section of the course • Participation in class discussions • Research Paper: paper teach-in

5. “Culture Area” Concept • Political organization (“tribes”) • Language • Subsistance economy • Kinship, family organization, marriage • Ritual & religion

6. Early Culture-Area map(Wissler)

7. Native AmericanCulture Areas

8. Middle East as a “Culture Area”? • “Middle East” ? • Arab ? • Muslim ? • Arab – Muslim ? • Mediterranean ?

9. Middle East

10. Arab Ethnicity:Arabian Penn.+ present-daySyriaIraqJordanPalestine

11. Islam

13. M.E.N.A.Middle East & North Africa Border areas: • Turkey? • Iran? • Sudan? • Pakistan? • Afghanistan?

14. A Mediterranean culture area?

15. Mediterranean Basin

16. Mediterranean Basin

17. Germain Tillion: “Republic of Cousins” • Circum-Mediterranean formed culture area • Industrial revolution transformed Europe • Enabled Europe to colonize MENA • MENA underdevelops • Nationalist response defends “traditions” against colonizers • Patriarchy & religion embraced (by some) as core of cultural authenticity

18. Westerners Study the Orient Knowledge created to: • Colonize and administer • Imagine “primitive” contrast to civilization • Imagine freedom & sensuality repressed by civilization 1978

19. Mini-Stereotypes(Katherine Tidrick) • Primitive Savage & Brutal Tyrant • Noble Savage -- Bedouin • Exotic-Erotic Woman of the Harem • Patriarchal misogynist • Terrorist

20. 1920s – 1960s: Exotic / Romantic Rudolph Valentino: The Sheikh

21. 1920s – 1960s: Exotic / Romantic

22. The Real Lawrence

23. 1970s - now: Tyrants & Terrorists

24. American Movie Arabs

25. Planet of the Arabshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1ZNEjEarw

26. Misunderstandings • Despotism & strife stem from a tribal mentality equipped with modern weapons • The “honor code” monopolizes the Middle Eastern psyche and subverts modernization • Islamic “fatalism” breeds passivity and stalls development • The momentum of tradition resists modernization • Terrorism springs from a vein of fanaticism in Arab culture and psyche

27. How to begin?Naguib Mahfouz, Palace Walk

28. Café Riche,Cairo 2003Mahfouz &literati of Egypt

29. History of “modern” Egypt • 16th – 18th centuries: Ottoman (Turkish) rule • 1798: Napoleon invades • 1882: British invade • 1910s: Nationalist Movement • 1919: Egyptian revolt • 1922: limited Independence • 1952: Army Coup – Nasser -- independence

30. Napoleon Invades Egypt 1798

31. Battle of the Pyramids

32. Napoleon “liberates”Egypt from Ottoman Empire

33. “Battle of Nile” 1798:British Adm. Nelson defeats Napoleon

34. 1882 British attack AlexandriaInvade Egypt & establish colony

35. After bombardment: anti-European riots

36. Alexandria after attack 1882

37. Alexandria after attack British at Pyramids

38. World War I • Allies promise Arabs independence in exchange for cooperation against Germany • Britain and France secretly agreed to divide Middle East as colonies after WWI (“Sykes-Picot pact”) • Britain increased military in Egypt, forced Egyptians to sell cotton & fodder below market price, conscripted 500,000 Egyptians

39. World War I • 1917 Bolshevik Revolution: Sykes-Picot pact revealed • Occupation + economic hardships + Sykes-Picot betrayal fueled nationalist movement • Saad Zaghlul emerged as leader • Delegation – wafd – to negotiate independence at Paris Peace Conference, but exiled

40. 1919 Saad Zaghlul & Wafd

41. 1919 Egyptian Revolution

42. Egyptian Independence • 1922: Britain granted Egypt independence • Created parliament + monarchy on British model • Kept rights to military occupation that allowed control of Egyptian politics until 1952 coup by Gamal Nasser and “Free Officers”

43. 1952 “Free Officers” Coup Gamal Nasser

44. Nasser Era • Arab Nationalism • Unite M.E. as “Arab nation” inclusive of all religions • Many leaders were Arab Christians • Democracy and moderate socialism • Leader of newly-independent “Third World” non-aligned nations • Neutral in Cold War between U.S. and U.S.S.R.

45. Nasser Era – con’t • Social progress: • Land reform • Education • Health care • Guaranteed jobs • Economic growth • Initial popular enthusiasm • Cult of personality  dictatorship

46. 1967 • Crushing defeat by Israel showed failure of Nasser and of “Arab nationalism” • Period of “self-criticism” by intellectuals and artists • Youth begins turning to Islam • Mosques begin filling • Young women put on headscarves and veils • Gov’t supports Islamists to undermine leftists

47. Naguib Mahfouz • 1912: born in old quarter of Cairo • 1919: watched demonstrations & protesters killed by British troops in Egyptian Revolution • 1934: University of Cairo • Worked on M.A. in philosophy • Began writing • 1939-1954: Ministry of Islamic Affairs bureaucrat • 1954-1969: gov’t foundation for cinema

48. Naguib Mahfouz • 1952: Completed “Cairo Trilogy” • A few months before Nasser’s coup • Written as 1500 page book; then divided into 3 • 1952 – 1959: stopped writing • 1960s: wrote poetry, screenplays, novels • allegories critical of Islamism & corrupt secular rulers • 1988: Nobel Prize • 1994: stabbed by Islamists, partly paralyzed • 2006: died

49. Cairo: Nile River

50. Midan Tahrir