Romanticizing Masculinity in Baathist Syria
Gender, Identity, and Ideology
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Manchester University Press
Published:26th Nov '24
Should be back in stock very soon
This book provides a novel analysis of the conceptual sources and ideological contours of the Assad regime. The book documents the Baathists’ fascination with Romanticized and 'muscular' ideas of the nation that emerged in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European social philosophy, and traces the implementation and impacts of these ideologies in the Syrian context. Emphasising the emergence of new forms of public gendered identity in Syria as a unifying feature of nationalism bound closely with the stability of the regime, the book shows how Romantic, muscular nationalism first rose to hegemony and then was shattered by its inherent violence, contradictions and inequalities. The final chapter closes by considering how a new vision of pluralism and civic belonging is today challenging the Romanticized Baathist ideal in contention for Syria’s future.
'With her work, Aldoughli provides an analysis that is not only of great importance for the development of Syrian authoritarianism, but also has relevance beyond that ... It provides an analytical basis for the correlation between patriarchal ideology and authoritarian institutionalization, which is of international importance in the global context of authoritarian populism. The book is particularly convincing due to the careful contextualization of the phenomena dealt with in the overall historical framework of Syria as well as through its clearly understandable language. It is therefore also suitable for people outside the academic field. For all those who are already dealing intensively with Syria, it is a must-read anyway. It not only offers a treasure trove of quotes from Old Baathists, which have so far been available mainly in Arabic, but also provides another important piece of the puzzle to explain the authoritarian longevity of Assad's Syria.'
Dr. Sascha Ruppert-Karakas, Portals für Politikwissenschaft (Portal for Political Science)
ISBN: 9781526147622
Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 14mm
Weight: 494g
224 pages