The Middle East And Central Asia

The emergence of Muslim republics has been part of a larger transformation experienced by the Middle East in the 1990s. The main purpose of this volume is to examine the impact of the transformation on the Middle East, especially Turkey and Iran.

A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the textile traditions of a culturally diverse region, from the late eighteenth century to the present day.

Book on impact of global and social changes in the Middle East

This is a unique, systematic comparison of empires and of their consequences for sovereignty in the Middle East and Central Asia. It brings theory on empire and sovereignty to bear on empirical variation across the two regions.

Carter and Ehteshami consider the significant geopolitical, economic and security links between the Middle East and the wider Asian world - links which are often overlooked when the Middle East is considered in isolation or in terms of its relations with the West, but which are of growing importance. Topics covered include Asia's overall geostrategic realities and the Middle East's place within them; relations between the Middle East and China, Russia, central Asia, southeast Asia and south Asia; Islam in central Asia and southeast Asia and the connections with the Middle East; and the important links between the Middle East and India and Pakistan's military and security establishments.

The Aim Of This Encyclopaedia Is To Highlight The Living Style Of More Than 350 Million People Of 47 Countries Of Middle-East And Central Asian Countries Who Have Been Residing In These Areas (Both Past And Present) And The Factors That Have Caused The Culture To Change Over Time And Place. This Monumental Work Presents An Ethnographical Analysis Of 227 Ethnic Communities Written By Eminent Scholars Which Deals With The Physical, Historical, Social, Political, Economic, Religious And Cultural Life. Summaries Of Each Entry Usually Provide Information On The Following Aspects: Physical Features; History Of Origin And Development; Social Life; Marriage And Family; Political Organisation; Social Conflict And Control; Economic And Commer-Cial Activities; Religion And Culture; And Bibliography For Further Studies.

What is it about the history, geographical position and cultures of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia that has made music such a potent and powerful agent? This volume presents the first direct look at the complex relationship between music and power across a range of musical genres and countries. Discourses of power in the region centre on some of the most contested social issues, most notably in relation to nationhood, gender and religion. Individual chapters examine the ways in which music serves as a forum for playing out issues of power, ideology, resistance and subversion. How does music become a space for promoting - or conversely, resisting or subverting - particular ideologies or positions of authority? How does it accrue symbolic power in ways that are very particular, perhaps unique? And how does music become a site of social control or, alternatively, a vehicle for agency and empowerment, at times overt and at others highly subtle? What is it about music that facilitates, and sometimes disrupts, the exercise and flows of power? Who controls such flows, how and for what purposes? In asking such questions in the context of countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Tunisia and Tajikistan, the book draws on a wide range of relevant theoretical and critical ideas, and many disciplines including ethnomusicology, anthropology, sociology, politics, Middle Eastern studies, globalization studies, gender studies and cultural and media studies. The countries and areas explored share a great deal in historical and cultural terms, including a legacy of colonial and neo-colonial encounters and predominantly Judeo-Muslim religious traditions. It is hoped that the volume will contribute ultimately to a richer understanding of the role that music plays in these societies.

Based on a synthesis of the extensive research of Middle Eastern and Western scholars, this lively anthropological introduction to the Middle East and Central Asia explores the socio-political complexities of those regions and introduces students to the questions that have been, and are being, developed by scholars and writers concerned with the two regions. The volume provides an anthropological introduction to the Middle East, and Central Asia including region, economy, and society, personal and family relationships, change in practical ideologies, the cultural order of complex societies, religion and experience and the shape of change. For individuals interested in an introduction to the Middle East and Central Asia.