A history of women's seclusion in the Middle East : the veil in the looking glass
"A History of Women's Seclusion in the Middle East: The Veil in the Looking Glass is a critical interdisciplinary examination of the practice of seclusion of women throughout the Middle East from its beginnings. This challenging exploration discusses the reasons that seclusion may not be as oppressive as is generally accepted, and, in fact, may be an empowering force for women in both the West and East. Readers are taken on a controversial, belief-bending journey deep into the origins and diverse aspects of female seclusion to find solid evidence of its surprising use as a defense against monolithic cultural exploitation." "Internationally acclaimed author Ann Chamberlin uses her extensive knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, language, and even archeology to provide a convincing assertion challenging the Western view that seclusion was and is a result of women's oppression. A History of Women's Seclusion in the Middle East goes beyond standard feminist rhetoric to put forth shocking notions on the real reasons behind women's seclusion and how it has been used to counteract cultural exploitation. The book reviews written evidence, domestic and sacred architecture, evolution, biology, the clan, the environment for seclusion, trade, capital and land, slavery, honor, and various other aspects in a powerful feminist argument that seclusion is actually a valuable empowering force of protection from the influence of today's society. The text includes black and white figures with useful descriptions to illustrate and enhance reader understanding of concepts."--Jacket
History
1 online resource (xiv, 298 pages) : illustrations, maps
9781134731527, 9781134731596, 9780789029836, 9780789029843, 1134731523, 1134731590, 0789029839, 0789029847
879202871
Seclusion at work
A return to the Taliban
Ancient veiling
Artistic representation
Written evidence
Domestic architecture
Architecture : the sacred
In the sacred storehouse
Sacred pegs
"HRM"
Balance in the paleolithic : sacred time, space, and persons
Evolution
Biology
The clan
Environment for seclusion
Trade
Capital and land
The British parallel : enclosure
Liberation of the individual
The hunger for the individual
The urban Mesopotamian clan
How Mesopotamian culture effected individual alienation
The personal god
Cities of power
Vernacular gender
Slavery
Honor
Masscult
Women's tongue
For men only
The fate of seclusion in the west
Conclusion
Electronic reproduction, [Place of publication not identified], HathiTrust Digital Library, 2010