The rise of the Egyptian middle class socio-economic mobility and public discontent from Nasser to Sadat
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Egypt experienced rapid economic growth- the result of a regional oil boom. Oddly, this economic growth hardly registered in Egyptian public discourse, which constantly claimed that the country was experiencing economic and socio-cultural crises. The present book se...
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| Format: | UnknownFormat |
| Sprache: | eng |
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Cambridge, New York, Port Melbourne, New Delhi, Singapore
Cambridge University Press
2019
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Tag hinzufügen | Zusammenfassung: | During the 1970s and early 1980s, Egypt experienced rapid economic growth- the result of a regional oil boom. Oddly, this economic growth hardly registered in Egyptian public discourse, which constantly claimed that the country was experiencing economic and socio-cultural crises. The present book sets out to investigate this discrepancy. It studies the unprecedented socio-economic mobility, the significant changes in the employment structure, and the spread of mass consumption by means of analyses of the statistical data and the ethnographic evidence. I argue that, during the oil boom, Egypt experienced a dramatic expansion of the middle class-now increasingly representing 'average' Egyptians. In addition to analyses of the empirical evidence, this book analyzes relevant, contemporary Egyptian public discourse by examining a wide cultural array that includes: academic writing, the press, cinema and literature. For the most part, the public discourse viewed this vast transformation from a negative perspective, commentators criticizing 'what went wrong' in Egypt. Such public discourse was by no means monolithic and, as such, reflected disagreements between the economic and political left, right and center, and between secularists and Islamists. However, Egyptian public discourse at that time did expose a broad coalition of discontent regarding the burgeoning changes in state/middle-class relations under the long-term social contract. The public discourse further exposed many social tensions that developed as a result of the widespread socio-economic mobility. My investigation focuses not only on the rapid formation of a broad middle class in Egypt, but also on the consensual Egyptian public discourse lamenting its ephemerality During the 1970s and early 1980s, Egypt experienced swift economic growth resulting from a regional oil boom. Oddly, this economic growth hardly registered in Egyptian public discourse, which continuously claimed that the country was experiencing multiple economic, social, and cultural crises. This book sets out to investigate this discrepancy and to offer a revisionist history of the period. It documents the massive socio-economic mobility in Egypt by analysing relevant statistical data and ethnographic evidence, indicating the changes in the employment structure and the spread of mass consumption. Relli Shechter further examines a wide array of cultural resources, such as Egyptian academic writing, the press, the cinema, and the literature, in which critics lamented 'what went wrong' in Egypt. By doing so, he offers a local version of a wider Middle Eastern and international story: the global formation of middle-class societies whose members strove for respectable lives with only partial success Working into the middle class -- "Crisis of supply in every household" -- 'Provocative consumption' -- 'Parasites' -- The resurgence of middle-class Islam Examines the results of the Middle Eastern oil boom of the 1970s-80s on the Egyptian economy and how this economic growth has an impact on Egyptian society Cover -- Half-title page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Transliteration -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Working into the Middle Class -- 3 "Crisis of Supply in Every Household" -- 4 "Provocative Consumption" -- 5 "Parasites" -- 6 The Resurgence of Middle-Class Islam -- 7 Conclusion: Socio-Economic Mobility and Discontent -- Works Cited -- Index |
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| Beschreibung: | xv, 269 Seiten Illustrationen |
| ISBN: | 9781108474481 978-1-108-47448-1 |