Table of Contents

Introduction: the 'woman question' in Saudi Arabia; 1. From religious revival to religious nationalism; 2. Schooling women: the state as benevolent educator; 3. Symbols of piety: fatwa on women in the 1980s; 4. The quest for cosmopolitan modernity; 5. Women in search of themselves; 6. Celebrity women novelists and the cosmopolitan fantasy; 7. Guarding self and nation: women preachers and activists; Conclusion: light at the end of the tunnel.

Promotional Information

This book goes beyond conventional tropes describing women in Saudi Arabia to probe the historical, political and religious forces thwarting their emancipation.

About the Author

Madawi Al-Rasheed is Professor of Anthropology of Religion at King's College London. She specialises in Saudi history, politics and society. Her publications include Contesting the Saudi State (2007), Kingdom without Borders (2009) and A History of Saudi Arabia (2010).

Reviews

'This book deserves praise - and more importantly - to be read by those with an interest in Saudi Arabia or a desire to learn more about the factors and mechanisms that contribute to women's continued marginalisation worldwide.' The Times Higher Education Supplement

'Al-Rasheed demonstrates the centrality of women in a state that draws its legitimacy from its fidelity to the sectarian ideology that presided over its birth in the 19th century. The author depicts the relationship between state and Wahabism (deemed a form of 'religious nationalism') as close, albeit fraught with tensions … the book is timely, lucid, and filled with insights into the lives of these still little-known women. Summing up: recommended. All academic levels/libraries.' M. Lazreg, Choice

'What makes the book so rewarding and useful is, first, the thoughtful, richly detailed historical context it provides for understanding women's education, the regulations of women's bodies and sexuality, and the place of women in business relations in Saudi Arabia over the span of several decades. But Al-Rasheed is also very attentive to both the state-centered mythologizing and religious discourse-making that goes into the maintenance of gender relations, as well as the contestation over the boundaries of control … For now, her readers will be grateful for such a sympathetically critical guide to the way so many Saudi women live today.' Laleh Khalili, Women's Studies Quarterly