Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East

This book presents a state-of-the-art comparative study of women's roles in the Middle East as of 1990. The author draws together a large number of statistics and research as she discusses how and why women's status varies across the region. The book can be succinctly summed up in the following quote: "Many studies on the Middle East and commentaries by Islamists themselves tend to understate the heterogeneity of the region; they project a uniform culture and exaggerate its importance, elevating culture or religion to the status of single explanatory variable. My alternative position is that there is an interactive relationship of economic processes, political dynamics, and cultural practices." In addition to describing the general situation throughout the region, the author presents two case studies: Iran and Afghanistan. The information in the case studies is highly illuminating and I have not seen such detailed discussion on these topics elsewhere. In places, the author goes a little off topic, such as when she describes the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution; although the information presented in these sections is somewhat interesting, it's not clear why it was necessary or appropriate to include them. The author also has the annoying habit of relying extensively on acronyms whose meanings can be hard to keep track of. Overall, though, the book is a valuable reference for those interested in women in the Middle East.