Alef Is for Allah : Childhood, Emotion, and Visual Culture in Islamic Societies

This book explores the emotional space occupied by children in modern Islamic societies. Focusing on visual representations of children, primarily from modern Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, it examines important concepts ranging from cuteness, innocence, devotion, violence, and sacrifice to emotion, aspiration, virtue, performance, nationhood, community, and gender. It grounds the study of the visual representation of children in a concise treatment of the history of childhood, education, and religion, as well as the national histories of the societies in question. In addition to exploring a topic that has never been studied comparatively before, it extends the boundaries of scholarship on emotion, religion, and visual culture, arguing for the centrality of conceptions of childhood to adult intentionalities at a societal level. It demonstrates the ways in which emotion is enacted in a sociocultural space that one might call an __emotional habitus, ecosystem,__ or an __emotional regime.__ It also uses the concept of an __aesthetic social imagination__ to explain how public emotional acts shape the lives of more than the individual who enacts them. Emotions are kinetic and directional, directed inward at the individual's sense of self at the same time as they are directed at other members of society. This quality allows them to function morally as well as aspirationally. La 4e de couverture indique : "Alef is for Allah is the first groundbreaking study of the emotional space occupied by children in modern Islamic societies. Focusing primarily on visual representations of children from modern Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, the book examines these materials to investigate important concepts, ranging from innocence, cuteness, gender, virtue and devotion to community, nationhood, violence and sacrifice. In addition to exploring a topic that has never been studied comparatively before, Alef is for Allah extends the boundaries of scholarship on emotion, religion, and visual culture, providing unique insight into Islam as it is lived and experienced in the modern world." "Alef is for Allah is the first groundbreaking study of the emotional space occupied by children in modern Islamic societies. Focusing primarily on visual representations of children from modern Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, the book examines these materials to investigate important concepts, ranging from innocence, cuteness, gender, virtue and devotion to community, nationhood, violence and sacrifice. In addition to exploring a topic that has never been studied comparatively before, Alef is for Allah extends the boundaries of scholarship on emotion, religion, and visual culture, providing unique insight into Islam as it is lived and experienced in the modern world."--Provided by publisher

Alef Is for Allah is the first groundbreaking study of the emotional space occupied by children in modern Islamic societies. Focusing primarily on visual representations of children from modern Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, the book examines these materials to investigate concepts such as innocence, cuteness, gender, virtue, and devotion, as well as community, nationhood, violence, and sacrifice. In addition to exploring a subject that has never been studied comparatively before, Alef Is for Allah extends the boundaries of scholarship on emotion, religion, and visual culture and provides unique insight into Islam as it is lived and experienced in the modern world. 

Contents Illustrations Preface on Transliteration and Conventions Acknowledgments 1. Of Children, Objects, and Seeing: An Introduction 2. Emotion and Its Affects 3. Bringing Up Baby: The Construction of Childhood 4. Good Muslims Do Their Homework 5. Cuteness and Childhood in Turkey 6. The Poster Children of Pakistan 7. Toy Guns and the Real Dead in Iran 8. Of Children, Adults, and Tomorrow: A Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index