An Analysis of Saba Mahmood's Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject (The Macat Library)

Saba Mahmood's 2005 Politics of Piety is an excellent example of evaluation in action. Mahmood's book is a study of women's participation in the Islamic revival across the Middle East. Mahmood – a feminist social anthropologist with left-wing, secular political values – wanted to understand why women should become such active participants in a movement that seemingly promoted their subjugation. As Mahmood observed, women's active participation in the conservative Islamic revival presented (and presents) a difficult question for Western feminists: how to balance cultural sensitivity and promotion of religious freedom and pluralism with the feminist project of women's liberation? Mahmood's response was to conduct a detailed evaluation of the arguments made by both sides, examining, in particular, the reasoning of female Muslims themselves. In a key moment of evaluation, Mahmood suggests that Western feminist notions of agency are inadequate to arguments about female Muslim piety. Where Western feminists often restrict definitions of women's agency to acts that undermine the normal, male-dominated order of things, Mahmood suggests, instead, that agency can encompass female acts that uphold apparently patriarchal values. Ultimately the Western feminist framework is, in her evaluation, inadequate and insufficient for discussing women's groups in the Islamic revival. "Saba Mahmoo©d';s 2005 Politics of Piety is an excellent example of evaluation in action. Mahmoo©d';s book is a study of wome©n';s participation in the Islamic revival across the Middle East. Mahmood--a feminist social anthropologist with left-wing, secular political values--wanted to understand why women should become such active participants in a movement that seemingly promoted their subjugation. As Mahmood observed, wome©n';s active participation in the conservative Islamic revival presented (and presents) a difficult question for Western feminists: how to balance cultural sensitivity and promotion of religious freedom and pluralism with the feminist project of wome©n';s liberation? Mahmoo©d';s response was to conduct a detailed evaluation of the arguments made by both sides, examining, in particular, the reasoning of female Muslims themselves. In a key moment of evaluation, Mahmood suggests that Western feminist notions of agency are inadequate to arguments about female Muslim piety. Where Western feminists often restrict definitions of wome©n';s agency to acts that undermine the normal, male-dominated order of things, Mahmood suggests, instead, that agency can encompass female acts that uphold apparently patriarchal values. Ultimately the Western feminist framework is, in her evaluation, inadequate and insufficient for discussing wome©n';s groups in the Islamic revival."--Provided by publisher In this original and controversial 2005 book, Mahmood argues that Muslim women can show independence even while assuming traditional Islamic roles. Her research suggests that, in choosing to embrace the norms of their faith, these pious Muslims are not limiting, but rather affirming, themselves. They do not value the idea of 'freedom' in the same way the liberal West does, and this can give us new insights into ideas about autonomy that we all too often take for granted. Mahmood challenges many assumptions made by feminists from the secular liberal tradition. She insists these Muslim women must be understood on their own terms, rather than via conventional feminist views. Cover Title Page Copyright Page CONTENTS WAYS IN TO THE TEXT Who Is Saba Mahmood? What Does Politics of Piety Say? Why Does Politics of Piety Matter? SECTION 1: INFLUENCES MODULE 1 THE AUTHOR AND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT MODULE 2 ACADEMIC CONTEXT MODULE 3 THE PROBLEM MODULE 4 THE AUTHOR’S CONTRIBUTION SECTION 2: IDEAS MODULE 5 MAIN IDEAS MODULE 6 SECONDARY IDEAS MODULE 7 ACHIEVEMENT MODULE 8 PLACE IN THE AUTHOR’S WORK SECTION 3: IMPACT MODULE 9 THE FIRST RESPONSES MODULE 10 THE EVOLVING DEBATE MODULE 11 IMPACT AND INFLUENCE TODAY MODULE 12 WHERE NEXT? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited