Perceptions of Self, Power, & Gender Among Muslim Women: Narratives from a Rural Community in Bangladesh

"This book analyzes perceptions of self, power, agency, and gender of Muslim women in a rural community of Bangladesh. Rural women's limited power and agency has been subsumed within the male dominated Islamic discourses on gender. However, many Muslim women have their own alternative discourses surrounding power and agency. Sarwar Alam intertwines an exploration of these power dynamics with reading of the Qur'an and Hadith, and analyzes how Muslim women's perception of power and gender are linked to their relationship with religion."--Amazon.com Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 1-41 Geography and Demography (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 43-72 Self, Identity, and Individuality (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 73-105 Women’s Perceptions of Agency and Power (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 107-148 Sources of Power and Agency (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 149-183 Barriers to Women’s Power and Agency (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 185-229 Construction of Gender and Gender Ideology (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 231-276 Conclusion (Sarwar Alam)....Pages 277-282 Back Matter ....Pages 283-288