The Changing Consumer Cultures of Modern Egypt: Cairo's Urban Reshaping (SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STUDIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA, 101)

In a collage of images the author attempts to convey the transformation of consumer culture and how it is related to the urban reshaping of the city of Cairo to meet with the demands of globalisation. CONTENTS......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......Page 12 GLOSSARY ......Page 16 INTRODUCTION ......Page 22 Inter-Personal and Inter-Textual Negotiations ......Page 28 The Organization of the Book ......Page 35 CHAPTER ONE CONSUMER CULTURE IN DIVIDED CAIRO ......Page 42 Segregated Cities ......Page 44 City-Malls ......Page 49 Back to Cairo ......Page 51 How to Emulate the Asian Tigers? ......Page 52 Beirut ......Page 54 Dubai ......Page 57 The Virtual City and its Double ......Page 59 CHAPTER TWO CONSUMER STUDIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE BLIND SPOT ......Page 64 Globalization and Landscapes Compared ......Page 74 The Public Sphere and Public Spaces ......Page 75 The Emerging of the Public Sphere and “Spaces” ......Page 85 Les Grands Magasins: Forgotten Early Egyptian Consumerism ......Page 91 The Social Life of Malls ......Page 101 A New Public Sphere ......Page 104 CHAPTER THREE MEMORIES ......Page 110 The Ideal and Nasr Companies ......Page 111 Bauhaus ......Page 117 Continuities ......Page 122 Transformations/Metamorphosis in Continuity ......Page 128 Household Consumption ......Page 132 Shopping ......Page 137 Fashion in the 1960’s ......Page 143 The Language of Fashion ......Page 148 Readings and Private Lessons ......Page 151 Birthdays ......Page 153 Living in Zamalek ......Page 154 The Move to Mohandessin ......Page 159 CHAPTER FOUR THE SIXTIES’ LEISURE CLASSES ......Page 162 Servants ......Page 171 Bitaqat al-Tamwin (Ration Cards) and the Servants ......Page 172 Boasting Wealth ......Page 176 CHAPTER FIVE A NEW CONSUMER CULTURE ......Page 186 The Cappuccino Egyptianized ......Page 189 Baladi Qahwas (Popular Coffee Houses) in Malls ......Page 191 Resorts ......Page 193 Orascom ......Page 196 Eating Out (McDonald’s in Cairo) ......Page 199 Differing Notions of Beauty and Consumer Culture ......Page 205 Fashion Today ......Page 210 Affandiyas versus Galabeyyas ......Page 214 Islamic and Ethnic Chic ......Page 219 Shahira Mehrez’s Search for Identity through the Galabeyya ......Page 225 Jewellery ......Page 231 Arts and Crafts ......Page 233 Authenticity in Fashion and Folklorization ......Page 237 The Flowering of the Art Market ......Page 238 Salons and Paintings ......Page 245 CHAPTER SIX CAIRO’S SHOPPING MALLS AND URBAN RESHAPING ......Page 250 New Dating Patterns ......Page 254 Youth, Sexuality and New Spaces ......Page 259 The Official Discourse on 'Ashwa'iyyat (slums) ......Page 263 Bulaq ......Page 269 Madinat Nasr (Nasr City) ......Page 282 Nasr City: The Army and Malls ......Page 289 How To Spend Time in Polluted Cairo ......Page 295 Popular versus “Chic” Malls ......Page 300 Economic Recession and the Future of Consumerism ......Page 304 CONCLUSION ......Page 308 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......Page 316 INDEX ......Page 326 This book consists of a collage of images that attempts to convey the transformation of consumer culture and how it is related to the urban reshaping of the city of Cairo to meet with the demands of globalisation. Analyzing the shift from socialist economy to the opening up of Egypt's economy, and how this has affected everyday life of the middle classes, the author touches on various themes such as the general changing lifestyles and conspicuous consumption, the spread of mobile phones, and coffee shops, the gated communities and secondary resorts. The "folklorisation of culture" through the flowering tourist industry, the expansion of local crafts, plastic surgery and the body as a site of consumption are all analysed. Although being influenced by the discourse of the Frankfurt school on the culture industry, this work attempts to highlight the paradoxes pertaining to the democratising effects of consumer culture without denying the growing flagrant class polarisation. The readership includes: sociologists, historians, Middle East specialists, cultural studies specialists and all those who are interested in integrating visual art with sociological investigation

This book consists of a collage of images that attempts to convey the transformation of consumer culture and how it is related to the urban reshaping of the city of Cairo to meet with the demands of globalisation. Analyzing the shift from socialist economy to the opening up of Egypt’s economy, and how this has affected everyday life of the middle classes, the author touches on various themes such as the general changing lifestyles and conspicuous consumption, the spread of mobile phones, and coffee shops, the gated communities and secondary resorts. The “folklorisation of culture” through the flowering tourist industry, the expansion of local crafts, plastic surgery and the body as a site of consumption are all analysed. Although being influenced by the discourse of the Frankfurt school on the culture industry, this work attempts to highlight the paradoxes pertaining to the democratising effects of consumer culture without denying the growing flagrant class polarisation.

"This book consists of a collage of images that attempts to convey the transformation of consumer culture and how it is related to the urban reshaping of the city of Cairo to meet with the demands of globalisation. Analyzing the shift from socialist economy to the opening up of Egypt's economy, and how this has affected everyday life of the middle classes, the author touches on various themes such as the general changing lifestyles and conspicuous consumption, the spread of mobile phones, and coffee shops, the gated communities and secondary resorts."--Jacket