Islamic society in practice / Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban.

"A unique contribution that tests the essence of Islamic societies by observing them in practice. . . . I found her insights on gender relations to be profound and refreshing."--Ghada Talhami, Lake Forest College

"A comprehensive piece of work on contemporary Arab society. . . . Clear, sympathetic, but not apologetic."--Ismail Abdalla, College of William and Mary

Written in the wake of the Gulf War, this book introduces the West to everyday Arab-Islamic culture and society, humanizing the region and its people. It ventures behind the headlines to offer a positive, constructive view of Islam and Muslims, showing how Islam is lived and prac-ticed in daily life in the Sudan, Egypt, and Tunisia.
Islamic Society in Practice is both scholarly and personal, intended for classroom use and for a general audience. It examines Islamic society on a grassroots level, using the basic anthropological method of participant observation. It treats the major dimensions of Islamic society from the core elements of the religion (including the religious-social values it promotes) to the type of society it engenders, the laws that institutionalize social practice, and the contemporary movements for reform or restoration of Islamic precepts in individual nations.
Writing from the perspective of a sympathetic American woman, Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban discusses in depth the social dynamics of gender transformation and Islam, examining the complex issue as one more dilemma confronting societies that are struggling to cope with Western ways of thinking.
Fluehr-Lobban's formal research and informal observations span the years 1970 to 1990, a time of dynamic change for the Arab and Muslim worlds. These decades took her from the life of a graduate student to that of a professor. With her husband and two daughters, she lived and conducted field research, traveling extensively in Africa and the Middle East. She conveys here the richness of her family experiences in their adopted communities, their deepening understanding of both Western and Islamic culture, and their growing appreciation for the Muslim "other" as a fellow human being.

Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban is professor of anthropology at Rhode Island College.

Author Notes

Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban is Professor of Anthropology and Director of General Education at Rhode Island College.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

When the Gulf War unfolded, publishers rushed out titles on the Middle East, from bios of Saddam to tomes on the region's history. It's a shame Fluehr-Lobban's book wasn't available then because it is an accessible primer on Islamic society, providing a good historical overview with a focus on how Islam is practiced in Egypt, Tunisia and, particularly, Sudan. The Rhode Island College anthropologist lived and conducted research in all three countries for a total of five years over a span of two decades. Her descriptions of Islamic values and social practice, gender relations and the tensions within the umma, or the world Muslim community, are effectively filtered through her own experiences. The commonly used Western term, Islamic fundamentalism, is inappropriate, she says, because among Muslims there is no disagreement about the fundamentals of the religion, and the Arabic translation of fundamentalism (usullyya) conveys little of the meaning and context in English. She suggests the term Islamic revival, which closely matches the Arabic translation. A helpful glossary of Arabic terms and names is included. Without the sweep of Albert Hourani's scholarly History of the Arabs, the book nonetheless is a must for the diplomat, the journalist or anyone with an interest in the Islamic world. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Choice Review

Written by a social anthropologist with five years of residence and research in the Arab Middle East, this study combines three features: general anthropological and historical information on Muslim society in the central Arab Middle East; more specific accounts of Islamic belief and practice in these areas; and a personal account of the author and her family's residence in three cities (Khartoum in Sudan, Cairo in Egypt, and Tunis in Tunisia). Fluehr-Lobban integrates into her discussion such topical issues as the so-called "Islamic revival," ethnic and national identity, and the position of women in Islamic society. The book is not about Islamic society everywhere; its one billion individuals are also found in many locales outside the Arab Middle East. Rather, it is a general account of the area and its major religion. A more detailed and analytical survey of the Middle East by an anthropologist is Dale Eickelman's The Middle East (CH, May'81). The author provides photographs, a few maps, and two bibliographies. General readers and undergraduates. L. Beck; Washington University

Library Journal Review

When Americans look at the Muslim world, they see a uniform culture (Arab) with a single language (Arabic) communicated through a uniform religious belief and practice (Islam). Fluehr-Lobban (anthropology, Univ. of Rhode Island) shows us how simplistic and mistaken this view is. For instance, while Islam does spread Arabic language and culture wherever it penetrates, the results are uneven. Even after centuries of Islamic belief, many peoples (Turks, Iranians, and Malaysians, among others) are neither Arab nor particularly Arabized. Moreover, even among Arab or Arabized peoples, Islam does not produce uniformity. Fluehr-Lobban's discussions of gender relations and family life in the Sudan, Egypt, and Tunisia are particularly worth studying. Lucid in style, and not overly technical, her work will appeal to academics and general readers. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.-James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, Va. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Illustations	p. viii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
1 Introduction	p. 1
2 The Five Pillars of Islam as Observed by Muslims	p. 18
3 Islamic Values and Social Practice	p. 44
4 Family, Community, and Gender Relations	p. 59
Notes	p. 84
6 Islamic Familym Law: Social and Political Change	p. 115
Recommended Journals	p. 178
References	p. 181
Index	p. 185

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