Tribal Politics in the Borderland of Egypt and Libya

by Thomas Hïsken

Overview

This book explores the tribal politics of the Awlad ‘Ali Bedouin in the borderland of Egypt and Libya. These tribal politics are part of heterarchy in which sovereignty is shared between tribes, states and other groups and, within this dynamic setting, the local politicians of the Awlad ‘Ali are essential producers of order beyond the framework of the nation state. Based on long-term fieldwork, this monograph is ideal for audiences interested in North African Politics, Libya, Egypt, and borderland studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030064112
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	12/20/2018
Series:	Palgrave Series in African Borderlands Studies
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2019
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Thomas Hüsken is Senior Research Fellow at the Department for Ethnology of the University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Table of Contents

1. ​Chapter 1/Introduction.- 2. Chapter 2 Research in Times of Turmoil and the Merits of Participant Observation.- 3. Chapter 3 People, Places, and a Brief History.- 4. Chapter 4 Pioneers, Political Entrepreneurs and Heterarchy in the Borderland.- 5. Chapter 5 The Practice and Culture of Smuggling.- 6. Chapter 6: Tribes and Political Islam.- 7. Conclusion.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The borderland of Egypt and Libya has been explored by four generations of anthropologists who produced among them some of the most innovative ethnographies. Thomas Hüsken thus stands on the shoulders of giants, but has also gained his own honourable position in this elite. After twenty years of living in and writing about the region, he has now produced a study for our times. His account is thick and rich, and brings out the Bedouins’ complex political and economic conditions. In eloquent and unaffected language he also addresses the challenges of fieldwork in difficult times.” (Emanuel Marx, Author of the book Bedouin of Mount Sinai)

“Thomas Hüsken’s admirably rich study of the Libya-Egyptian borderlands operates at multiple levels. It affords a highly textured account of the inner workings of tribe and kinship politics and the manner in which the latter mediates cross-border dynamics. It also delivers a fascinating exposé of the manner in which state authority has been constituted differently by virtue of the mutual embeddedness of state actors with tribal authority on the two sides of the line. The practical organization of smuggling through kinship associations, and the moral ambiguities surrounding the trade, make an especially valuable contribution to the field.” (Paul Nugent, Professor, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

“In recent years, particularly since the Arab spring, the notion of "tribalism" has made a remarkable comeback. However, many discussions of the phenomenon in political sciences and other fields are based on mistaken assumptions about tribal modes of organization that are basically rooted in evolutionary thinking. With its rich ethnographic data on tribal politics, based on long-term fieldwork under difficult conditions in the Egyptian/Libyan border region the book offers a welcome and necessary counterweight to such conceptions. This book is scholarship of the highest level. It is theoretically innovative and essentialfor anyone interested in regional politics after the collapse of the Libyan state. It is relevant for anthropology, political science, cultural geography, sociology and related disciplines. With its critique of euro-centric assumptions about post-colonial statehood it is also highly relevant for political decision makers.” (Wolfgang Kraus, Professor, University of Vienna, Austria)

Editorial Reviews

He has produced a rich study that makes an important contribution to our understanding of kinship and tribal politics. This book represents scholarship at the highest level and will be of interest to academics, diplomats and anyone else interested in non-state forms of sociopolitical organization in general and tribes in particular.” (Ronald Bruce, International Affairs, Vol. 96 (3), 2020)

“The book by Thomas Hüsken is one of the most important recent contributions to political anthropology. … Its rich ethnography, which uses data from decades of fieldwork, makes the book very readable. The glossary of local terms is very useful … . The span of theoretical and empirical literature is dazzling. The book should be read not only by anthropologists, but also by other social scientists, politicians and field practitioners.” (Petr Skalník, Sociologus, Vol. 69 (1), 2019)

From the Publisher