Wiley-Blackwell Culture and Dignity: Dialogues Between the Middle East and the West

In Culture and Dignity - Dialogues between the Middle East and the West, renowned cultural anthropologist Laura Nader examines the historical and ethnographic roots of the complex relationship between the East and the West, revealing how cultural differences can lead to violence or a more peaceful co-existence. Outlines an anthropology for the 21st century that focuses on the myriad connections between peoples—especially the critical intercultural dialogues between the cultures of the East and the WestTakes an historical and ethnographic approach to studying the intermingling of Arab peoples and the West.Demonstrates how cultural exchange between the East and West is a two-way processPresents an anthropological perspective on issues such as religious fundamentalism, the lives of women and children, notions of violence and order Review “This kind of work needs more deliberation in the academic world and it is a delight for practitioners who are interested in radicalising the discipline and practice of anthropology.  Since the book eschews technical language of the specialist, it is equally accessible to the nonspecialist reader.”  (Journal of Intercultural Studies, 1 January 2015)“The book is written in an engaging and highly accessible manner. Although it would have benefited from a deeper differentiated discussion of ‘cultural dignity’ and what it means in this world that Nader paints, Culture and dignity is a thought-provoking exercise in the kind of connections we need to make for an anthropology committed to a more honest and robust knowledge of the Middle East and the world.”  (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 1 January 2014)“Drawing from an eclectic sample of literature dealing with the global connections between the Middle East and the West, the author achieves a much needed – and very timely – intellectual ‘check-up’ and warns us against cultural framings that serve to side-line serious explorations of the roots and nature of human suffering. It is crucial for all those of us who are genuinely concerned with peace to liberate our imaginations from the myths and stereotypes that work to divide us.”  (Studies in Ethnicity And Nationalism, 15 October  2013)“The collection reflects the many lasting contributions Nader has made to understanding and improving the human condition. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries.”  (Choice, 1 July 2013)  Review “Laura Nader is an intellectual national treasure.  Culture and Dignity is an important synthesis of anthropological theory and practice.  Laura Nader shows how ethnography transforms would be observers and subjects into active participants in larger processes and power relations.  From critiques of corporate fundamentalism to inverting Western notions of the control of women in the Middle East, Nader's brilliant analysis shows the promise of anthropology to break through dominant Western narratives.  Culture and Dignity is a vital and timely work that should be read by all interested in cutting through the cultural fog enshrouding policy discussions of corporatism, building peace in the Middle East, and human rights issues.” - David H. Price, author of the books Weaponizing Anthropology and Anthropological Intelligence“It is the best book I have read that deconstructs the myths of the East/West binary and brings much needed clarity into the blurred and complex borders that ‘separate’ the two.” - George Saliba, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science, Columbia University“In Culture and Dignity, Laura Nader poses a challenge to her colleagues in the field of cultural anthropology, and the rest of us, to shed our hubris and bias and see the world and ourselves with new eyes. Nader's work is ambitious. And it succeeds. Not since Edward Said's Orientalism have I read a work with the same potential to transform an entire discipline. In one reading, I came to a new understanding of the role of family, of the ‘women's