Routledge Women and Media in the Middle East: From Veiling to Blogging

Product Description The traditional image of the Middle Eastern woman, as portrayed by the Western media, has tended to be one of a woman oppressed by men and religion. Veiling intensifies this image of supposed powerlessness and imprisonment. However, the Arab Spring uprisings have introduced the West to women in the Middle East who do not conform to this stereotype, and have shown the Western media that Middle Eastern women cannot be categorized altogether as one oppressed, powerless group.This book investigates the diverse realities and complexities of women in the Middle East in terms of their relationship with media platforms old and new. Contributors offer a range of perspectives that discuss everything from media portrayals of the veil to women in film and television, from women’s involvement as activists on the street to the role played in the Arab Spring by cyber activism. The collection provides insight into how some women in the Middle East are utilizing traditional as well as new media for purposes of self-expression, activism, and democratization, while also investigating media portrayals of women at home and in the West. This book was originally published as a special issue of Feminist Media Studies. About the Author Nahed Eltantawy is an Associate Professor of Journalism at High Point University, North Carolina, USA, where she teaches a variety of convergent journalism courses as well as women and gender studies. Her research interests include the media’s representation of women, the role of the media in the Middle East, social media and cyber activism, and critical and cultural studies. Her work has been published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, International Journal of Communication, Feminist Media Studies and the Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research.