Karin van Nieuwkerk's Books

Performing Piety

Singers and Actors in Egypt's Islamic Revival

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Performing Piety

Singers and Actors in Egypt's Islamic Revival

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

In the 1980s, Egypt witnessed a growing revival of religiosity among large sectors of the population, including artists. Many pious stars retired from art, “repented” from “sinful” activities, and dedicated themselves to worship, preaching, and charity. Their public conversions were influential in spreading piety to the Egyptian upper class during the 1990s, which in turn enabled the development of pious markets for leisure and art, thus facilitating the return of artists as veiled actresses or religiously committed performers. Revisiting the story she began in “A Trade like Any Other”: Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt, Karin van Nieuwkerk draws on extensive fieldwork among performers to offer a unique history of the religious revival in Egypt through the lens of the performing arts. She highlights the narratives of celebrities who retired in the 1980s and early 1990s, including their spiritual journeys and their influence on the “pietization” of their fans, among whom are the wealthy, relatively secular, strata of Egyptian society. Van Nieuwkerk then turns to the emergence of a polemic public sphere in which secularists and Islamists debated Islam, art, and gender in the 1990s. Finally, she analyzes the Islamist project of “art with a mission” and the development of Islamic aesthetics, questioning whether the outcome has been to Islamize popular art or rather to popularize Islam. The result is an intimate thirty-year history of two spheres that have tremendous importance for Egypt—art production and piety.

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Page Count

436

Publisher

University of Texas Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0292745885

ISBN 13

9780292745889

Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater

Artistic Developments in the Muslim World

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater

Artistic Developments in the Muslim World

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

From “green” pop and “clean” cinema to halal songs, Islamic soaps, Muslim rap, Islamist fantasy serials, and Suficized music, the performing arts have become popular and potent avenues for Islamic piety movements, politically engaged Islamists, Islamic states, and moderate believers to propagate their religio-ethical beliefs. Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater is the first book that explores this vital intersection between artistic production and Islamic discourse in the Muslim world. The contributors to this volume investigate the historical and structural conditions that impede or facilitate the emergence of a “post-Islamist” cultural sphere. They discuss the development of religious sensibilities among audiences, which increasingly include the well-to-do and the educated young, as well as the emergence of a local and global religious market. At the heart of these essays is an examination of the intersection between cultural politics, performing art, and religion, addressing such questions as where, how, and why pop culture and performing arts have been turned into a religious mission, and whether it is possible to develop a new Islamic aesthetic that is balanced with religious sensibilities. As we read about young Muslims and their quest for a “cool Islam” in music, their struggle to quell their stigmatized status, or the collision of morals and the marketplace in the arts, a vivid, varied new perspective on Muslim culture emerges.

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Page Count

302

Publisher

University of Texas Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0292726813

ISBN 13

9780292726819

Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities through the Life of Musician Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities through the Life of Musician Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

In this in-depth ethnography, Karin van Nieuwkerk takes the autobiographical narrative of Sayyid Henkish, a musician from a long family tradition of wedding performers in Cairo, as a lens through which to explore changing notions of masculinity in an Egyptian community over the course of a single lifetime. Central to Henkish’s story is his own conception of manhood, which is closely tied to the notion of ibn al-balad, the ‘authentically Egyptian’ lower-middle class male, with all its associated values of nobility, integrity, and toughness. How to embody these communal ideals while providing for his family in the face of economic hardship and the perceived moral ambiguities associated with his work in the entertainment trade are key themes in his narrative. Van Nieuwkerk situates his account within a growing body of literature on gender that sees masculinity as a lived experience that is constructed and embodied in specific social and historical contexts. In doing so, she shows that the challenges faced by Henkish are not limited to the world of entertainment and that his story offers profound insights into socioeconomic and political changes taking place in Egypt at large and the ways in which these transformations impact and unsettle received notions of masculinity.

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294

Publisher

American University in Cairo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1617979503

ISBN 13

9781617979507

A Trade like Any Other

Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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A Trade like Any Other

Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

In Egypt, singing and dancing are considered essential on happy occasions. Professional entertainers often perform at weddings and other celebrations, and a host family's prestige rises with the number, expense, and fame of the entertainers they hire. Paradoxically, however, the entertainers themselves are often viewed as disreputable people and are accorded little prestige in Egyptian society. This paradox forms the starting point of Karin van Nieuwkerk's look at the Egyptian entertainment trade. She explores the lives of female performers and the reasons why work they regard as "a trade like any other" is considered disreputable in Egyptian society. In particular, she demonstrates that while male entertainers are often viewed as simply "making a living," female performers are almost always considered bad, seductive women engaged in dishonorable conduct. She traces this perception to the social definition of the female body as always and only sexual and enticing—a perception that stigmatizes women entertainers even as it simultaneously offers them a means of livelihood. Drawn from extensive fieldwork and enriched with the life stories of entertainers and nightclub performers, this is the first ethnography of female singers and dancers in present-day Egypt. It will be of interest to a wide audience in anthropology, women's studies, and Middle Eastern culture, as well as anyone who enjoys belly dancing.

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Page Count

246

Publisher

University of Texas Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0292786808

ISBN 13

9780292786806

Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities Through the Life of Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin Van Nieuwkerk

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Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities Through the Life of Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin Van Nieuwkerk

Karin van Nieuwkerk takes the autobiographical narrative of Sayyid Henkish, a musician from a long family tradition of wedding performers in Cairo, as a lens through which to explore changing notions of masculinity in an Egyptian community over the course of a lifetime. Situating his account within a growing body of literature on gender that sees masculinity as a lived experience that changes and is negotiated over time, she shows that the challenges faced by Henkish are not limited to his profession and that his story offers profound insights into socioeconomic and political changes in Egypt at large and the ways these transformations impact received notions of masculinity.

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Page Count

224

Published Date

ISBN 10

9774168895

ISBN 13

9789774168895

Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities through the Life of Musician Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Manhood Is Not Easy

Egyptian Masculinities through the Life of Musician Sayyid Henkish

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Page Count

294

Publisher

American University in Cairo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1617979503

ISBN 13

9781617979507

Living together in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods

The meaning of public spaces for issues of social integration

By: Karin Peters

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Living together in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods

The meaning of public spaces for issues of social integration

By: Karin Peters

In Western societies, such as the Netherlands, people with different ethnic backgrounds live together in urban areas. This book examines daily life in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods and the meaning of public spaces for social integration. Through observations and interviews in two Dutch cities (Nijmegen and Utrecht) insight is gained into the use and perception of public spaces. Positive experiences in public spaces contribute to feeling at home in a multi-ethnic neighbourhood. Not only intense and lasting contacts, but also fleeting interactions contribute to feeling at home. Experience with diversity contributes to a realistic view of multiculturalism, a view that is based on everyday experiences, with all its positive and negative implications. This, however, does not mean that residents do not use stereotypes or categorizations. However, there is a major difference between the public discourse - which focuses on differences and problems - and everyday encounters, which are perceived as a way to experience and enjoy diversity. Recommendations are that politicians should look at the everyday realities in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods when discussing issues related to multi-ethnic societies. Repeatedly stressing the dichotomy between native and non-native Dutch citizens and focusing on problems, has a negative effect on the everyday lives of people because it produces and reproduces stereotyped images. Integration is not only about non-native Dutch residents adapting themselves to Dutch society: it is also about the extent to which people from various backgrounds live together and feel at home in their neighbourhood.

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Page Count

251

Publisher

BRILL

Published Date

ISBN 10

9086867464

ISBN 13

9789086867462

Performing Piety

Singers and Actors in Egypt's Islamic Revival

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

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Performing Piety

Singers and Actors in Egypt's Islamic Revival

By: Karin van Nieuwkerk

In the 1980s, Egypt witnessed a growing revival of religiosity among large sectors of the population, including artists. Many pious stars retired from art, "repented" from "sinful" activities, and dedicated themselves to worship, preaching, and charity. Their public conversions were influential in spreading piety to the Egyptian upper class during the 1990s, which in turn enabled the development of pious markets for leisure and art, thus facilitating the return of artists as veiled actresses or religiously committed performers. Revisiting the story she began in "A Trade like Any Other" Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt, Karin van Nieuwkerk draws on extensive fieldwork among performers to offer a unique history of the religious revival in Egypt through the lens of the performing arts. She highlights the narratives of celebrities who retired in the 1980s and early 1990s, including their spiritual journeys and their influence on the "pietization" of their fans, among whom are the wealthy, relatively secular, strata of Egyptian society. Van Nieuwkerk then turns to the emergence of a polemic public sphere in which secularists and Islamists debated Islam, art, and gender in the 1990s. Finally, she analyzes the Islamist project of "art with a mission" and the development of Islamic aesthetics, questioning whether the outcome has been to Islamize popular art or rather to popularize Islam. The result is an intimate thirty-year history of two spheres that have tremendous importance for Egypt--art production and piety.

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

333

Published Date

ISBN 10

0292745877

ISBN 13

9780292745872

Book's by Karin van Nieuwkerk

Performing Piety

Performing Piety

Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater

Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater

Manhood Is Not Easy

Manhood Is Not Easy

A Trade like Any Other

A Trade like Any Other

Manhood Is Not Easy

Manhood Is Not Easy

Manhood Is Not Easy

Manhood Is Not Easy

Living together in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods

Living together in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods

Performing Piety

Performing Piety

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