Romanticizing masculinity in Baathist Syria by Rahaf Aldoughli

Romanticizing masculinity in Baathist Syria by Rahaf Aldoughli

This book provides a novel analysis of the conceptual sources and ideological contours of the Assad regime. The book documents the Baathists' fascination with Romanticized and 'muscular' ideas of the nation that emerged in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European social philosophy, and traces the implementation and impacts of these ideologies in the Syrian context. Emphasising the emergence of new forms of public gendered identity in Syria as a unifying feature of nationalism bound closely with the stability of the regime, the book shows how Romantic, muscular nationalism first rose to hegemony and then was shattered by its inherent violence, contradictions and inequalities. The final chapter closes by considering how a new vision of pluralism and civic belonging is today challenging the Romanticized Baathist ideal in contention for Syria's future.

'With her work, Aldoughli provides an analysis that is not only of great importance for the development of Syrian authoritarianism, but also has relevance beyond that.. It provides an analytical basis for the correlation between patriarchal ideology and authoritarian institutionalization, which is of international importance in the global context of authoritarian populism. The book is particularly convincing due to the careful contextualization of the phenomena dealt with in the overall historical framework of Syria as well as through its clearly understandable language. It is therefore also suitable for people outside the academic field. For all those who are already dealing intensively with Syria, it is a must-read anyway. It not only offers a treasure trove of quotes from Old Baathists, which have so far been available mainly in Arabic, but also provides another important piece of the puzzle to explain the authoritarian longevity of Assad's Syria.'
Dr. Sascha Ruppert-Karakas, Portals für Politikwissenschaft (Portal for Political Science)

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Rahaf Aldoughli is a lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781526198044
ISBN 10	1526198045
Title	Romanticizing masculinity in Baathist Syria
Author	Rahaf Aldoughli
Series	Identities And Geopolitics In The Middle East
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Manchester University Press
Year published	2026-06-23
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.