A7: Arabische Identitätspolitik

As a result of economic, social and political change, various agents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) call into question concepts of the "Arab nation" or of "Arab unity", which had been asserted by various independence movements since the mid-20th century. Today, there is an increasing number of non-Arab and non-Islamic groups claiming recognition; they demand tuition in their respective languages, run their own media, establish museums and monuments, and seek active participation in parliamentary representation as well as governmental decision-making. Taking this as a point of departure, the project examines practices of identity politics in the MENA region. 

In practices of identity politics, agents communicate by means of abstract concepts and narratives, but also by images, colours and clothing as visual representations. The negotiation of old and new representations of the social order and the struggle for meaning is always a conflicting process. It may lead to crisis and extreme violence as can be observed in "Post-Saddam-Iraq": The constitution of 2005 abandoned the idea of an Arab-Sunni dominated central state and introduced the concepts of "pluralistic system"  and "federal state". But in particular many Arab-Sunni agents reject the project of federalism in Iraqi because they fear the wholesale loss of their political, economic and cultural influence in the country. If identity politics in Iraq is partly subject to the logic of unleashed violence, it is also possible for prevailing concepts of Arab-Sunni dominance to be negotiated in a less conflict-laden manner. State-guided identity politics in Morocco seeks integration of previously marginalized groups. Thus in his royal speech of July 30, 2001 King Mohammed VI emphasized the meaning of cultural diversity and "identité plurielle" for the country of Morocco as a "nation unifiée".

For Morocco, concepts of a plural and diverse society are examined here with reference to the media staging of Jewish history and culture. The project focuses on cultural goods and their public perception, speeches by the king, statements by state- and non-state actors and print and online media where a large part of the debates on pluralism are reflected and take place. For Iraq the researcher will examine the language of print media. Especially journalists disseminate concepts, symbols and images used to shape group identities. The focus will be on particular concepts for the description and evaluation of diversity and plurality.

The goal of the research project is to give insight into consensual transformation in Morocco and conflict-laden transformation in Iraq. It will show how agents in situations of uncertainty and change apply representations as means of self-assurance and in order to enforce particularistic interests. The project seeks to identify chances and obstacles of transforming plural societies into pluralistic societies, and  is a contribution to the debate on social change in the MENA region.

Publications by members of this sub-project

• Johan Grußendorf, Jörg Feuchter, Regina Finsterhölzl, Andrea Fischer-Tahir, Friedhelm Hoffmann, Simone Holzwarth, Maren Klotz, Michi Knecht, Veronica Oelsner, Nurhak Polat, Reet Tamme, Stefan Beck, Christiane Reinecke: Wissen und soziale Ordnung. Eine Kritik der Wissensgesellschaft. Mit einem Kommentar von Stefan Beck. SFB 640, Berlin 2010.  (mehr)
• Jörg Feuchter, Regina Finsterhölzl, Andrea Fischer-Tahir, Friedhelm Hoffmann, Simone Holzwarth, Maren Klotz, Michi Knecht, Veronica Oelsner, Nurhak Polat, Christiane Reinecke, Reet Tamme, Stefan Beck, Johan Grußendorf: Savoir et ordre social. Une critique de la société du savoir. Avec un commentaire de Stefan Beck. Traduit de l’allemand par Anne Joly, en collaboration avec Friedhelm Hoffmann. SFB 640, Berlin 2011. (im Druck).  (mehr)