Educational Expansion and the Mediation of Discontent: The cultural politics of schooling in the Arab states

Abstract

This paper probes the socioeconomic and political processes underlying the expansion of schooling in the Arab states. The paper, which does not report new data but rather critically reviews studies published so far, argues that both development and modernisation approaches, as well as class reproduction theories remain largely unable to account for the complex web of factors affecting educational expansion in the Arab states. These theories fail to point to the articulation of multi-level processes ultimately shaping the social and cultural underpinnings of educational expansion. Moreover, these theoretical approaches, beyond their paradigmatic differences, have con ned Arab civil societies essentially to the structural outcome of state policies. Consequently, processes of civil dissent and resistance and their effects on educational expansion are naively conceptualised in terms of 'forces of tradition' versus 'forces of change'. The community-based, and con ict-laden power conjunctures shaping educational expansion in the Arab states have been largely left outside the analysis and the voices they represent often discarded. To probe the argument, rst, the paper outlines the major macro-structural and historical factors affecting levels of literacy and access to educational resources in different Arab states. Secondly, published eldwork research undertaken by others into community-based settings is examined in order to explore points of articulation between state policies, civil society processes and their sociopolitical and cultural effects on patterns of educational expansion. Thirdly, within the frame of a concluding discussion, the major implications are discussed and possible research paths are pointed to.

Service projects and women's agency in Salalah, Oman: A portrait of pre-service Dhofari English teachers

“…In examining the discourse of the politics behind education in Arab societies, Mazawi (2002) asserts that interpreting school change in terms of the ''redundant tale of traditionalism versus modernization'' is an exercise of intellectual futility. He suggests understanding the nature of school change in the Arab countries lies in the ''mediation of discontent'' from within the local communities and public school systems themselves, citing examples from Oman and Yemen.…”

“…Two macro-level discourse studies that examine some of the political issues behind education (Grigorenko, 2007;Mazawi, 2002) suggest frameworks for interpreting educational change in the Arab states that move away from naïve conceptualizations of examining tradition in contrast to change. Both articles discuss the expansion of schooling in Arab states as a fact that needs explanation.…”

Between Handholding and Hand-held Devices: Marketing Through Smartphone Innovation and Women’s Entrepreneurship in Post Conflict Economies in Times of Crisis

“…How women entrepreneurs balance family and business life in developing countries (more specifically, in the Middle East) is under-researched (Al-Dajani & Marlow, 2010 ). The role of culture cannot be neglected when studying entrepreneurship (Mazawi, 2002 ). In Arab countries, including Iraq, mainstream culture does not support women entrepreneurs (Ahmad, 2011 ).…”

Performing the ‘Knights of Change’: male youth narratives and practices of citizenship in Jordanian schools

“…Consequently, they are of limited value to understanding both the role of schools in the formation of citizenship knowledge and the diversity of civic views held by young people in the region. As Mazawi (2002) has argued, approaches to education in the Middle East have long overlooked individual experiences and sociopolitical practices at the school level. In neglecting the narratives and individual experiences embedded in daily practices of schooling, approaches to education in the Middle East overlook a critical dimension of what schools produce and how they produce it.…”