Dramatic miniseries are the primary arena for the expression of postcolonial Syrian culture and artistic talent, an arena that unites diverse aspects of artisanship in a struggle over visions of the past, present, and future of the nation. As the tour de force of the television medium, blossoming amidst persisting authoritarianism, these miniseries serve as a crucial and complex artistic avenue through which political and social opposition manifests. Scholars have tried to come to terms with a highly critical culture produced within attempted state co-optation, and argue that politically critical culture operates as a “safety valve” to release frustrations so that dissenters are less likely to mobilize against the government. Through research fueled by a viewing of over two hundred and fifty miniseries ranging from the 1960s to the present—as well as an examination of hundreds of press reports, Facebook pages, and extensive interviews with drama creators—this book turns away from the dominant paradigm that focuses on regime intent. When turning attention instead to the drama creators themselves we witness the polyphony of voices employing love and marriage metaphors and gender (de)constructions to explore larger issues of nationalism, self-identity, and political critique. At the heart of constructions of femininity are the complications that arise with the symbiosis of pure femininity with authentic national identity. Deconstructing masculinity as political critique has been less complicated since it is not implicated in Western identity issues; on the contrary, illustrations of subservient masculinity serve to subtly denounce government corruption and oppression. Miniseries from the 1960s demonstrate that the focus of the qabaday (tough man) on female sexuality comes from his own political alienation vis-à-vis the state, and is part of a vicious cycle of state violence vis-à-vis the citizen. In recent years, and in particular after the uprising, we can see the emerging definition of the true qabaday as one who does not suppress a woman’s sexuality, thereby allowing for full equality in relationships as the basis of a truly free society.

The Politics of Love: Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama

Humor & Entertainment

Joubin, Rebecca

Television

Lexington Books

Dramatic miniseries are the primary arena for the expression of postcolonial Syrian culture and artistic talent, an arena that unites diverse aspects of artisanship in a struggle over visions of the past, present, and future of the nation. As the tour de force of the television medium, blossoming amidst persisting authoritarianism, these miniseries serve as a crucial and complex artistic avenue through which political and social opposition manifests. Scholars have tried to come to terms with a highly critical culture produced within attempted state co-optation, and argue that politically critical culture operates as a “safety valve” to release frustrations so that dissenters are less likely to mobilize against the government. Through research fueled by a viewing of over two hundred and fifty miniseries ranging from the 1960s to the present—as well as an examination of hundreds of press reports, Facebook pages, and extensive interviews with drama creators—this book turns away from the dominant paradigm that focuses on regime intent. When turning attention instead to the drama creators themselves we witness the polyphony of voices employing love and marriage metaphors and gender (de)constructions to explore larger issues of nationalism, self-identity, and political critique. At the heart of constructions of femininity are the complications that arise with the symbiosis of pure femininity with authentic national identity. Deconstructing masculinity as political critique has been less complicated since it is not implicated in Western identity issues; on the contrary, illustrations of subservient masculinity serve to subtly denounce government corruption and oppression. Miniseries from the 1960s demonstrate that the focus of the qabaday (tough man) on female sexuality comes from his own political alienation vis-à-vis the state, and is part of a vicious cycle of state violence vis-à-vis the citizen. In recent years, and in particular after the uprising, we can see the emerging definition of the true qabaday as one who does not suppress a woman’s sexuality, thereby allowing for full equality in relationships as the basis of a truly free society.

The Cold War began in Europe in the mid-1940s and ended there in 1989. Notions of a “global Cold War” are useful in describing the wide impact and scope of the East-West divide after World War II, but first and foremost the Cold War was about the standoff in Europe. The Soviet Union established a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe in the mid-1940s that later became institutionalized in the Warsaw Pact, an organization that was offset by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led by the United States. The fundamental division of Europe persisted for forty years, coming to an end only when Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe dissolved. Imposing, Maintaining, and Tearing Open the Iron Curtain: The Cold War and East-Central Europe, 1945–1989, edited by Mark Kramer and Vít Smetana, consists of cutting-edge essays by distinguished experts who discuss the Cold War in Europe from beginning to end, with a particular focus on the countries that were behind the iron curtain. The contributors take account of structural conditions that helped generate the Cold War schism in Europe, but they also ascribe agency to local actors as well as to the superpowers. The chapters dealing with the end of the Cold War in Europe explain not only why it ended but also why the events leading to that outcome occurred almost entirely peacefully.

IMPOSING, MAINTAINING, AND TEARING OPEN THE IRON CURTAIN: The Cold War and East-Central Europe, 1945–1989 (The Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series)

History

Europe

Accelerated Persian aims to make the language of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan accessible to everyone wishing to communicate through the language and culture of the Persian speaking world.It is a comprehensive textbook featuring numerous exercises and speaking drills complemented by clear and concise explanations of Persian grammar. Detailed verb conjugation charts and thematic glossaries allow for easy language learning. Various aspects of Persian culture and history are introduced through idioms, proverbs, and cultural and historical references. Because Persian shares its alphabet with Arabic, exercises are included for those who already read Arabic. Reference tools include verb conjugation charts, Persian-English-Arabic glossary/dictionary, Persian-English-French glossary/dictionary, and an introduction to the colloquial language.Accelerated Persian will expose the learner to the richness of Persian history and culture. Students will explore the biography and works of important historical, political and literary figures such as Cyrus, Hafez, Mossadeq, and the novelists Hedayat and Milani, and will produce short spoken and written reports. Each lesson begins with selections from the rich trove of Persian proverbs relating to the chapter’s themes. Throughout the book, highlights of Persian culture such as the Persian New Year holiday (Nowruz), music and art are introduced to connect the language with the culture.Visual learning is an essential tool for successfully mastering any language. Artist Hampton Stall has created original illustrations for each chapter to support the lesson’s focus. These culminate in numerous interactive exercises in which students draw on their own experiences. They then present their drawings in Persian to their peers, using creativity to expand their language skills. The over 250 interactive illustrations make this the first Persian book of its kind.Persian is the official language of Iran and Tajikistan, where it is referred to as Tajiki. It is also spoken in Afghanistan, where it is called Dari.

Accelerated Persian: A Course in the Persian Language and Its Culture

Ibex Publishers, Incorporated

Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama (Politics of Marriage and Gender: Global Issues in Local Contexts)

Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama shows how gender and marriage metaphors inform post-uprising Syrian drama for various forms of cultural and political critique. These narratives have become complicated since the uprising due to the Syrian regime's effort to control the revolutionary discourse. As Syria's uprising spawned more terrorist groups, some drama creators became nostalgic for pre-war days. &nbsp; While for some screenwriters a return to pre-2011 life would be welcome after so much bloodshed, others advocated profound cultural and social transformation, instead. They employed marriage and gender metaphors in the stories they wrote to engage in political critique, even at the risk of creating marketing difficulties for the shows or they created escapist stories such as transnational adaptations and Old Damascus tales. Serving as heritage preservation, Mediating the Uprising underscores that television drama creators in Syria have many ways of engaging in protest, with gender and marriage at the heart of the polemic.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Rutgers University Press

Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama shows how gender and marriage metaphors inform post-uprising Syrian drama for various forms of cultural and political critique. These narratives have become complicated since the uprising due to the Syrian regime’s effort to control the revolutionary discourse. As Syria’s uprising spawned more terrorist groups, some drama creators became nostalgic for pre-war days.\nWhile for some screenwriters a return to pre-2011 life would be welcome after so much bloodshed, others advocated profound cultural and social transformation, instead. They employed marriage and gender metaphors in the stories they wrote to engage in political critique, even at the risk of creating marketing difficulties for the shows or they created escapist stories such as transnational adaptations and Old Damascus tales. Serving as heritage preservation, Mediating the Uprising underscores that television drama creators in Syria have many ways of engaging in protest, with gender and marriage at the heart of the polemic.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Joubin, Rebecca. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Joubin, Rebecca

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Joubin, Rebecca. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Politics of Love: Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama

The Politics of Love: Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama

IMPOSING, MAINTAINING, AND TEARING OPEN THE IRON CURTAIN: The Cold War and East-Central Europe, 1945–1989 (The Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series)

Accelerated Persian: A Course in the Persian Language and Its Culture

Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama (Politics of Marriage and Gender: Global Issues in Local Contexts)

Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama (Politics of Marriage and Gender: Global Issues in Local Contexts)