Changing consumer cultures of modern Egypt : Cairo's urban reshaping / by Mona Abaza.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Abaza, Mona.

Series:

Social, economic, and political studies of the Middle East and Asia ; v. 101.

Social, economic, and political studies of the Middle East and Asia, 1385-3376 ; v. 101

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consumer behavior--Egypt--Cairo.

Consumer behavior.

Consumers--Egypt--Cairo--Attitudes.

Consumers.

Lifestyles--Egypt--Cairo.

Lifestyles.

Cairo (Egypt)--Social conditions.

Cairo (Egypt).

Cairo (Egypt)--Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (329 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book consists of a collage of images that attempts to convey the transformation of consumer culture and how it is related to the urban reshaping of the city of Cairo to meet with the demands of globalisation. Analyzing the shift from socialist economy to the opening up of Egypt's economy, and how this has affected everyday life of the middle classes, the author touches on various themes such as the general changing lifestyles and conspicuous consumption, the spread of mobile phones, and coffee shops, the gated communities and secondary resorts. The "folklorisation of culture" through the flowering tourist industry, the expansion of local crafts, plastic surgery and the body as a site of consumption are all analysed. Although being influenced by the discourse of the Frankfurt school on the culture industry, this work attempts to highlight the paradoxes pertaining to the democratising effects of consumer culture without denying the growing flagrant class polarisation.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Glossary

Introduction

Inter-Personal and Inter-Textual Negotiations

The Organization of the Book

Chapter One Consumer Culture in Divided Cairo

Segregated Cities

City-Malls

Back to Cairo

How to Emulate the Asian Tigers?

Beirut

Dubai

The Virtual City and its Double

Chapter Two Consumer Studies in the Middle East: The Blind Spot

Globalization and Landscapes Compared

The Public Sphere and Public Spaces

The Emerging of the Public Sphere and "Spaces"

Les Grands Magasins: Forgotten Early Egyptian Consumerism

The Social Life of Malls

A New Public Sphere

Chapter Three Memories

The Ideal and Nasr Companies

Bauhaus

Continuities

Transformations/Metamorphosis in Continuity

Household Consumption

Shopping

Fashion in the 1960's

The Language of Fashion

Readings and Private Lessons

Birthdays

Living in Zamalek

The Move to Mohandessin

Chapter Four The Sixties' Leisure Classes

Servants

Bitaqat al-Tamwin (Ration Cards) and the Servants

Boasting Wealth

Chapter Five A New Consumer Culture

The Cappuccino Egyptianized

Baladi Qahwas (Popular Coffee Houses) in Malls

Resorts

Orascom

Eating Out (McDonald's in Cairo)

Differing Notions of Beauty and Consumer Culture

Fashion Today

Affandiyas versus Galabeyyas

Islamic and Ethnic Chic

Shahira Mehrez's Search for Identity through the Galabeyya

Jewellery

Arts and Crafts

Authenticity in Fashion and Folklorization

The Flowering of the Art Market

Salons and Paintings

Chapter Six Cairo's Shopping Malls the Urban Reshaping

New Dating Patterns

Youth, Sexuality and New Spaces

The Official Discourse on ʿAshwaʾiyyat (slums)

Bulaq

Madinat Nasr (Nasr City)

Nasr City: The Army and Malls.

How to Spend Time in Polluted Cairo

Popular versus "Chic" Malls

Economic Recession and the Future of Consumerism

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-281-40022-X

9786611400224

90-474-1047-5

OCLC:

290588957

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789047410478 DOI