Mona El-Ghobashy, "Bread and Freedom: Egypt's Revolutionary Situation" (Stanford UP, 2021)

Oct 18, 2022

Mona El-Ghobashy, a clinical associate professor at NYU and an expert on Egypt's revolutionary landscape, discusses her book "Bread and Freedom." She analyzes the complexities of the 2011 Arab Spring, challenging conventional ideas of revolution by introducing the concept of 'revolutionary situations.' El-Ghobashy emphasizes the chaotic power dynamics at play in Tahrir Square and the importance of documenting narratives in a counter-revolutionary context. She also explores how Egypt's administrative courts allow citizens to challenge government actions, reflecting broader political dynamics.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 4min

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Revolutionary Complexities in Egypt's Uprisings

03:33 • 18min

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Exploring Complexities of Revolutionary Analysis

21:15 • 6min

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Sponsorship Messages and Support for Independent Book Purchasing

27:11 • 1min

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Documenting Egypt's Revolution

28:38 • 18min

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Navigating Politics through Administrative Courts in Egypt

Charles Tilly's "European Revolutions" is a landmark study of revolutionary processes in Europe, offering a comparative analysis of various revolutionary movements. Tilly's work emphasizes the importance of contentious politics and state-society relations in shaping revolutionary outcomes. He introduces the concept of a "revolutionary situation," highlighting the interplay of opportunity and threat in triggering revolutionary upheavals. The book challenges traditional interpretations of revolutions, emphasizing the role of collective action and the dynamics of power struggles. Tilly's analysis continues to influence the study of revolutions and social movements, providing a framework for understanding the complex interplay of social, political, and economic factors.

Bread and Freedom: Egypt’s Revolutionary Situation

Nick Cheesman

The Search for Paradigms as a Hindrance to Understanding

Albert O. Hirschman

Albert Hirschman's "The Search for Paradigms as a Hindrance to Understanding" is a critical essay that challenges the dominance of paradigm-driven research in the social sciences. Hirschman argues that the search for overarching paradigms can hinder our ability to understand complex social phenomena. He emphasizes the importance of open-ended inquiry and the value of diverse perspectives in social science research. The essay advocates for a more nuanced and context-sensitive approach to understanding social issues, rejecting the limitations of rigid theoretical frameworks. Hirschman's work continues to influence social science methodology, encouraging scholars to embrace intellectual flexibility and avoid the pitfalls of dogmatic adherence to theoretical paradigms.

History in Three Keys

Paul Cohen

Paul Cohen's "History in Three Keys" offers a unique approach to historical analysis, examining the Boxer Rebellion in China from three distinct perspectives: the historian's account, the participants' lived experiences, and the later mythologization of the event. This multi-faceted approach provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the complexities of historical events. Cohen's work challenges traditional historical narratives, emphasizing the importance of multiple perspectives and the subjective nature of historical interpretation. The book's innovative methodology offers a valuable model for studying historical events, encouraging scholars to consider the diverse voices and interpretations that shape our understanding of the past. Cohen's analysis demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary approaches to historical inquiry.

Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates

Elizabeth S. Kassab

Elizabeth S. Kassab's "Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates" examines the intellectual and political ferment that preceded the Arab uprisings in Egypt and Syria. The book explores the role of Enlightenment thought in shaping political discourse and activism in both countries. Kassab's work highlights the complex interplay of ideas and power, demonstrating how Enlightenment ideals were both embraced and contested in the context of authoritarian rule. The book provides valuable insights into the intellectual history of the Arab uprisings, shedding light on the ideas and debates that fueled revolutionary movements. Kassab's analysis offers a nuanced understanding of the intellectual currents that shaped the political landscape of Egypt and Syria in the years leading up to the uprisings.

Mobilizing in Uncertainty

Collective Identities and War in Abkhazia

Anastasia Shesterinina

Anastasia Shesterinina's "Mobilizing in Uncertainty: Collective Identities and War in Abkhazia" explores the formation and mobilization of collective identities during wartime in Abkhazia. The book examines how individuals navigate uncertainty and conflict, forging new identities and alliances in response to changing circumstances. Shesterinina's work highlights the fluidity and contingency of collective identities, demonstrating how they are shaped by both structural factors and individual agency. The book challenges essentialist views of identity, emphasizing the dynamic and contested nature of collective belonging. Shesterinina's analysis offers valuable insights into the processes of identity formation and mobilization in conflict zones.

The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran

Charles Kurzman

Charles Kurzman's "The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran" offers a compelling account of the Iranian Revolution, focusing on the lived experiences of ordinary Iranians during the tumultuous period leading up to the Shah's overthrow. The book delves into the daily lives of individuals from various social strata, capturing their hopes, fears, and uncertainties as the revolution unfolded. Kurzman's work highlights the contingency and unpredictability of revolutionary processes, emphasizing the role of chance events and individual agency. He challenges deterministic interpretations that focus solely on structural factors, providing a nuanced understanding of the revolution's complexities. The book's emphasis on lived experience offers valuable insights into the human dimension of revolutionary change.

States and Social Revolutions

Theda Skocpol

In *States and Social Revolutions*, Theda Skocpol examines the causes of social revolutions through a comparative historical analysis of France, Russia, and China. She argues that these revolutions occurred due to the simultaneous breakdown of state structures and peasant rebellions, leading to rapid transformations in both social and political structures. The book is a landmark in the study of revolutions, offering a structural and state-centered perspective.

A decade has passed since the Arab Spring of 2011, during which an uprising in Egypt ended three decades of rule by Hosni Mubarak without realizing a new political order free from the dictates of the country’s military. In a new book, Bread and Freedom: Egypt’s Revolutionary Situation (Stanford University Press, 2021) Mona El Ghobashy treats the uprising as a political and social phenomenon deserving of inquiry regardless of whether it succeeded in achieving its goals or not. She joins this episode of New Books in Interpretive Political and Social Science to discuss why she resurrected the concept of a “revolutionary situation” and how it helped her to explicate what happens when state authority is severely assaulted and damaged, but does not collapse, as in Egypt.

Bread and Freedom is with Anastasia Shesterinina’s (Mobilizing in Uncertainty: Collective Identities and War in Abkhazia, Cornell UP, 2021) joint winner of the 2022 Charles Taylor Book Award, awarded annually by the Interpretive Methodologies and Methods group of the American Political Science Association for the best book in political science that employs or develops interpretive methodologies and methods; and, APSA’s Middle East and North Africa Politics Section’s Best Book Award for 2022.

Nick Cheesman is associate professor in the Department of Political and Social Change, Australian National University and in Fall 2022 a fellow at the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, University at Buffalo. He is a committee member of the Interpretive Methodologies and Methods group of the American Political Science Association and co-convenes the Interpretation, Method, Critique network at the ANU.

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