New Books in Anthropology

Gina Vale, "The Unforgotten Women of the Islamic State" (Oxford UP, 2024)


Listen Later

The Unforgotten Women of the Islamic State (Oxford University Press, 2024) by Dr. Gina Vale explores the governance of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization through the lives and words of local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. While the roles and activities of foreign (predominantly Western), pro-IS women have garnered significant attention, the experiences and insights of local civilian populations have been largely overlooked.

Drawing on the testimonies of 63 local Sunni Muslim and Yazidi women, Dr. Vale exposes the group's intra-gender stratified system of governance. Eligibility for the group's protection, security, 'citizenship', and entrance into the (semi-)public sphere were not universal, but required convergence with the gender norms of IS, through permanent erasure or at least temporary disguise of certain markers of difference. In some cases, this was directed by a pre-meditated 'divide and conquer' strategy, while in others, it manifested as unregulated violences at the hands of individual group members, including women.

The structure follows the trajectory of IS's increasing control over its 'citizens' and captive populations: its militarization of society; imposition of law and order; provision of goods and services; and intervention in civilians' private lives. Analysis of diverse first-hand accounts and the group's documentation reveals that the presence, exclusion, and victimization of local civilian women were necessary to the functioning and legitimation of IS's 'caliphate' project, and the supremacy of affiliated men - and women. As a fledgling proto-state, IS needed local Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish women. Though far from represented or protected, they were by no means forgotten.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

New Books in AnthropologyBy New Books Network

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

50 ratings


More shows like New Books in Anthropology

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,461 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

350 Listeners

New Books in History by Marshall Poe

New Books in History

209 Listeners

New Books in Psychoanalysis by Marshall Poe

New Books in Psychoanalysis

190 Listeners

New Books in Military History by Marshall Poe

New Books in Military History

161 Listeners

New Books in Economics by Marshall Poe

New Books in Economics

26 Listeners

New Books in African American Studies by New Books Network

New Books in African American Studies

164 Listeners

New Books in Environmental Studies by Marshall Poe

New Books in Environmental Studies

24 Listeners

New Books in Political Science by New Books Network

New Books in Political Science

63 Listeners

New Books in Philosophy by New Books Network

New Books in Philosophy

110 Listeners

New Books in Native American Studies by Marshall Poe

New Books in Native American Studies

104 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

294 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

843 Listeners

New Books in Critical Theory by Marshall Poe

New Books in Critical Theory

147 Listeners

New Books in Intellectual History by New Books Network

New Books in Intellectual History

61 Listeners

Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

Jacobin Radio

1,446 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,691 Listeners

Philosophy For Our Times by IAI

Philosophy For Our Times

303 Listeners

The Good Fight by Yascha Mounk

The Good Fight

910 Listeners

Politics Theory Other by Politics Theory Other

Politics Theory Other

176 Listeners

Today in Focus by The Guardian

Today in Focus

995 Listeners

Ones and Tooze by Foreign  Policy

Ones and Tooze

348 Listeners

Politics Weekly America by The Guardian

Politics Weekly America

201 Listeners

Past Present Future by David Runciman

Past Present Future

319 Listeners