Romanticizing masculinity in Baathist Syria

Rahaf Aldoughli is a lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University.

• Introduction: The “Woman Question” and the Syrian State1 Romantic Borrowings in Early Syrian Nationalism: The Writings of Sati al-Husri, Michael Aflaq, and Zaki al-Arsuzi2 The Centrality of Gender Constructs in Early Syrian Nationalist Narratives3 Implementing Masculinism under Baathist Hegemony4 Constructing the Muscular Nation in Song and Performance5 War and Muscular Revival after 2011Conclusion: Citizen Activism and Prospects for Reform in Post-war Syria

'With her work, Aldoughli provides an analysis that is not only of great importance for the development of Syrian authoritarianism, but also has relevance beyond that ... It provides an analytical basis for the correlation between patriarchal ideology and authoritarian institutionalization, which is of international importance in the global context of authoritarian populism. The book is particularly convincing due to the careful contextualization of the phenomena dealt with in the overall historical framework of Syria as well as through its clearly understandable language. It is therefore also suitable for people outside the academic field. For all those who are already dealing intensively with Syria, it is a must-read anyway. It not only offers a treasure trove of quotes from Old Baathists, which have so far been available mainly in Arabic, but also provides another important piece of the puzzle to explain the authoritarian longevity of Assad's Syria.'Dr. Sascha Ruppert-Karakas, Portals für Politikwissenschaft (Portal for Political Science)