Program Overview
Program Overview
Though Jordan has not experienced an Arab Spring in the same way as Egypt and Tunisia, a vibrant reform movement has nonetheless emerged over the past two years. Various groups have called into question many of the commonly held truths about Jordanian political priorities, social organization, and class politics. The so-called Jordanian women’s movement and other rights-based non-governmental organizations have faced challenges of legitimacy from the day-wage labor movement, the organization for the establishment of a teacher’s union, and other fronts. During this seminar, we’ll examine the complex landscape of class and gender politics in Jordan in the context of the Arab Spring, gaining a clear picture of the changes this country has undergone over the past few years. Together, we’ll analyze and discuss what these changes can tell us about class, representation, and gender politics in Jordan.
Program Activities
Program Activities
Lectures, dialogues, and community engagement opportunities will provide participants with a framework for engaging in discourse on Jordanian women’s identities and aspirations relevant to religious practice, work, political participation, gender equity, and public life.
Participants will hear from local scholars and have significant access to the social actors, organizers, and community representatives in Jordan who have engaged in and been significantly impacted by the “Arab Spring.”
Program Objectives
Program Objectives
During this seminar, participants will:
- Develop an understanding of and analyze major differences between U.S. and Jordanian cultures concerning gender equality and women’s rights.
- Compare and contrast the role of Jordanian women living in urban areas and women living in rural areas or in a refugee camp in terms of education, economics, work, and political participation.
- Gain insight into the social background and motives behind what is known as “honor killing” in Jordan and analyze this phenomenon by relating it to traditions and societal values.
- Encounter the opinions and political stances of various Jordanian women regarding the Arab Spring and discuss the effect of the Arab Spring on women in terms of seeking social justice and gender equality.
Seminar Locations
Seminar Locations
Based in Amman with excursions to Mafraq, the Dead Sea, and Jarash; participants fly in and out of Amman.