Abstract
The chapter analyzes how the state, as a gender regime, helps to construct and reproduce the masculine and feminine selves. It looks at Jordan’s adoption of the system of guardianship over women in relation to the historical and political processes of Jordan’s state building, the effects of colonialism, and state’s alliance with internal and external conservatisms. It also explores how a masculine state gives power and legitimacy through guardianship to institutions—including family, religion, and tribe—in managing, producing, and constructing gender identity. The chapter addresses contexts in which the state and its web of relations is central to understanding the politics of gender in the Middle East, rather than a cultural or religious explanation for the continued marginalization of women and their rights.
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Jabiri, A. (2016). Introduction: Gender, Law, and Politics in Jordan. In: Gendered Politics and Law in Jordan. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32643-6_1
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