Public Opinion in the Middle East: Survey Research and the Political Orientations of Ordinary Citizens (Middle East Studies) - Hardcover

Tessler, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0253356318 ISBN 13: 9780253356314

Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2011

Synopsis

The political orientations of ordinary citizens in the Arab and Muslim Middle East have engaged Mark Tessler since the late 1960s. The 13 research reports collected in this volume examine the nature and determinants of citizen attitudes toward governance and democracy, the political role of Islam, gender equality, and international conflict. Addressing issues of doing survey research in the Middle East, particularly in areas of conflict and under repressive political conditions, these articles trace the development of key concerns and methodological questions in the study of politics and society in this region.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Tessler is Samuel J. Eldersveld Collegiate Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, where he also serves as Vice Provost for International Affairs. He is author of A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (IUP, 2009) and editor (with Jodi Nachtwey and Anne Banda) of Area Studies and Social Science: Strategies for Understanding Middle East Politics (IUP, 1999).

Review:

"Mark Tessler has for decades been at the forefront of serious public opinion research and analysis in the Middle East. Public Opinion in the Middle East collects for the first time the astonishing range of his contributions to our understanding of individual attitudes in the region and their impact on political life. From generational cohorts and gender distinctions to views of Islam and democracy, Tessler's careful surveys and masterful analysis laid the foundations for today's new wave of public opinion research." —Marc Lynch, George Washington University

(Marc Lynch, George Washington University)

"Public Opinion in the Middle East sheds light on the complexity of Arab and Muslim societies too frequently painted with a broad brush. Bringing together decades of Mark Tessler's groundbreaking work on public opinion, it highlights important differences across countries and individuals, and over time, on the most important social and political questions. This volume provides an opportunity to reflect on the prevailing questions and attitudes in the context of global change, and it will be a touchstone for scholars for years to come." —Ellen Lust, Yale University

(Ellen Lust, Yale University)

"Public Opinion in the Middle East is the most comprehensive and authoritative account of Arab public opinion to date. Tessler advances our theoretical understanding of citizen orientations towards a host of factors which include democracy, gender equality, Islam, and authoritarianism. Relying on almost two decades of work on Arab public opinion, Tessler delivers a phenomenal book which will be widely read by students, policy makers, and the general public." —Amaney Jamal, Princeton University

(Amaney Jamal, Princeton University)

"This volume is a valuable scholarly entry.... [T]he essays in this anthology touch upon core thematic issues profoundly relevant to the study of Middle East politics. It is a worthy contribution." —Intl. Journal of Middle East Studies

(Intl. Journal of Middle East Studies)

"[T]his book is a standard reference for students interested in Middle East politics, since it displays the frontline of the study of political culture in the Islamic world. Because of recent political developments in the Arab world, this book is expected to be used as a reference for future studies." —The Developing Economies

(The Developing Economies)

About this edition

• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0253356318
• ISBN 13: 9780253356314
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400