We are pleased to announce that The Chair of the State of Qatar in Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University will be organizing the Majlis@Waseda on 17th June 2024. We would like to provide you with some details of the event:
“The Complex & Contentious Relationship between the Tribe and the State in the MENA Region: Opportunities and Challenges of State & Nation Building”
Dr. Maryam Al-Kuwari (Qatar University)
The Director of the Gulf Studies Center and an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the International Affairs Department, Qatar University
Monday June 17, 17:30-19:00
Waseda University Building 3, Room 301
The tribe is a significant entity in most MENA regions, although its relevance on the political, economic and social levels varies from one country to another. Since the wave of independence in the region in the 19th century and specifically after World War II, different MENA countries have had different experiences as they attempted to negotiate the relationship between the state and the tribe in their efforts to achieve state and nation building. In some cases, as in North Africa and Iraq, the role of the tribe was all but diminished as the modern state imposed its monopoly over the facets of life, whereas in others such as the Gulf region, the state negotiated transitional periods during which the tribe and its functions were gradually replaced by the state. Despite this initial success by the state, why then are most states in the region witnessing a revival of tribal roles, functions, symbols and influence, often at the expense of the state and its legitimacy? What went wrong? What are the future prospects? This paper aims at addressing these issues and raising relevant questions for future research in the field of political sociology in the region.
Please pre-register if you wish to attend at: https://forms.gle/NHwJJZMmwjNemrTX7
