The New Arab Man: Emergent Masculinities, Technologies, and Islam in the Middle East
One ofChoice's Editors' Picks, October 2012Shortlisted for the 2013 Book Prize, Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness of the British Sociological Association"Yale anthropologist Inhorn's readable ethnography tackles the subject of infertility among Arab men. The author draws primarily on her research in Lebanese clinics that offer in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrcytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) but also utilizes data from research in Egypt and the UAE. . . . Inhorn's engagin writing style, clear analysis of relevant literature and theory, and compelling interviews make this book an excellent choice for both undergraduate and graduate collections."--Choice"Not only does this book provide scholars with innovative anthropological theoretical tools for the study of gender and masculinity in a field increasingly dominated by queer theoretical paradigms, it also offers a fascinating insight into the intersection of gender, religion and art in the Middle East, setting an example for new research. Yet above all,The New Arab Maneffortlessly succeeds in offering 'a more realistic and humanizing portrayal of Middle Eastern men's lives.'"--Wim Peumans,Social Anthropology"In the end, I think Inhorn is right; her book does provide a corrective to those who conceptualize Middle Eastern men in a two-dimensional way, but I also think her book goes much further than this, delving into the complex navigations of religion, cultural tradition, science, and technology faced by many religious people in everyday life. For those interested in exploring such issues--including scholars and students of religion, immigration, science studies, medical sociology, and medicine--her book is a wonderful resource."--John O'Brien,Sociology of Religion"[This] is without doubt an important contribution to medical anthropology in the Middle East and to our understanding of the complex and changing nature of masculinity in the Arab world."--Ramy Aly,Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute