The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation // Class Dynamics
June 15-16 @ SOAS in London
 
Invitation Letter:

2 April 2015
Dear Friend, 

There has been a great deal of academic interest in the massive upheaval that has occurred across MENA since the overthrow of the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes in 2011. The academic sphere has seen an explosion of conferences, workshops and publications attempting to interpret and analyse their implications for development processes in the region.

Despite the qualitative expansion in scholarly work on the region, one of the most under-developed aspects of study is the changing nature of class in the Arab world and the class dimension of the upheaval. Much of the recent analysis of both the uprisings and the wider region focuses on issues such as the role of technology and social media, the social and political exclusion of youth, the nature of authoritarianism, and the international relations of states in the region. There exists in English only five book-length studies on the Arab uprising that are solidly grounded in a class analysis (Bush and Ayeb, eds. 2012 ; Achcar 2013; Hanieh 2013; Alexander & Bassiouny 2014; Abdelrahman 2015), three of which are focused on Egypt.

In this context, we have the pleasure of inviting you to participate in a two-day workshop to be held 15th and 16th June, at SOAS. This workshop will bring together a targeted group of scholars working on questions of class in the Arab world with a specific focus on the Arab uprisings. Some of the proposed questions to be examined include:
  • To what extent is ‘class’ a useful analytical framework for approaching the ongoing upheaval in the region with special focus on countries that have witnessed major uprisings (Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria)? What are the specificities of such a class analysis for the Arab world?
  • What are the underlying dynamics characterising the restructuring of labour-capital-state relations since the period of neoliberal reform began in the 1980s, and what are the similarities and differences in this process across countries in the region?
  • How are questions such as labour migration, gendered divisions of labour, forms of free/unfree labour, and the massive expansion of informal work best integrated into class analyses of the region?
  • To what extent did capital accumulation restructure the relationship between state and business sectors/associations/actors across different economies? Are we witnessing a new balance of power or a new configuration altogether?
  • How have regional structures of capital accumulation changed over the last decade –particularly given the internationalization of Gulf-based capital groups – and what does this imply for the nature of capitalism in the Arab world?
  • How do the insertion of the Middle East into the world market and the impact of global crises affect the nature of class formation in different Arab states?
  • What are the relationships between these changes and the variety of manifestations of Islamic fundamentalism?
  • What does this mean for traditional political parties and institutions (including trade unions and Left parties), their forms of mobilization, and popular appeal?
  • How are old and newly emerging labour movements in the region (such as the Tunisian General Federation of Trade Unions and the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions) relating to these changes in their political demands and organising strategies?

The workshop will be conducted in Arabic and English with no translation provided. All participants should be able to understand both languages, with everyone speaking in the language of their choice. At this initial stage, we are planning a workshop consisting of six sessions: one on “General Themes – Approaching Class and Class Formation in the Region”, and one session on each of Egypt, the GCC (with special focus on Bahrain and Oman), Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Once we have the full list of participants, we will ask a few to give presentations of 20 minutes each in order to introduce the workshop discussion. However, if you wish to give a presentation that fits within one of the six session topics, please let us know indicating the exact theme of your paper.

The workshop will be co-sponsored and co-funded by the Arab Studies Institute (www.ArabStudiesInstitute.org), as part of its emerging “Political Economy Project.” ASI will record the proceedings and make this available to the workshop participants. In addition, ASI will be seeking to conduct a very short audio interview with some of you during the workshop, which will be included as a report for ASI’s Audio Journal, STATUS (www.StatusHour.com).

ASI will be covering the cost of your air travel and will be in contact with you shortly in regard to your flight preferences. We will also provide accommodation for three nights should you need it (please let us know), as well as a brown bag lunch on 15th and 16th and a dinner on the evening of 15th. Should you need a visa for the UK, please let us know as soon as possible so that we send you immediately an invitation letter meant for this purpose.

We hope that you will be able to join us for what promises to be an exciting event!

Yours Sincerely,
Gilbert Achcar, SOAS, University of London
Bassam Haddad, Arab Studies Institute/George Mason University
Adam Hanieh, SOAS, University of London
Workshop Gallery:
The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation and Class Dynamics Political Economy Project Workshop II-Status/الوضع Panels
click above to visit Status/الوضع
Presentations​
Introduction
  • Gilbert Achcar - School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London 
  • Adam Hanieh - SOAS, University of London 
  • Salwa Ismail - SOAS, University of London

The GCC
  • Said Al-Hashimi 
  • Laleh Khalili - SOAS, University of London 

Yemen
  • Helen Lackner – Oxford University

Egypt
  • Wael Gamal - Al Shurouq ​
  • Rabab el-Mahdi - American University in Cairo
  • Maha Abdelrahman - Cambridge University

Tunisia
  • Sami Zemni - Ghent University
  • Hela Yousfi 
  • Habib Ayeb - University Paris 8 in Saint Denis

Syria
  • Joseph Daher - University of Lausanne
  • Bassam Haddad - George Mason University

Participants
​From MENA: Omar Al-Shehabi (Bahrain); Mohamed El-Agati (Egypt); Abdel-Aziz Ezz-El-Arab (Egypt); Wa’el Gamal (Egypt); Rabab El-Mahdi (Egypt); Rayan El-Amine (Lebanon); Rania Masri (Lebanon); Hèla Yousfi (Tunisia/normally based in France).

From Europe: Habib Ayeb (France/Tunisia); Joseph Daher (Switzerland/Syria); Sami Zemni (Belgium/Tunisia).

From the USA/ASI: Bassam Haddad; Jordan Cohen; Nour Joudah; Carole Namez.

From the UK: Maha Abdelrahman (Cambridge/Egypt); Anne Alexander (Cambridge); Helen Lackner (Oxford); Said Sultan Al-Hashmi (Cardiff/Oman); Odai Al-Zoubi (Norwich/Syria).

London-based: Gilbert Achcar; Lori Allen; Jamie Allinson; Toufic Haddad; Adam Hanieh; Salwa Ismail; Laleh Khalili; Sameh Naguib; Nimer Sultani; Rafeef Ziadah.
Workshop Logistics

Workshop Agenda: The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation and Class Dynamics, 15 and 16 June 2015, SOAS, University of London

June 15

9:00-9:30 Meeting – Coffee

9:30-12:30 1st Session: General – Approaching Class and Class Formation in the Region –

Introductions: Gilbert Achcar; Adam Hanieh; 1st discussant: Salwa Ismail

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-3:45 2nd Session: The GCC –

Introductions: Said Al-Hashmi; Omar Al-Shehabi; 1st discussant: Laleh Khalili

3:45-4:00 Coffee break

4:00-5:30 3rd Session: Yemen – Introduction: Helen Lackner

5:30-7:00 Film: Fellahin (a documentary on the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings by Habib Ayeb and Ray Bush) 40’ + Discussion

7:30 Dinner

June 16

9:30-12:30 1st Session: Egypt – Introductions: Wa’el Gamal; Rabab El-Mahdi;

1st discussant: Maha Abdelrahman

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-3:45 2nd Session: Tunisia – Introductions: Sami Zemni; Hèla Yousfi;

1st discussant: Habib Ayeb

3:45-4:00 Coffee break

4:00-6:30 3rd Session: Syria – Introductions: Joseph Daher; Bassam Haddad

6:30-7:00 Closing Session: Future Research Directions and Projects

Reminder: Presentations should not exceed 20 minutes, they should address the main topics of the workshop (cf. invitation letter), and can be delivered in either Arabic or English (no translation provided: all participants understand both languages).

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS (by provenance)

From MENA: Omar Al-Shehabi (Bahrain); Mohamed El-Agati (Egypt); Abdel-Aziz Ezz-El-Arab (Egypt); Wa’el Gamal (Egypt); Rabab El-Mahdi (Egypt); Rayan El-Amine (Lebanon); Rania Masri (Lebanon); Hèla Yousfi (Tunisia/normally based in France).

From Europe: Habib Ayeb (France/Tunisia); Joseph Daher (Switzerland/Syria); Sami Zemni (Belgium/Tunisia).

From the USA/ASI: Bassam Haddad; Jordan Cohen; Nour Joudah; Carole Namez.

From the UK: Maha Abdelrahman (Cambridge/Egypt); Anne Alexander (Cambridge); Helen Lackner (Oxford); Said Sultan Al-Hashmi (Cardiff/Oman); Odai Al-Zoubi (Norwich/Syria).

London-based: Gilbert Achcar; Lori Allen; Jamie Allinson; Toufic Haddad; Adam Hanieh; Salwa Ismail; Laleh Khalili; Sameh Naguib; Nimer Sultani; Rafeef Ziadah.
​CONFIRMED EVENTS

First Workshop (April 24-25, 2015)
"Development and the Uprisings"
Location: ASI Office, George Mason 

Second Workshop (June 14-15, 2015)
"The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation and Class Dynamics"
Location: SOAS, London

Third Workshop (September 14, 2015)
"The Palestinian Economy: Fragmentation and Colonization" 
Location: Birzeit University, Ramallah

Fourth Workshop (September 17, 2015)
​"Tunisia: An Economy in Transition"
Location: Tunis, Tunisia

Fifth Workshop (October 8, 2015)
​"Turkey: Migrant States and Mobile Economies"
Location: GMU, VA

Sixth Workshop (November 6, 2015)
​"Political Economy of the Middle East: Continuities and Discontinuities in Teaching  and Research"
Location: GMU, VA

Seventh Workshop (November 7, 2015)
"Pedagogy Workshop"
Location: GMU, VA

Eighth Workshop (February 19-21, 2016) 
“New Directions in Middle Political Economy"
Location: Stanford, CA
​