Sex Work in Colonial Egypt

Women, Modernity and the Global Economy

Francesca Biancani

$180

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

I.B. Tauris
30 July 2018

Middle Eastern history; Colonialism & imperialism; Ethical issues: prostitution & sex industry; Nationalism

In the early 20th century Cairo was a vibrant and booming global metropolis. The integration of Egypt into the global market had led to rapid urban growth and increased migration. As occupational prospects for women outside the family were limited, sex work became a prominent feature of the new modern city. However, the economic and social changes in Egypt ignited national anxieties about racial degeneration, social disorder and imperial decadence. Francesca Biancani argues here that this was a period of national crisis that became inscribed on the bodies on female sex workers. Based on a wide range of rare primary sources, including documents from court cases, reformist papers, police minutes and letters, Biancani examines the discourses around sex workers and shows how prostitution was understood in colonial Egypt. The book argues that from initially regulating and managing prostitution, local and colonial elites began to depict sex workers as a threat to the physical and moral welfare of the rising Egyptian nation. However, far from being a marginal activity, prostitution is shown to play a central role in the history of Egyptian nation-making. By exploring the interdependence of power and marginality, respectability and transgression, Biancani writes sex work and its practitioners back into the history of modern Egypt. The book is an original contribution to the global history of prostitution and a vital resource for scholars of Middle East Studies.

By: Francesca Biancani
Imprint: I.B. Tauris
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: 72
Dimensions: Height: 218mm, Width: 144mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 440g
ISBN: 9781788311038
ISBN 10: 1788311035
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 30 July 2018
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Francesca Biancani is Adjunct Professor in History and Institutions of the Modern Middle East at the Department of Politics and Political Science, University of Bologna. She is also Postdoctoral Fellow at the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo. She has been a Visiting Fellow at the Middle Eastern Studies Center at the American University of Cairo and has contributed to various peer-reviewed edited books and journals. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics.