Dancing on the Heads of Snakes in Yemen, by Hofstra University’s anthropologist, Dr. Daniel Martin Varisco had just further proven the domination of historians and anthropologists on Yemen in particular. Although the article started off almost as a personal anecdote describing his experience and expertise in Yemen, he offered incredible insight as a scholar who does research in the state and refreshingly does not claim to be an expert in the entire region or in the state religion. He emphasizes the need to interact with the people by “conversing within their own language” and that “being there… provides the context for detail and nuance that otherwise would be very difficult to tease out of social relations and ever changing cultural values” (302). He does point out a critical point that I made regarding the Tribes of Yemen, which is that all too often, every published ethnography becomes “the” representation of a particular society or group. Yet, in a society like Yemen, which is still, in many ways, dictated by tribal affiliations and there are tremendous fault lines between the north and the south, as well as the city and the village, this statement Is certainly a necessary one to make. “The Interweaving of ongoing cultural values with inevitable change is best served by tracing the genealogy of such culture change.”
Since the beginning of the Arab spring in January, many have credited the revolutions as social media revolutions. However, Varisco brings up another point, which distinguishes the Yemeni experience from the other states undergoing or have underwent revolutions, there is a general lack of access to the internet in Yemen. 46% of Yemen’s population is under the age of 15 so the problems that face the upcoming generations will only be exacerbated (302). The underlying challenges facing the educated youth and the under-educated youth are generally similar throughout MENA: lack of jobs, outdated and corrupt institutions, generational clash over values.
Another critical issue that distinguishes Yemen is its powerful tribal affiliations, which are also quite different from Libya as well. The nature of Saleh’s power as a president is severely influenced by the nature of the tribal structure. Thus, Saleh has never been able to establish control over the entire state. It is the local autonomy of tribes that have kept the state together. Varisco describes an observation made in his research that in 1978 1/3 of the male workforce lived outside the country and sent money back to build at the local level. The numbers are arguably still staggering, however, this community orientation has been disrupted by a new type of politics and the influence of Wahabism (302). Salafi money from Saudi Arabia has brought about an ultra-conservative view of Islam, called Salafism or Wahabism in the north.
Paige,
ReplyDeleteReally good posts. So far it looks like you're finding excellent resources.
Be sure to look at some of Thomas's stuff. As I put in a comment to him, you guys should be talking about all of this stuff.
Best,
Prof. Cocozzelli
Hey Paige, After reading this post I actually had to go pick up this book from barnes and nobles. I love how Clark, paints this clear picture to me of what is happening in Yemen, without sounding to dry or boring. It was lively and real and kept me up to date with an nation, I knew nothing about before. It reminded of the book, "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda." They are both interviewed based and try to paint a clear unprejudiced view of a nation that is always thought of for its haunting past and unsure future.
ReplyDelete