Comparative Legal Systems in the Developing World
Islamic Law
Gender and Politics
Identity and Nationalism in the Muslim World
Islamic Revivalism
Scholars and policymakers have long assumed that Muslim countries with more conservative positions on gender equality tend to hold a stronger adherence to Islam and resistance to, or outright hostility for, western notions of modernization--especially democracy. Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel’s modernization theory, which posits gender equality and individual emancipation are necessary requisites for democratization, has been particularly influential in supporting arguments that Islam is incompatible with democratic norms. My dissertation challenges these assumptions arguing the political projects of contemporary states and their historical transformations, rather than Islam itself, account for both the democratic deficit, occurrences of Islamic revivalism, and the stagnation of women’s societal advancement in Muslim-majority countries. Because many scholars continue to believe that gender equality and individual emancipation are necessary requisites for democracy, evaluating the status of women across Muslim nations is key to understanding prospects for democratization in the region. To do so, I compare two countries – Tajikistan and Algeria – as they relate to: (i) imposed unveiling policies for Muslim women by imperial forces (ii) Islamic opposition to the state resulting in (iii) civil wars, and (iv) states’ continued authoritarian composition, concerns regarding gender equality, and Islamic revivalism.