Demography and Democracy
Transitions in the Middle East and North Africa

Examines the demographic shifts in the Middle East and North Africa, placing them in their social, political and economic contexts.

Elhum Haghighat (Author)

9781108448390, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 August 2018

276 pages
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.42 kg

'Haghighat has produced an impressive work of scholarship. In our rush to make sense of the unsettling events of the region over the last decade or so, contemporary scholarship frequently overlooks developments within and across Middle Eastern societies that may be more difficult to discern but are often profoundly consequential and significant. Haghighat's book addresses these critical gaps and adds greatly to our understanding of the momentous changes currently underway throughout the Middle East.' Mehran Kamrava, author of Inside the Arab State

The Middle East and North Africa have recently experienced one of the highest population growth rates in the world, something which has profoundly affected the wider region and its institutions. In addition, the recent period of unprecedented political turbulence has further complicated the picture, resulting in uprisings and resistance movements that have coincided with intense shifts in socio-cultural norms, as well as economic and political change. Through highlighting the links between population dynamics and the social and political transitions, this book provides a new view of these recent regional changes. The complexity of the changes is further explained in the context of demographic transitions (mortality, fertility, migration) that work hand in hand with development (economic and social modernization) and ultimately, democratization (political modernization). These three Ds (Demographic, Development and Democratic transitions) are central to Elhum Haghighat's analysis of the Middle East and North Africa at this crucial time.

Part I. Introduction and Fundamentals: Introduction
1. Development, piety, elements of democracy and the MENA region
Part II. Global and MENA Demographic Transitions: 2. Demographic transition in the MENA and the world
Part III. Contemporary Dynamics and Dimensions in the MENA: 3. The impact of population movement and migration, oil and labor resources in the MENA region (focus on GCC countries)
4. Change and transition in the politics of gender and sexuality in the MENA
Part IV. Case Studies and Conclusion: 5. Contemporary dynamics and dimensions of politics and society in Yemen, Qatar, Tunisia and Iran
6. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Public administration [JPP], Constitution: government & the state [JPHC], Political structure & processes [JPH], Political science & theory [JPA], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]