| ID | 141809 |
| Title Proper | Selling success, nurturing the self |
| Other Title Information | self-help literature, capitalist values, and the sacralization of subjective life in Egypt |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Kenney, Jeffrey T |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The growing strength of self-help literature in Egypt represents a new cultural expression of accommodation with capitalism, and markedly expands the mix of modern ideas and ethical practices rendered legitimate through association with tradition. The ideas and practices found in self-help, however, are anything but traditional. In its style and content, self-help expresses the values of individualism and neoliberal understandings of subjectivity. Informed by modern insights into the self and its formation, the genre blurs the boundary between psychology and religion, valorizing the process of self-exploration and self-fulfillment. The inherent message of self-help is not simply the glorification of the individual but, more pointedly, the sacralization of the self and subjective life choices—an interpretive trend that, in Egypt, simultaneously functionalizes Islam and fosters new understandings of what it means to be Muslim. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol. 47, No.4; Nov 2015: p.663-680 |
| Journal Source | International Journal of Middle East Studies 2015-12 47, 4 |
| Key Words | Selling Success ; Nurturing the Self ; Self-Help Literature ; Capitalist Values ; The Sacralization of Subjective Life In Egypt |