20454 - Moral Dilemmas, Cultural Production, and Policy Frames in Middle Eastern Societies

Description

This panel explores how intellectuals, policymakers, and cultural producers grapple with questions of identity, power, and moral responsibility in the Middle East. Drawing on mixed qualitative methods—discourse analysis, lyric analysis, and historical inquiry—it showcases how different actors respond to perceived crises and articulate competing narratives through legislative action, musical expression, and ethical deliberation. By focusing on sites such as Egyptian urban neighborhoods and legislative debates on Palestine, this session highlights the social analysis of class, culture, and political contention.

Sub Unit

• Middle Eastern and Global Muslim Societies

Presider

• Kevan Harris, University of California-Los Angeles

Individual Presentations

• Legislative Orientalism - Dwight Neil Haase, University of Toledo

• Intellectuals, Politics, & Moral Action During Crises: Theorizing Dilemmas - Muhammad Amasha, Yale University

Discussant

• Nihal Kayali, Brandeis University

Session Organizer

• Kevan Harris, University of California-Los Angeles