The Egyptian Sisters Club: Negotiating Community and Identity in a Time of Conflict

• In Event: Africa and African Ethnicity and Race Concerns

Abstract

On the screens of televisions and computers in their suburban California homes, the women of the Egyptian Sisters Club (ESC) have witnessed the unfolding of political crisis and the unraveling of certainty—of their personal role in their home country, and in the very idea of what it means to “be Egyptian.” This study explores how the ESC community group maintains cohesion in a time of conflict, by examining motivations for participation and identity narratives of group members. Drawing from network homophily theory and concepts of identity formation in diaspora, the study employs field observations and thematic content analysis of interviews and group discussion. Findings suggest that the women, almost all young mothers, prioritize shared cultural values over political differences in order to construct ESC as a surrogate family support network. A variety of views were expressed regarding strategies for accommodating difference and increasing the group’s resilience and value.

Authors

• Yomma Elsayed, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Andrea Wenzel, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication