The Use of Social Isolation (inqiṭāʿ) by Jewish Women in Medieval Egypt

Abstract Petitions from the Cairo Geniza often emphasize that the petitioner is lonely or “cut off” (munqaṭiʿ) from social support. Such claims are gendered, as they are more common in women’s petitions than in men’s, and women occasionally use explicitly gendered expressions to highlight their soci...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Zinger, Oded (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Brill 2020
Dans: Journal of the economic and social history of the Orient
Année: 2020, Volume: 63, Numéro: 5/6, Pages: 820-852
Sujets non-standardisés:B Social Capital
B Jewish women
B medieval Egypt
B Petitions
B Cairo Geniza
B Social Isolation
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Résumé:Abstract Petitions from the Cairo Geniza often emphasize that the petitioner is lonely or “cut off” (munqaṭiʿ) from social support. Such claims are gendered, as they are more common in women’s petitions than in men’s, and women occasionally use explicitly gendered expressions to highlight their social isolation. Claiming to lack social support had a special valency in medieval Islamicate societies due to the primacy of reciprocal social relationships in these societies. Since women’s access to cultural and social capital was more limited than men’s, women lacking effective and supportive male kin were particularly vulnerable and were recognized as deserving justice. Studying claims of social isolation thus sheds light on the social predicament of Jewish women in medieval Egypt. Finally, recognizing the currency of social isolation in women’s petition helps identify an opposite trend of social belonging in men’s petitions.
ISSN:1568-5209
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of the economic and social history of the Orient
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685209-12341522