Bahrain : political development in a modernizing society
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Bahrain : political development in a modernizing society
Lexington Books, c2011
Available at 1 libraries
Note
Bibliography: p. 179-187
Includes index
"Preface to the 2011 edition" -- p. xiii-xvi
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The book is a study of political development in Bahrain during the first five years after its independence in 1971. It is based on field research done by the author as the first senior Fulbright scholar in that country. The book was banned in Bahrain for 30 years but was allowed to be published in Arabic in that country in 2006. The study focuses on the tribal structure of Bahraini society and the rule of a minority Sunni government by al-Khalifa family over a largely disenfranchised Shia majority. To examine the making of the new state, the book analyzes the nature and characteristics of the Bahraini tribal society, the educational system of modern Bahrain, the nature of the political system, and popular demands for participation in decision making. The book also examines the making of the new constitution, the first ever national election to both the Constitutional Assembly and the National Assembly, and the electoral campaigns and candidates. The book also discusses the restrictions on freedoms of speech and assembly, the denial of women the right to vote, the banning of political parties and the role of clubs as surrogate political gathering places, the exclusion of the Shia majority from the economic and political centers of power, and the absence of government accountability and transparency. The February 20ll popular uprising in Bahrain underscores some of the key challenges discussed in the book, especially the autocratic nature of the regime and the urgency of political reform for domestic stability.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Education and Bahrain's Political Development Chapter 3. Communication and Political Socialization: The Role of the Clubs and the Press Chapter 4. Labor and Political Development Chapter 5. Foreign Policy and Political Development Chapter 6. Toward a Democratic Structure: The Constitutional Assembly Chapter 7. The First National Election and the Formation of the Constitutional Assembly Chapter 8. Conclusion: Toward a Functional Model of Urban Tribalism
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