Exchange Ideologies: Commerce, Language, and Patriarchy in Preconflict Aleppo

Exchange Ideologies explores the diverse social structures and notions of language through which Aleppo's merchants understood and construed commerce and the figure of the merchant during a period of economic liberalization in the 2000s, rejecting both approaches of a timeless bazaar culture and Islamic tradition.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 03 April 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Exchange Ideologies is a captivating book that delves into the social world of Aleppo's traders before the devastating destruction of the city. It explores the changing conceptions of commerce in Syria, shedding light on the diverse perspectives and narratives surrounding these traders. Syria's traders have been portrayed as embodying a timeless culture of the bazaar, representing an ahistorical Islamic tradition of trade. However, other accounts portray them as venal figures driven solely by profit, viewing commerce as a purely instrumental pursuit.

Paul Anderson challenges these dichotomous portrayals by tracing the diverse social structures and notions of language through which Aleppo's merchants understood and construed commerce and the figure of the merchant during a period of economic liberalization in the 2000s. Rather than viewing these social structures and representations as expressions of a timeless bazaar culture or as shaped solely by Islamic tradition, Anderson connects them to processes of politically managed economic liberalization and the Syrian regime's attempts to ensure its own survival amidst change.

In doing so, Anderson offers a comprehensive account of economic liberalization in Syria as a social and cultural process, as much as a political and economic one. Through his meticulous research and analysis, he sheds light on the complex dynamics and contradictions that shaped the economic landscape of the country during this period. Exchange Ideologies is a valuable contribution to the study of economic development, politics, and society in the Middle East, providing a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the complex interplay between economic change, social structures, and cultural representations.

Weight: 482g
Dimension: 235 x 159 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501768279