Markets of Civilization: Islam and Racial Capitalism in Algeria

Muriam Haleh Davis explores how Islam became a racial category in colonial and postcolonial Algeria, shaping economic development through a "racial regime of religion" that subjected Algerian Muslims to discriminatory structures. French officials introduced a market economy to modernize society and discourage anticolonial nationalism, but racial assumptions persisted despite color-blind policies. After independence, convictions about the link between religious beliefs and economic behavior continued to influence development policies, with Algerian president Ahmed Ben Bella embracing Algerian socialism and French technocrats seeing Algeria as a testing ground for development projects. Davis highlights the entanglements of race and religion in decolonization, shaping understandings of national identity on both sides of the Mediterranean.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her book, "Markets of Civilization," Muriam Haleh Davis offers a comprehensive history of racial capitalism, shedding light on how Islam became a pivotal factor in shaping economic development in colonial and postcolonial Algeria. During this period, French officials in Paris and Algiers implemented a "racial regime of religion" that subjected Algerian Muslims to discriminatory political and economic structures. These experts believed that introducing a market economy would modernize society and discourage anticolonial nationalism. Planners, politicians, and economists implemented reforms that aimed to transform Algerians into modern economic subjects while drawing on racial assumptions, despite the formally color-blind policies of the French state. Following independence, convictions about the inherent link between religious beliefs and economic behavior continued to influence development policies. Algerian president Ahmed Ben Bella embraced a specifically Algerian socialism founded on Islamic principles, while French technocrats saw Algeria as a testing ground for development projects elsewhere in the Global South. Davis's work highlights the intricate entanglements of race and religion in shaping understandings of national identity during decolonization, revealing how economic orthodoxies played a significant role in shaping both sides of the Mediterranean.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018506