The protests which swept the Arab region as of 2011 strikingly singled out the leaders’ wives as the target of wrath. This paper argues that wives are key actors dually stabilizing and de-stabilizing their husbands as authoritarian leaders.
By de-gendering the relational connection between the leader and his wife, the leader’s wife is repositioned in the paper as a more autonomous partner or holder of the joint account of authoritarianism, alongside the authoritarian husband. In contrast to much of the literature on authoritarianism, which is arguably mostly focused on structural, collective and externalized elements, this paper – and the larger project of which it is part – seeks to explore roles, identities and powers of the first ladies in a more systematic manner, through the mixed use of quantitative and qualitative analysis.
The Centre for the Study of Democracy and the Department of Politics and International Relations are organising a full programme of research seminars with visiting speakers this semester. You can find more details of these events on the Centre for the Study of Democracy Seminar Series Eventbrite page.
Speaker
Dr Mustafa Elmenshawy is a postdoctoral researcher at Lancaster University. He holds a PhD in politics from the University of Westminster and an MA in Middle East Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). His main research interests concern the interplay between discourse and politics in the Middle East. His latest publication is Sovereignty alignment process: strategies of regime survival in Egypt, Libya and Syria’, which was published in Third World Quarterly earlier this year.
Book your place
All are welcome to attend the seminars but registration is required via Eventbrite.
Events take place on Tuesdays 4-5.30pm either in the Boardroom, Level 1, Room 117, 309 Regent Street, University of Westminster, W1B 2HW, or online.
Please note for the online events, once you book your ticket, a link to the talk will be sent to you closer to the date.
