BRISMES Event | Romanticizing Masculinity in Baathist Syria (Book Launch and Discussion)

Date: Wednesday, 16 April 2024, 17.00-19.00 (UK time)

Please join our next Webinar for the launch and discussion of Dr Rahaf Aldoughli’s book, Romanticizing Masculinity in Baathist Syria, where she examines how the Syrian Baathist regime fused patriarchal ideology with authoritarian nationalism to produce a romanticized ideal of masculinity—one that legitimized violence and reinforced state control. Through close analysis of political texts, symbols, and representations, Rahaf Aldoughli reveals how the regime constructed a masculine identity tied to discipline, sacrifice, and national unity. This book offers a vital lens on how gender operates not at the margins, but at the very heart of authoritarian power.

Speaker

Dr Rahaf Aldoughli is a Lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University and senior editor at Cogent Social Sciences. Her research explores nationalism, sectarianism, and political attitudes in authoritarian contexts through an interdisciplinary lens. She is the author of Romancing Masculinity in Baathist Syria: Gender, Ideology, and Identity (Manchester University Press) and is finalizing a forthcoming book on sect(ism) in Syria with IB Tauris. Dr. Aldoughli’s expertise has been sought by international media, including The New York Times, NBC News, Al Jazeera English, and Channel 4. She has also authored commissioned reports for Chatham House, Foreign Affairs, New Lines Magazine, and the Middle East Institute.

Chair and discussant: Dr Sabiha Allouche (University of Exeter)