Thesis advisor: Kathleen Bailey / The slums of Cairo are a relatively new addition to Cairo. A product of urbanization and Western Structural Adjustment and economic liberalization programs, the slums are built on squatter land on the periphery of Cairo. From their inception, the slums have been informal and as a result, residents lack the resources to change their situation. I will argue that schools must be developed in the slums. These schools cannot be schools similar to other schools in Egypt, but instead must be a product of the slums. These community schools must be developed and run by the residents of the slums to produce change. I argue that these community schools would not only increase educational levels and quality within the slums but would also serve as a means to political and social change. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Islamic Civilization and Societies. / Discipline: Islamic Civilization and Societies Honors Program.

This thesis focuses on the work of a social movement based in Cairo that dedicated itself to the addressing and reducing sexual harassment, or taḥarush in the streets. Based on a year and five months of fieldwork, this thesis elaborated upon the genesis of the movement, its ethos, and the methods it deployed to tackle taḥarush. It is argued that the movement deployed methods which encouraged members of Egyptian society to revisit and rework their ethical standpoints with reference to taḥarush, and as such public behaviour. In this way, members of Egyptian society were asked to become more aware of their roles within society itself. Firstly, such methods had to be tested by movement members themselves. The movement became known for two main activities: raising awareness and patrols. Both methods serve as ways by which the movement reshaped both people and the public spaces they occupied. Spaces are defined by the people who pass through them, and by acting on a given space, people can change how it is perceived. The movement designated itself a safe space, encouraging members to ponder ideas from society with the goal of changing society ‘for the better'. What my research revealed was that lack of consensus regarding definitions embedded in movement ethos contributed to conflict between members and discontinuity between ethos and its enactment. Government pressures required changes to the structure and internal functioning of the movement, and in addition to the initial ethical project regarding taḥarush, members found themselves learning to embody and perform roles associated with employed positions. The turmoil experienced both within in and outside of the movement is put back into the context of Egypt post 2011, to tease out the sense of temporality embedded in their struggle to survive the political climate of the time.

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The study explores Egypt’s foreign policy under President Hosni Mubarak. It focuses on the way Mubarak's regime dealt with internal and external threats to maintain security and bolster his internal hold on power. Two case studies are chosen to test the hypotheses: Egypt’s reluctance to reestablish diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Egypt’s response to the Greater Middle East Initiative proposed by the Bush administration and the series of Western efforts aimed at promoting political reform in the Middle East, in particular the measures it took to warm up its relations with Israel, including the signing of the QIZ treaty. The following arguments are made: 1- Security is central in understanding the behavior of Third World states. 2- The traditional 'balance of power' model should be substituted with the 'balance of threat' theory. 3- Faced with a combination of internal and external threats, Third World states most often tend to 'omnibalance' between both sets. 4- Foreign policy decisions in the Third World are determined by the level of internal and external threats, the availability of regional and international allies and the idiosyncrasies of leaders, their type of legitimacy and the interests of their ruling coalitions. 5- The foreign policies of Third World states, which tend to be lacking in strong institutions, democracy or national consensus and facing threats from within as well as without, are less likely to be shaped by or serve a national interest than a regime interest.

This thesis empirically studies three aspects of marriage pertaining to young women in Egypt using a young people specific Survey of Young People in Egypt 2009. The first essay investigates the determinants of the marriage valuation of young women in Egypt through the value of the jewellery received on marriage. The empirical analysis focuses on the role of circumcision, kinship marriages and the competitiveness in the marriage market in determining the marriage valuation of young women. A Cox proportional hazard model as well as a Heckman-two step model is used to correct for selection into marriage using circumcision as the identifier variable. The analysis allows the computation of the returns to investments in female's human capital in the marriage market and the comparison with the similar returns in the labour market. The overall results show the role of circumcision in the marriage prospects of women rather than the marriage valuation. Kinship marriages, although popular in the Arab region show no impact on the marriage valuation of young women. Marriage market competitiveness, however, significantly determines young women's marriage valuation. The comparison between the returns to female's investments in education in both the marriage market and the labour market show the high degree of substitutability between the two market. The second essay investigates the determinants of young wives' happiness in marriage. The analysis investigates the role of institutions (religiosity and social trust), the time use of the wife, living with in-laws as well as inter-marital discussions using an ordered probit model. The results suggest the significance of the demographic and the economic variables in determining young wives' marital happiness. However, the mutual relationship with the husband and the inter-marital discussions appear to play a more significant role in determining the marital happiness of young wives. Finally, the third essay adds the labour market outcomes of the husband to the ordered probit model of the wives' marital happiness. The analysis investigates the role of the husband's labour market outcomes, the time use of the husband and the social network of the husband on the wife's marital happiness. a heterogeneous impact of husband's annual earnings (in the rural areas) and the time the husband allocates to joint leisure.

The purpose of the present thesis is to provide a detailed descriptive account of recent Corporate Internet Reporting (CIR) practices amongst non-financial companies listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), and explore the perceptions of both users and preparers of corporate information concerning this phenomenon in Egypt. The investigation involves: (i) a disclosure index analysis of CIR practices amongst the sampled companies at two points in time – December 2010 and December 2011 – in order to determine the extent of such practices and ascertain whether this has changed across time; (ii) interviews with users (private investors and financial analysts) and preparers (company officials) of corporate information, in order to gather the views of those individuals concerning CIR in Egypt; and (iii) a questionnaire survey of a wider sample of users and preparers of corporate information, in order to explore the perceptions of a relatively large number of users and preparers regarding CIR in Egypt and thereby complement the disclosure index and interview results. The results suggest that the extent of CIR practices amongst the sampled companies is still limited and there has been little improvement over the investigated period. The results also report great variations amongst the investigated companies concerning the extent to which they embrace the power of the internet for reporting purposes as the full possibilities of the internet in this regard appear not to have yet been realised. However, the practice is found to have a potentially positive impact on the understandability, relevance and comparability of corporate information disseminated online, while its impact on reliability is still questionable. The results from the interview analysis reveal that: (i) the majority of participants were broadly satisfied with Egypt’s internet infrastructure; (ii) interviewees were intensive users of the internet, including accessing online corporate information; and (iii) notwithstanding the previous point, hard copy reports remain the most important source of corporate financial disclosure in Egypt. Views regarding the future of CIR were mixed; participants highlighted some problems associated with CIR and indicated a belief that such practices in Egypt are still very limited compared to those found in developed capital markets. Nonetheless, CIR practices are seen as potentially having a positive impact on the understandability, relevance, and comparability of accounting information, although this was not the case with regard to reliability. The results of the questionnaire survey indicate that the need to offer an image of modernity and to provide financial information are the most important reasons for engaging in CIR practices in Egypt. The participants were reasonably satisfied with most of the investigated issues, although a significant difference was evident amongst the respondent groups concerning the security and privacy of information disseminated via the internet. The results support those from the interviews in suggesting that hard copy annual reports are viewed as the most important source of disclosure in Egypt, with the respondents viewing CIR practices as a supplement to, rather than a substitute for, hard copy reports. Finally, the findings support those from the rest of the empirical work in suggesting that, with the exception of reliability, the respondents saw CIR practices as having a potentially positive impact on the qualitative characteristics of accounting information set out in the IASC Framework (1989); this view was shared by users and preparers alike, in contrast to the interviewees, the questionnaire respondents saw CIR practices as having an impact on the cost of capital and share prices, but this view was not overwhelming.

This dissertation is a companion to Norman Mailer’s Egyptian novel, Ancient Evenings (1983). Presented in seven parts, it combines a monograph and a selection from the novel outfitted with footnotes, plates, and captions. Part I provides an overview of the dissertation, a definition of terms, and a statement of my editorial principles. Part II is a biographical description of the author in relation to Ancient Evenings and its significance in the arc of his oeuvre. Also explored are Mailer’s unrealized plans to produce two related novels that would have formed a triad that embodied his existential ideology. Part III consists of criticism by me that will later take the form of a general introduction, footnotes, and endnotes for an annotated edition of Ancient Evenings. Part IV is a synthesis of published critical reactions to the novel placed in conversation with Mailer’s own commentary on his creative process and intentions. Ancient Evenings is notoriously difficult to navigate, and to provide a beacon for readers, Part V includes a character list and a synopsis of each of the novel’s seven “books.” Part VI is the second section of the novel, “The Book of the Gods,” presented as an annotated edition. The Coda includes a transcription of a previously unpublished prose piecethat represents the development of a novel, The Boat of Ra, that would have followed Ancient Evenings had Mailer completed his triad. For the use of future scholars, the bibliography documents Mailer’s confirmed research materials. Norman Mailer’s Book of the Dead speaks to the development of a major work by one of the most influential authors and public intellectuals of the second half of the twentieth century. / 2019-11-21T00:00:00Z

In Egypt, female genital cutting (FGC) is illegal and declining in prevalence; however, the majority of women continue to support the practice. Using data from the 2005 and 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys, I examine changes in attitude toward FGC to explain social change through the framework of developmental idealism (Thornton 2015). Models are estimated using logistic regression to test if support for discontinuation of FGC is greater among women who have adopted progressive values or among women who are more traditional. Findings indicate that women who were Christian, rural, married younger, and that underwent FGC became supportive of discontinuation at greater rates than women who were Muslim, urban, married older, and did not undergo FGC. Women at various levels of education, wealth, and other indicators of development changed support at equal rates. Findings indicate that women in all social strata are receptive to messages against FGC.

The focus of this paper concerns different verbal expressions found within the ancient Egyptian historical and archaeological record that describes the act of playing different instruments. This paper sheds light on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic terminology by presenting the corresponding translations and transliterations from the Pharaonic Period. A discussion is carried out concerning whether or not the terms in question have any polysemic meanings as well as any traceable etymology or developmental aspects. Tomb scenes with captions of expressions on how to play musical instruments are the primary sources for this paper to demonstrate the different variations of the terminology.

This thesis is based around detailed analysis of an assemblage of newly excavated material from the Paphos Theatre site in SW Cyprus. Before presenting the new work, the academic context into which it must fit is investigated. This process of re-evaluating past work sets up a framework within which the new material would be expected to fit. In fact, research on Late Roman Cyprus is not as advanced as might be expected after over seventy years of excavation. This is most particularly the case for fundamental principles like typology and chronology for the local ceramics and glass. A review of past and current excavations shows that the typology of Cypriot Red Slip ware is widely used around the Eastern Mediterranean as a dating tool for deposits containing this distinctive Fine ware. This makes it essential that it be confirmed to be a reliable and substantially correct construct. Unfortunately, a re-analysis of the foundations of the Cypriot red Slip ware typology and chronology reveals many uncertainties and establishes the necessity for new material from secure deposits to help refine current typologies. The artefact assemblage from Area Three at the Paphos Theatre provides just such an opportunity. A combination of a series of sealed deposits, a high density of artifacts and identifiable coins has enabled a comprehensive study to be achieved. A major collapse, probably an earthquake, sealed a paved street and drainage system in the trenches and this episode can be pinpointed to around the mid to late fifth century by the coin evidence. Most interesting is the fact that the dating suggested by the coins does not match the dating usually assigned to the associated pottery and glass. After establishing the reliability of the coin evidence, the study of the other artefacts offers new ideas about the dating and typology of the local Cypriot Red Slip ware, Cooking ware, Lamps and Glass. In fact an analysis of all the pottery from the site suggests that the chronology of Cypriot Red Slip ware and Cooking ware in particular needs to be pushed back to focus on a floruit in the fourth and fifth centuries. This is at least one hundred years earlier than current typologies that focus on the mid sixth to seventh centuries. This analysis provides some reliable fixed points, for both local pottery and glass, earlier in the Late Roman sequence upon which future work can be built.