The Social and Cultural History of Palestine

Explores the social and cultural landscape of Palestine under Late Ottoman and British rule

Highlights the rise of social and cultural history within scholarly research on Palestine
Discusses issues of gender, class, race and empire, set against the background of the diverse Palestinian society of the first half of the 20th century
Draws on a wide range of archival materials in Arabic, Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish, French and other languages, many of them rarely examined by researchers
Brings together a multigenerational selection of researchers in the field, from senior figures in Palestinian history to exciting newcomers

Over the past decade, histories of Late Ottoman and especially Mandate Palestine have moved away from the political framing of the Arab-Israeli conflict to consider questions of social and cultural history, as well as, increasingly, adopting new frameworks such as environmental and medical history. One of the most important voices in this movement, as a scholar and as a mentor of others' work, has been Salim Tamari. This volume brings together both new and established researchers on Late Ottoman and Mandate-era social and cultural history, many of them Palestinian, to showcase the kind of work inspired by Tamari's legacy, to reflect on the development of these themes in the historiographical context, and to contribute to the decolonisation of Palestinian history. The contents range from considerations of tourist souvenirs and artisanal manufacture to the social history of Gaza, and from debates around cosmopolitanism in colonial Palestine to the socio-economic roles of Palestinian women.