Review by Choice Review
Marcus's book offers a general discussion of broad conceptual issues relating to women. Marcus conducted anthropological research on women in the Turkish city of Izmir; however, her book contains little information on Turkey or on Turkish women. She explores the notions that ^D["gender inequality results from the practice of Islamic purity laws^D]" and that ^D["the moral community is based upon gender hierarchy and gender separation,^D]" but without presenting much actual data beyond a description of religious practices. She offers no wider view of women, their lives, and their place in Turkish society in general. Marcus effectively critiques images of the East (^D["orientalism^D]") in the literature and discusses ethnographic research and writing. The book is more appropriate for gender studies than for Islamic, Middle Eastern, or Turkish studies, although the author would assert (correctly) that all of these are and should be interrelated. Much has been written in Turkish about the book's central issues, but Turkish sources (except four minor ones) are absent. Plates; short index. Graduate; faculty.
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
