This book analyzes how the state constructs and reproduces gender identities in the context and geopolitics of Jordan. It addresses the relevance of the state and its web of relations in understanding the politics of gender in the Middle East, rather than a cultural or religious explanation for women s subjugation. Guardianship over women is examined as not only the basis of women s legal and social subordination, but also a key factor in the construction and reproduction of a gender hierarchy system. The author probes how a masculine state gives power and legitimacy through guardianship to...