This is the first installment of a series that grew out of the December 1991 Workshop on Cultural Processes in Muslim and Arab Societies held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The issues employ cultural studies, anthropology, and literary theory to explore various aspects of Middle-Eastern history. Articles examine nationalism, the divisions between elite and popular culture, religious identity, gender, class formation, and the structures of political power.

Contributions by: J. S. Meisami, Rina Drory