Leben und Handeln im Alltag von Kairo

Under the influence of political and social discourses as a result of 9/11 and the critique of Orientalism on the part of Arab intellectuals such as Edward Said, Lars Gaiser developed a new research approach: instead of the usual examination of singular problems, which are prone to distortion by a unilateral choice of research subjects, he analysed the spectrum of possible actions, which he derived from everyday situations. Through the interplay of mutually complementary assemblages (consisting of inter-view quotes, observation reports and statements from an emic perspective) and etic analysis (data from the statistics and literature), he gives the reader a multi-faceted and yet very profound insight in the social relations in Cairo. The 'action-spectral research approach', which is briefly presented here, was successfully put into practice in four everyday situations, namely the 'enabling formation,' 'sharing neighbourhood,' 'obtaining housing' and 'giving living space.' In his analysis of the Egyptian educational system, he compares the religious (Azharite), public and secular private schools, identifying many glaring deficiencies in state schools, such as overcrowded classrooms, underpaid and under-motivated teachers and inadequate teaching methods. Lars Gaiser demonstrates the duality of the religious schools, which are torn between the claims of dogma and the needs of the labour market. Another central topic of this chapter is the extensive private tutoring system - devouring up to a quarter of the average family income. In the everyday situation of 'sharing living space,' he deals with the survival strategies of the underprivileged classes (such as squatting, vagrancy and informal settlements) as well as the typical tactics of the wealthy Egyptians; he reveals, for example, what tricks the owners operate both legally and illegally to maximize profits. Other topics of the dissertation include the hurdles in the way to getting married, monastic life, living on Cairo rooftops and the housing of extended families. The numerous injustices highlighted in the book enable us to realise the resentment that has been a significant cause of the Arab Spring.