Joyous events : an ethnography of sociability among pious Shi`i women in Kuwait
(2026) In Culture and Religion- Abstract
This paper explores the sociability among Shi`i women in Kuwait by examining non-mourning rituals such as the Taklif ceremony and the celebrations of Imam births. Using sociability as an analytical framework, the study highlights how these joyous events foster a sense of belonging, social cohesion, and religious devotion, contrasting them with the predominantly studied mourning rituals associated with Muharram. Through detailed ethnographic fieldwork, this research reveals how Kuwaiti Shi`i women navigate their identities within private and public spheres, emphasising communal support and spiritual growth. The analysis challenges prevailing narratives about Muslim women’s passivity and marginalisation, illustrating their active roles in... (More)
This paper explores the sociability among Shi`i women in Kuwait by examining non-mourning rituals such as the Taklif ceremony and the celebrations of Imam births. Using sociability as an analytical framework, the study highlights how these joyous events foster a sense of belonging, social cohesion, and religious devotion, contrasting them with the predominantly studied mourning rituals associated with Muharram. Through detailed ethnographic fieldwork, this research reveals how Kuwaiti Shi`i women navigate their identities within private and public spheres, emphasising communal support and spiritual growth. The analysis challenges prevailing narratives about Muslim women’s passivity and marginalisation, illustrating their active roles in religious and social life. By placing Kuwaiti Shi`i women’s festive practices within wider debates on gender, piety and ritual sociability, the article contributes to the anthropology of Islam and to the study of Shi`i women’s religious worlds beyond mourning.
(Less)
- author
- Al-Hudaid, Nada LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- gender and piety, Imam birth celebrations, Kuwait, Shi`i Women, sociability, taklif ceremony
- in
- Culture and Religion
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105038150409
- ISSN
- 1475-5610
- DOI
- 10.1080/14755610.2026.2664445
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- .
- id
- a636ce05-5f46-42d8-8fdd-35692e22516a
- date added to LUP
- 2026-07-10 12:35:36
- date last changed
- 2026-07-10 12:36:12
@article{a636ce05-5f46-42d8-8fdd-35692e22516a,
abstract = {{<p>This paper explores the sociability among Shi`i women in Kuwait by examining non-mourning rituals such as the Taklif ceremony and the celebrations of Imam births. Using sociability as an analytical framework, the study highlights how these joyous events foster a sense of belonging, social cohesion, and religious devotion, contrasting them with the predominantly studied mourning rituals associated with Muharram. Through detailed ethnographic fieldwork, this research reveals how Kuwaiti Shi`i women navigate their identities within private and public spheres, emphasising communal support and spiritual growth. The analysis challenges prevailing narratives about Muslim women’s passivity and marginalisation, illustrating their active roles in religious and social life. By placing Kuwaiti Shi`i women’s festive practices within wider debates on gender, piety and ritual sociability, the article contributes to the anthropology of Islam and to the study of Shi`i women’s religious worlds beyond mourning.</p>}},
author = {{Al-Hudaid, Nada}},
issn = {{1475-5610}},
keywords = {{gender and piety; Imam birth celebrations; Kuwait; Shi`i Women; sociability; taklif ceremony}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Culture and Religion}},
title = {{Joyous events : an ethnography of sociability among pious Shi`i women in Kuwait}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14755610.2026.2664445}},
doi = {{10.1080/14755610.2026.2664445}},
year = {{2026}},
}