Abstract
This thesis demonstrates that The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a novel configuration of neo-liberal restructuring through which we can understand new trends in food consumption and new Egyptian understandings of cosmopolitanism. This study is based on anthropological fieldwork carried out predominantly on AUC's campus as well as in greater Cairo where ethnographic data was collected through interviews and participant observation. Based on the research conducted, it was found that the Egyptian government and private corporations are modernizing Cairo's cityscape in accordance with neoliberal and high modernist ideologies through promoting the construction of new social spaces which cater to emerging elite classes in Egypt. Next, the thesis argues that AUC's administration and Delicious Inc., the company chosen to provide food services on campus, are reinforcing emerging food consumption habits and participation in a global lifestyle while perpetuating social inequalities between the different social groups that study and work on the new campus. Lastly, the study argues that the corporate project is largely successful, since corporations know (a) how to discipline people to consume certain products and (b) how to modify their offerings to facilitate the kinds of foods students consume.
Degree Name
MA in Sociology-Anthropology
Graduation Date
6-1-2011
Submission Date
March 2011
First Advisor
Hill, Joseph
Second Advisor
Fahmi, Kamal
Extent
NA
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Library of Congress Subject Heading 1
American University in Cairo.
Library of Congress Subject Heading 2
Universities and colleges -- Egypt.
Rights
The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Not necessary for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Munz, R.
(2011).Constructing desire(s) and consuming taste(s) among Egypt's elite: an ethnongraphic study of The American University in Cairo's new campus [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1124
MLA Citation
Munz, Rebecca. Constructing desire(s) and consuming taste(s) among Egypt's elite: an ethnongraphic study of The American University in Cairo's new campus. 2011. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1124