The father-son relationship is the most important male relationship. Owing to the concept of privacy that surrounds family life in Arab societies, it has been shrouded in silence. Drawing on insights from psychology, sociology, anthropology, religion, history, and literature, Dalya Cohen-Mor unravels the mysteries of this relationship in Arab families. She argues that Arab men are both the beneficiaries and victims of the prevailing patriarchal system and that many male privileges and key components of the traditional code of masculinity warp Arab men and society. The author draws on recent events in the Middle East, especially the Arab uprisings of 2011, to illustrate the young generation's desire for freedom from all forms of oppression, whether paternal authority, the patriarchal family, or an autocratic regime. A groundbreaking work, Fathers and Sons in the Arab Middle East is essential reading for students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences and for all those interested in the Arab Middle East.

Drawing on insights from psychology, sociology, anthropology, religion, history, and literature, this book examines early and contemporary writings of male authors from across the Arab world to explore the traditional and evolving nature of father-son relationships in Arab families.