A review of "Berber Culture on the World Stage: From Village to Video" by Jane E.Goodman

Abstract

Based upon field research amongst the Kabyle "Berber" communities of Algeria and Paris, Goodman's book succeeds elegantly in the daunting task of drawing together a very wide range of materials and experiences in a unified, compelling argument. Berber Culture on the World Stage is centrally concerned with the negotiation of identity through music, dance, lan- guage and other social institutions. This process is shown to operate in various cultural spaces and in several geographical locations simultaneously. For example, whilst ' Amazigh ' lan- guage activists in Tizi Ouzou demand recognition of linguistic rights within an officially "arabist" Algerian state, and others use theatre to challenge the established oligarchy of village councils, so their counterparts (and close relatives) in Paris strive for "progressive" social or- ganizations which are more inclusive of women than traditional structures allow.