Fitting In/Standing Out: Comparing Majority and Minority Dress Codes among Egyptian Muslims and Christians

Discussions about headscarves in countries with Islamic minorities show the importance of dress (clothing and all other modifications to the body) in relations between majorities and minorities. However, this research programme is not only interested in these obvious cases; it seeks to understand the complete picture. We are interested in both Muslims and Christians, women and men, past and present. The case of Egypt is eminently suitable for this purpose, as here Muslims and Christians have lived side by side for centuries. Moreover, members of both groups now live as minorities in the West. Dress is a signifier of identity; it visually creates distinctions. Therefore it has a function in the formation and negotiation of communal identities. Our main aim is to find out how the relative position of a group within society influences these processes: how and why do people stand out or fit in? Using actual material evidence, four researchers will study Egyptian Christians and Muslims from a comparative and diachronic perspective. For their respective periods they will analyse the dress codes and the way these function in relations between majority and minority. The focus is on the day-to-day reality of dress, and how it relates to such factors as sumptuary laws, foreign influences, or changing contexts. The interdisciplinary nature of this programme will be an important stimulus to the field of dress studies, which often focuses on single conspicuous cases. Also, in relation to the social study of identity, we expect to develop further the theory on majority-minority interaction. Finally, the societal relevance of the study of dress and majority-minority relations is obvious. Our outreach to the public will include an exhibition, two evening events, a weblog, and newspaper articles. The complete picture we aim to show will help people put the debate on headscarves into context.