PÅ TVÆRS I EN POLARISERET VERDEN

Resumé

Susanne Nour: Cutting across a Polarised

World

The article focusses on the experiences of a

young Egyptian woman from one of the socalled

“old” families. It deals with her

difficulties situating herself in Egypt. The

present polarisation of Western and Islamic

values makes it very difficult for her to

formulate a national identity in correspondence

with the hegemonic identity discourse

in Egypt today. On the basis of interviews

made during fieldwork in Cairo, the article

argues for distinetion between two different

constructions of Egyptian national identity

and discuss how they are conneceted with

different social groups, with particular

family backgrounds, as well as with

different interpretations of islam.