The Minority Condition

The Minority Condition Synopsis

In the past decade, British and broader European political discourses have involved a range of debates drawing attention to the discrimination of minoritized groups, as well as to the historical circumstances that had led to its emergence. Some of these analyses involved a strong comparative dimension which sought to differentiate between groups, often in a hierarchical way. Many focused on the allegedly radically differing experiences of Jews and Muslims as two key historical 'others' of Christian Europe.

How have comparative conceptualizations of Jewish and Muslim populations been received by Jewish and Muslim British citizens? In what ways are such understandings congruent with a commitment to solidarity in interfaith work? Building on ten years of ethnographic research into Jewish-Muslim dialogue in the UK, anthropologist Yulia Egorova explores these questions in The Minority Condition.

Informed through the prism of her interlocutors' accounts, Egorova's analysis highlights a particular mode of theorizing the minority condition that combines relationality with a nuanced understanding of collective histories. Exploring solidarity networks between Jewish and Muslim communities in the UK, this book puts forth a unique perspective on intersectionality - a necessary salve to counter the divisions of contemporary society.