Oman, Culture and Diplomacy - by Jeremy Jones & Nicholas Ridout (Paperback)

About the Book

This book is a cultural history, offering an historical account of the formation of a distinctive Omani culture; arguing that it is in this unique culture that a specific conception and practice of diplomacy has been developed.

Book Synopsis

From colonial narratives and Cold War calculations to Iranian-US relations and the Middle East peace process, Oman has played an essential role in global diplomacy and international relations. For Oman, the idea of diplomacy refers not only to the country's interactions in the global community, but also to how Omani life itself is shaped by principles and practices of social and political engagement that are essentially diplomatic. Drawing on key research into Omani religious and social traditions, and ethnographic studies into Omani language and customs, this is the first book to connect Oman's international relations to its history, culture and social organisation.

From the Back Cover

A comprehensive study of Oman presenting a portrait of a nation through its diplomacy For Oman, the idea of diplomacy refers not only to the country's interactions in the global community, but also to the way in which Omani life itself is shaped by principles and practices of social and political engagement that are essentially diplomatic. Such principles are grounded in ideals of tact and tolerance that have developed over a long historical period. This is therefore a cultural history: an historical account of the formation of a distinctive Omani culture. It argues that this culture is where Oman's contemporary foreign policy has been nurtured, and that it is in this culture that a specific conception and practice of diplomacy has been developed. Key Features *The most comprehensive history in English of Oman's international relations *Draws upon key research into Omani religious and social traditions, and ethnographic studies of language and social customs. *Provides a perspective which places Oman at its centre, rather than as a background actor in broader colonial narratives, Cold War calculations or global concerns over the relationship between Islam and the West *Presents an account of Oman's contemporary behind-the-scenes role in relation to Iranian US relations, and the Middle East peace process *The first book to connect Oman's international relations with considerations of Omani history, culture and social organisation Jeremy Jones recently spent 3 years as a Research Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and is currently a Senior Research Associate at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. His association with Oman dates back to the late 1970s, when he worked as a consultant on a range of public sector and development projects. Nicholas Ridout is Reader in Theatre and Performance Studies at Queen Mary University of London. He has worked for over twenty years, with Jeremy Jones, on research projects in Oman

Review Quotes

I can well appreciate Jones' and Ridout's achievement: as a tour de force, opening up for literary consumption, the richness of both Omani history and its culture of politeness and tact, both assuring an amazingly quiet stability in a crucial area.-- "Muslim World Book Review"

This is a fascinating book, investigating relatively new ground by linking a nation's culture to its diplomacy... The authors provide by far the best account I have ever read of Ibadhism and how its tolerance fits into Omani culture and helps shape the Omani approach to foreign policy. Their explication of Omani culture is brilliant... The brilliance of this book lies in its linking of culture to the conduct of foreign policy.-- "Middle East Policy"

About the Author

Jeremy Jones runs a consultancy based in Oxford, UK. He is also Senior Associate Member of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, UK. He has worked on Oman since the late 1970s. His previous book Negotiating Change: New Politics in the Middle East, (I.B.Tauris 2007), shows some prescience against the background of the Arab spring.

Nicholas Ridout has worked with Jeremy Jones in London and New York as a researcher, writer, and policy analyst since 1989. He is also Reader in Theatre and Performance Studies at Queen Mary University of London, and has published extensively in and beyond this field