The Ethical Soundscape

By Charles Hirschkind,

Book cover of The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics

Book description

Charles Hirschkind's unique study explores how a popular Islamic media form--the cassette sermon--has profoundly transformed the political geography of the Middle East over the last three decades. An essential aspect of what is now called the Islamic Revival, the cassette sermon has become omnipresent in most Middle Eastern cities, punctuating…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Ethical Soundscape as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Cassette tapes of Muslim sermons played by taxi drivers in Cairo set the stage for this profound investigation of the intersection of sound, spiritualism, and technology. The tapes, Hirschkind argues, are not mechanisms for social control as much as jumping-off points for Muslims to find their way towards ethical self-improvement. 

From Alejandra's list on sound and why you should care about it.

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