Suad Joseph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suad Joseph
Dr. Suad Joseph, University of California, Davis
Born	(1943-09-06) 6 September 1943 (age 81) Lebanon
Alma mater	Columbia University
Notable work	Arab Families Working Group, Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Culture
Scientific career
Institutions	University of California, Davis

Suad Joseph (born September 6, 1943) is a well-known professor and researcher. She is an expert in anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. Dr. Joseph teaches at the University of California, Davis.

She has done a lot of important work focusing on the Middle East, especially her home country, Lebanon. Her research looks at topics like gender, families, children, and how people see themselves and their role as citizens. She has also started many important groups and projects. These include the Arab Families Working Group and the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures. She also helped create the Middle East/South Asia Studies Program at UC Davis.

Early Life and Education

Suad Joseph was born in Lebanon. She was the youngest of seven children. Her parents, who worked hard, taught all their children that school was very important. Even though her mother, Rose Haddad Joseph, could not read or write, she strongly supported her children's education.

Suad grew up in Cortland, New York. She was able to go to college at the local State University of New York, Cortland. After that, she continued her studies in anthropology. She earned her advanced degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and then her doctorate from Columbia University. All of her six brothers and sisters also went on to earn advanced degrees.

Arab Families Working Group

In 2001, Dr. Joseph started the Arab Families Working Group (AFWG). This group brings together sixteen scholars from different countries. They all study families and young people in places like Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt. They also look at how these families live when they move to other countries.

Besides doing research, AFWG helps new scholars learn and grow. They work with non-profit groups to share what they find. They also turn their research into easy-to-read reports for people who make important decisions. This helps improve the lives of Arab families and youth. The group also translates their work into Arabic so that local people can use their findings.

Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures

Dr. Joseph also started and leads the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures (EWIC) project. This huge encyclopedia has six volumes. It was published between 2002 and 2007.

EWIC is a collection of information from many different fields of study. It looks at the lives of Muslim women around the world. It also covers non-Muslim women who live in Islamic societies.

Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association

Dr. Joseph founded the Middle East Research Group in Anthropology. This group later became the Middle East Section (MES) of the American Anthropological Association. MES connects anthropologists who are interested in the people, cultures, and history of the Middle East.

Members of MES come from many countries and study different areas of anthropology. These include social and cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, and archeology. The group aims to help people better understand the Middle East. They also work to create policies that respect the history and different cultures of the region. MES scholars meet every year at the American Anthropological Association conference.

Association for Middle East Women's Studies

Suad Joseph is also the founder of the Association for Middle East Women's Studies (AMEWS). She also helped start the Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. AMEWS is a group for scholars and others interested in women's and gender studies in the Middle East and North Africa. This includes communities of people from these regions living in other parts of the world.

AMEWS organizes and supports conferences and workshops. These events encourage research and teamwork in these important areas. AMEWS works closely with the Middle East Studies Association of North America. The Journal of Middle East Women's Studies (JMEWS) is published three times a year by Indiana University Press.

Middle East/South Asia Studies Program at UC Davis

Dr. Joseph was the first director of the Middle East/South Asia Studies Program (ME/SA) at the University of California, Davis. She led this program from 2004 to 2009. ME/SA was created because many students wanted to learn more about this important part of the world.

The program started as a smaller study area for undergraduate students. In 2006, it received a big grant. This allowed ME/SA to add new classes, including Arabic and Hindi/Urdu languages. They also hosted conferences and workshops. In 2008, ME/SA launched a full undergraduate major. By 2010, it had many faculty members and offered over 80 courses. The program has continued to grow, adding studies in Iranian and Arab cultures. UC Davis is unique as the only University of California campus with both a minor and a major in Middle East/South Asia Studies.

University Consortium Facilitator

In 2011, Dr. Joseph founded a special group of five universities. She helps lead this group, which includes:

• American University of Beirut
• American University in Cairo
• Lebanese American University
• University of California, Davis
• Birzeit University

This group helps scholars from these universities work together on research projects. They have collaborated on studies about water, law, gender, and the environment.

Honors and Awards

Dr. Suad Joseph has received many awards and honors for her important work:

• 1976–78: First President of the Middle East Research Group in Anthropology.
• 1985–87: First President of the Association for Middle East Women's Studies.
• 1994: Distinguished Alumnus Award from the State University of New York, Cortland.
• 1997: Outstanding Mentor Award from the Pro Femina Research Consortium.
• 2003: Lyceum Distinguished Scholar Award from Wichita State University.
• 2003: Sabbagh Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Arizona.
• 2004: Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award from the University of California, Davis.
• 2004: Founding Director of the Middle East/South Asian Studies Program.
• 2009–12: A lecture series at UC Davis was named after her: the Suad Joseph Iranian Studies Lecture Series.
• 2010: Distinguished Lecturer for the Journal of Middle East Women's Studies at UCLA.
• 2010–2011: President of the Middle East Studies Association of North America.
• 2012: Chancellor's Achievement Award for Diversity and Community from the University of California, Davis.
• 2011–13: President of the Arab American Studies Association.
• 2014: UC Davis Prize for excellence in teaching.

Selected Publications

Dr. Joseph has written and edited many books and encyclopedias. Here are some of her important works:

Encyclopedias

• Joseph, Suad, General Ed. 2003-2007. Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures. 6 volumes. Leiden: Brill.
• Joseph, Suad, General Ed. 2010. Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures EWIC Online. Supplement I. Leiden: Brill.

Edited Books

• Joseph, Suad and Barbara L.K. Pillsbury, eds. 1978. Muslim-Christian Conflicts: Economic, Political and Social Origins. Boulder, CO.: Westview Press.
• Joseph, Suad, ed. 1999. Intimate Selving in Arab Families: Gender, Self and Identity. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press.
• Joseph, Suad, ed. 2000. Gender and Citizenship in the Middle East. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press.
• Joseph, Suad and Susan Slyomovics. 2001. Women and Power in the Middle East. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.