Gaza: A Social History under British Colonial Rule, 1917-1948

This book presents the social history of Gaza city during the British colonial period up until 1948, while offering a new and unprecedented interpretation - from a sociological perspective - in studying it. The book analyzes the socio-economic and political structure of the city and its families and inhabitants and explains the mechanisms of making social relevance/prominence through a socio-historic tracking process. The book outlines the city’s modernization processes and the complex relationships between policies of the inhabitants, on one hand, and those of the British colonial powers, on the other hand – while tracing the effects of this complexity on preparation processes, administering spaces and public domains and on architectural shaping and services. The book interprets related economic and social changes, along with urban social changes pertaining to water services, lighting, building of city facilities, transport means, the city’s seaport and airport and train station, in a concentrated effort to examine closely all forms of urban modernization through exposing the city’s economic structures; its professions, industries, markets, imports and trade. As such, the book delves uniquely into daily life details, social and cultural expressions of the city’s inhabitants, civil institutions, social relationships, consumer habits and relationships among families as well as urban formations between the city of Gaza and other Palestinian cities.