In Yemen, “tribe” is a historically rooted, emic concept of social representation. Rooted in remotest antiquity, over the last centuries the concept of tribe in Yemen has undergone transformations, but also featured aspects of continuity. Today, with the emergence of massive political change, the eruption of popular uprisings, armed conflicts, external military intervention and the associated weakness of the state, tribalism seems to be gaining in importance once again, filling the void created by a retreating state. This collective volume explores the longevity and diversity of manifestations of tribalism in present-day Yemen. It aims at updating and rethinking research on tribes and tribalism in Yemen and providing new input for the discussion of tribalism in contemporary Middle East.
