Reforming the family: Discourse and practices among Algerian ulama in the 20th century

This paper compares demographic data about Algerian families in the first half of the 20th century and normative messages spread by Algerian reformist ulama. The biographies of the leaders of the Algerian Association of Muslim Ulama (AOMA) illustrate the changes in families and intergenerational relationships in Algeria, during the period of demographic transformation and intellectual flourishing of the Interwar period. Among these transformations, women’s place in society sparked debate within the AOMA until the 1950s, revealing the diversity of practices and messages of Algerian ulama.