ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the genealogy of the notion of culture, the meanings attached to it as well as its main referents. The 1962 Tripoli Program, a political foundational text of the new Algerian republic, called for the development of a scientific and national culture, which would address distorted Islamic practices and gender inequality. By 2019, the postcolonial state defined culture as synonymous with “national” Islam in which women’s citizenship rights are infringed.
