Research into biography has historically focused almost wholly on the lives of people in the wealthier nations of the Global North. This book corrects that with a focus on the biographical histories of people—seen as part of larger groups or collectives, whether religious or political—from the Global South, with a particular focus on Africa and the Middle East. Taking the perspective of biographical research and figurational sociology, the essays gathered here break new ground in the study of biography.

Gabriele Rosenthal is professor of qualitative methodology at the Center for Methods in Social Sciences at Georg-August-University in Goettingen. Artur Bogner was research associate and lecturer at University of Essen, University of Bielefeld, and the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.