MES 101Intro to the Middle East

Catalog

This course offers a multidisciplinary introduction to the Middle East. It provides an overview of the region's rich cultural, political, socio-economic, and geographical landscapes, while foregrounding its complex history - from local and global perspectives - and the diversity of its peoples, and their histories, religions, and literatures. Given the Middle East's bicontinental expansion across Africa and Asia and its immense linguistic and societal diversity, the course does not aim to offer a comprehensive survey. Instead, through a range of thematic and disciplinary approaches, students will gain critical tools to better understand the region's past and present, engage thoughtfully with contemporary issues, and challenge prevailing stereotypes that often distort perceptions of the Middle East and its populations.