Topics in Modern Arabic Language, Literature & Culture

Catalog description

Through an exploration of contemporary Arab cinema, this course will introduce students to issues in modern Arab societies that represent the diversity of the region as well as shared aspirations and challenges. We will explore how Arab filmmakers represent social, political, and economic changes and realities. We will analyze select movies, including their cultural and historical background, as well as relevant written and audiovisual materials from different media sources and literary texts (as appropriate). Some topics include nationalism and national identity(s), women's issues, diversity in the region, religious and political strife, social and economic challenges, and the recent revolts. This course also aims to advance students' competence in the Arabic language while considering the changing sociolinguistic and sociocultural landscape in the Arab world. In our work with course materials, we will employ linguistic and paralinguistic analyses of the movies as a means to explore modern Arab thought and cultures.