Encountering the Middle East

Catalog description

This course introduces students to various regions in the Middle East and some of the components of selected civilizations in this region as they have evolved historically and persist in the modern world. Topics might include monotheistic religions, the Ottoman Empire, Islamic culture, creation of the modern system of states after the First World War, the place of women in Middle Eastern societies, urban and rural cultures, the political and economic consequences of water scarcity and oil wealth.