Hybrid Identities in the Gulf

Catalog description

This is an advanced-level content course in Arabic designed around the reading of Saud Al Sanousi's novel, The Bamboo Stalk. The course conceives of the novel as a lens onto a rich array of social issues in the contemporary Gulf. As students follow the protagonist's attempts to understand his hybrid identity, they explore broader questions of cultural, linguistic, and religious difference in the Gulf's Arab communities. Through a combination of class discussions, collaborative research into historical details, guest lectures, and social media resources, students will have the chance to contextualize the novel's themes and link them to their own experiences. Students are expected to reach advanced-mid proficiency by the end of the term.