Modern Middle East.

Catalog description

How do Palestinians and Israelis conceptualize the ideal polity? How do Muslims understand the roles of women and men? How are historical experiences related to the collective memory of a community, and how does memory shape contemporary social life in the Middle East? How are local histories, societies, and cultures related to global processes of politics, economics, and culture? How do modern Middle Eastern peoples see their own identities and how and why do these conceptions differ from Western discourses about the region? This course is an introduction to thinking critically about these and related questions. Readings are drawn from various areas, that include history, anthropology, and literature. Middle Eastern experiences are also surveyed through other media, such as film. Students are encouraged to think critically about and beyond both popular Western images of the Middle East and supposed boundaries between nations and civilizations. Particular emphasis is given to the interconnections – political, cultural, etc. – between East and West, South and North. Sophomore standing.