Society and Culture in Palestine/Israel

Catalog description

The course provides students with basic knowledge on major topics in Palestinian and Israeli societies and cultures with a thematic analysis of these topics. It examines the encounter between Palestinians and Israelis from a perspective that questions our ability to understand them separately and it emphasizes interdependency between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and internal tension within Palestinian and Israeli societies. Some of the major themes under discussion are: the place of religion in defining national identities and boundaries, intra-ethnic divides, competing discourses of citizenship, the fragile status of Palestinian citizens and non-citizens under the Israeli control system, struggles over collective memory, and the place of gender and sexuality in the conflict. The course emphasizes the intersection of politics and culture, demonstrating the political relevance of cultural fields such as music, cinema, and sports.