Core Culture:  Middle East

This course is a multi-disciplinary introduction both to the region conventionally referred to as the Middle East, and also to the academic discipline of Middle Eastern Studies.  In other words, it is as much a study of the people, region, religion, history, and culture of the region as it is about the politics of studying that region.   One of the presuppositions that I have in this course is that a careful, rigorous, and critical study of cultural studies can help one understand one's own assumptions, presuppositions, etc.  

This course is far more rigorous than many of the core culture courses.  That is reflected in both the quantity and the level of the assigned readings.  Furthermore, the entire method of evaluation is based on a communal discussion of the readings.  In short, your performance in this course will depend on completing the readings, and being prepared to discuss and analyze them verbally in class.   The requirements are spelled out below the syllabus.

Required texts:

Maaolouf, Crusades Through Arab Eyes

Menocal, Ornament of the World

Edward Said Reader

Mottahedeh, Mantle of the Prophet

Qureshi and Sells, The New Crusades

Asad, Road to Mecca [fons vitae]

Saadi, The Rose Garden [tractus edition]

Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam

January 17-       M      First Day: Special schedule for 20 minute meetings for all classes.  

January 18        T          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 1-67.

January 20        R          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 1-101

January 25        T          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 102-168

January 27        R          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 169-248
         
          

February 1        T          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, xi-100

Map assignment assigned.  Due February 8th, Tuesday.

February 3        R          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, 101-200

February 8        T          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, 201-198

 Map exercise due today in class. 

February 10      R          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 68-182

February 15      T          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 183-281

February 17      R          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 282-375

February 22      T          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 1-81.

February 24      R          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 82-200.

March 1            T          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 200-266.

March 3            R          Gulistan of Sa'di, The Rose Garden, 1-127

March 8            T          Gulistan of Sa'di, The Rose Garden, 128-227

March 10          R          finish up discussion of Rose Garden, watch documentary:  Islam: Empire of Faith (section on Crusades, Baghdad)

March 12-20                Mid Term Recess

March 22          T          Roy Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet, pp. 1-185

March 24          R          Roy Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet, pp. 186-285

March 29          T          Roy Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet, pp. 286--399.

March 31          R          “The Palestinian Experience” and “Orientalism” in The Edward Said Reader

                                    Film in class:  Orientalism with Edward Said (20 minutes)

April 5              T          “Zionism from the Standpoint of its Victims”, “Permission to Narrate”, “Interiors”, and “Islam as News”
                                        in The Edward Said Reader   

April 7              R          “Secular Criticism, “Jane Austen and Empire”, “Intellectual Exile”, “The Middle East Peace Process”, and “an Interview with Edward Said” in The Edward Said Reader

April 12            T          Rise of Nationalism into the Middle East:  lecture by Noor Khan.  Readings TBA
                                    Lisa Anderson, Scholarship, Policy, Debate and Conflict: Why We Study the Middle East and Why It Matters (2003 MESA Presidential Address) 

April 14            R          Colonialism, post-colonialism in the Middle East:  Lecture by Noor, Readings TBA

                                    1.  Chris Hedges (Colgate grad, NY Times), "A Gaza Diary", [read all 14 pages] IF that link is broken, try alternate Chris Hedges site.

                                                2.  Laurie A. Brand, Scholarship in the Shadow of Empire, (2004 MESA Presidential Address) 
 

April 19            T          Bernard Lewis, “Roots of Muslim Rage”, First try this link:  If that doesn't work, try this one:

                                                Bernard Lewis, “What Went Wrong?”

                                    Samuel Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations?”

April 21            R          Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, 1-51, 68-131.

April 26            T          Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, 131-249;

April 28            R          Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, browse 250-388, questions you always wanted to ask.... 

 Grade to be based on:

This is not a class for passive listeners.

Almost every day we will be analyzing and discussing the readings and web pages. Our aim is to decipher their rhetoric, and understand their argument vis-à-vis other positions.

It will be impossible for you to participate in the discussions if you have not done the readings before coming to class. This will hurt your class participation grade.

The assignments are due on the days which have been identified, and turning them in late will lead to a deduction in your grade.

Breakdown of Grades:

"Talking points"/Discussion board plus in-class ACTIVE discussion 20%

Map exercise 5%

Midterm: 35%

Final exam 40%

A note on "Talking points" and Class participation:

This course can only be successful if we have daily, active discussions. That will only happen if you have spent time before coming to class pondering over the readings. To aid you in this, you are asked to bring a focused "talking point" (one single spaced page) to every class. A talking point is a form of dialogue between you and the readings: that is to say, reflections and queries you are prepared to share with a classmate and/or with the instructor. Your daily "talking points" will play a considerable role in shaping the day's discussion. Every talking point must contain 2-3 written questions to be asked in class. The talking points, which will be first exchanged with your colleagues and then gathered by me, count for 20% of your final grade.

I leave it up to you to decide how you will engage the text in your talking point:

*reflect on an idea you found interesting or intriguing in the readings,
*discuss who the various readings complement or differ from one another,
*explore the implications of a particular idea,
*compare to another work we've studied,
*trace how the work speaks to a theme we encountered earlier.

Here are the standards for each grade:

A
Superb, Excellent. An ability to offer original and insightful analysis of the facts.

B
Solid Work. The facts have been grasped, and significant moves have been made to interpret the material in an analytical fashion.

C
The student has made a reasonable attempt to attend the class, and has a fair grasp of the factual material presented. The analysis of these facts, and an attempt to contribute towards an original interpretation, however, is severely missing.

D
A simplistic familiarity with the subject mater can be gleamed through the assignments which have been turned in.

F
A disappointment—no attempt being shown on the behalf of the student to engage the material, to respect the parameters of the class and its schedule, or the turning in of assignment.