The Middle East
Overview
Three Intercultural Concentrations provide coherent interdisciplinary
structures through which students can explore issues of cultural diversity
and global interdependence focused on a specific region of the world:
Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
A required seminar for each concentration integrates the study of
societies in these regions with an exploration of U.S. ethnic groups whose
cultural origins lie outside the borders of the United States.
Concentrators also examine the economic, political, and cultural
connections between these regions and the West.
"The Middle East" concentration provides students with the opportunity for
systematic analysis of the Middle East, a region marked by its great
diversity of societies and beliefs. Students also explore the economic,
social, religious, and political aspects of the region.
General Education Credit
Courses that fulfill General Education requirements are listed in the Class and
Lab Schedule.
Off-Campus Courses
Students participating in the Middle East Semester, Global Semester, or
other relevant off-campus programs are urged to contact the concentration
coordinator before their departure to certify that the courses they pursue
will count for the concentration.
Requirements for the Concentration
The concentration consists of a minimum of five approved courses. Two of
these courses are required; the remaining three courses are selected in
consultation with the coordinator of the concentration. Students planning
to participate in off-campus term in the Middle East must meet with the
coordinator before their departure. Indeed, they are encouraged to take an
on-campus course before the trip in order to benefit more fully
from their overseas experience.
Courses
Required Courses
-
Intercultural 269:
Islamic Civilization (Also History 269)
- Through a survey of the main political, social, and economic
institutions of the classical Arab and Ottoman periods, students will gain
an understanding of how notions of politics and society are shaped. Issues
covered include: the practice of the faith, Islamic law, the structure of
family and society and the Arab, Persian and Turkish legacies.
-
History 270: Modern Middle East
- This survey of the Modern Middle East from 1800 to the present will
emphasize the changing nature of political and social institutions. Topics
include: the impact of the West, creation of the nation-state system,
current conflicts in the region, and the impact of radical Islam.
Elective Courses
The three elective courses must represent at least two different
disciplines. Elective courses must have a significant component which is
relevant to the focus of the concentration. For some electives, students
may be required to negotiate specific assignments with the instructor and
the concentration coordinator. Other courses not identified in this list
may also be acceptable, depending on the relevance of their content to the
concentration.
- History 127:
- Radical Islam
- History 126:
- Myth and Reality in the 20th Century Middle East
- History 234:
- Europe and the Muslim World in the Mediterranean
- History 370:
- British Imperialism
- Political Science 254:
- Politics of the Middle East (subject to staffing)
- Political Science 377:
- Islam and Politics (subject to staffing)
- Religion 379:
- Islam
- Sociology/Anthropology 236:
- Continuity and Change in the Arab World
Faculty
Michel Le Gall (Coordinator)
Associate Professor of History, 1985-
Stephen Blake
Associate Professor of History, 1986-
Samiha Sidhom Peterson
Professor of Sociology/Anthropology, 1972-