Special Topics in the Humanities (370-4-23)
Topic
What is Antisemitism?
Instructors
David Shyovitz
847/467-1967
Harris Hall - Room 314
Meeting Info
University Library 4770: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
In modern political discourse, "anti-Semitism" is frequently invoked and infrequently defined. The imprecision with which the term is deployed leads to broad disagreements about the nature and scope of the phenomenon: Is it anti-Semitic to call a Jewish person a pig? To advocate for boycotts against the State of Israel? To work to criminalize infant circumcision, or kosher slaughter? To accuse George Soros of bankrolling BLM protests, or of conspiring to "steal" the presidential election? What kinds of critiques of Jews or of Judaism are fair game, and which cross the line into hate speech, or foment violence? More broadly, is anti-Semitism a form of racism? Of xenophobia? Of anti-religious animus, akin to Islamophobia? Is it a conspiracy theory? Does anti-Semitism assume that Jews constitute a religion? A nationality? An ethnicity? A "race"?
One reason these questions are so hotly contested is because they are usually discussed ahistorically, in isolation from the extensive academic scholarship on the origins and development of anti-Semitism—both the actual phenomenon and the descriptive term itself. This course traces the historical trajectory of anti-Jewish rhetoric, violence, and discrimination from antiquity through the present. We will pay particular attention to the analytical concepts that historians have developed and deployed—including, but not limited to anti-Semitism, antisemitism, anti-Judaism, and Judeophobia. Rather than seeking to isolate an overarching definition of what is and is not anti-Semitic, we will explore the specific contexts in which anti-Jewish animus and violence developed, and the constantly evolving role "Jews" (as individuals and as a category) have played at key historical junctures.
Learning Objectives
Understanding the history and historiography of "anti-Semitism;" comparing the diverse methods historians have used to make sense of anti-Jewish animus and violence.
Evaluation Method
Papers, final presentation
Class Materials (Required)
Readings will be available in PDF format via Canvas.
Class Notes
History Area of Concentration: Americas, European, Asia/Middle East
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area