New Introductory Courses in History (200-0-24)
Topic
Making of The Middle East
Instructors
Jessica Winegar
847/491-4831
1819 Hinman Ave, #204, EV Campus
Meeting Info
555 Clark B01: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to major issues in the history of the Middle East and North Africa since the nineteenth century, and also an introduction to Middle East studies as a field of study. That is, we will seek to understand how the modern Middle East was "made," as well as how something called "the Middle East" emerged as a geopolitical entity and a conceptual category. Among the topics explored are the history of the idea of the "Middle East" and the multiple meanings of "modernity" in that context; the complex relations between the Middle East and the West; the historical formation of Middle East nation-states, polities, ideologies, identities, and economies; and the dynamic struggles unfolding in the region since the 2011 Arab uprisings. The course will consider the making of these structures, events, and relationships from a range of perspectives, including imaginative ones. Course material will encompass literary, cinematic, historical, and social science materials, as well as both primary documents and secondary scholarly sources.
Learning Objectives
The goals of this course are to assist students (1) to acquire basic knowledge about the modern Middle East and North Africa; (2) to engage in critical analysis and interpretation of a range of sources; (3) to employ scholarly theories and concepts to promote a nuanced understanding of events in the region and debates about those events; and (4) to sharpen an ability to express this new knowledge in writing.
Class Materials (Required)
Books at Norris Bookstore:
James Gelvin, The Modern Middle East: A History 4th Edition (Oxford University Press, 2015).
Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North (NYRB Classics, 2009).
The rest of the readings are on Canvas
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area