New Lectures in History (300-0-26)
Topic
Capitalism in the Middle East
Instructors
Onder Akgul
Meeting Info
Harris Hall L06: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
In Capitalism in the Middle East, we will examine the history of capitalism in the Middle East to gain new perspectives on the region's past and present. We will approach capitalism as a distinct historical form of social, ecological, and economic organization, viewing its development in the Middle East as a historical process characterized by various unevenness. Drawing from investigations in Middle Eastern history, this course ultimately leads to an analysis of capitalism as a global system encompassing multiple historical trajectories rather than a singular narrative.
We will engage with theories, approaches, and methodologies in the studies of capitalism, connecting the histories and trajectories of capital(ism) to the everyday lives and labor experiences of diverse economic communities in the Middle East, including traders, bankers, creditors, landowners, industrialists, experts, bureaucrats, peasants, workers, and enslaved individuals. Through close readings of monographs and academic articles, primary sources, excerpts from fictional narratives and autobiographical writings, as well as viewings of films, videos, and documentaries, we will trace the historical arc of capital(ism) across the region. Focusing on case studies from the early Islamic Mediterranean, the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Egypt, and the Gulf, we will analyze the fundamental processes and contingencies upon which the development and expansion of capitalism relied on and reproduced—but not limited to—debt and indebtedness, colonial hierarchies, imperialist competition, dispossession, ecological extraction, and gendered social reproduction in the Middle East. We will explore themes such as the relationship between Islam and capitalism, the role of commodities and credit in connecting the Middle East to the wider world, and the development of commercial, extractive, racial, colonial, industrial, and neoliberal capitalisms throughout history. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the field of a new history of capitalism, develop expertise in the history of capitalism in the Middle East, and hone their skills in producing critical academic knowledge.
Learning Objectives
1. Develop a global perspective on the history of capitalism and the history of the Middle East. 2. Understand the major topics and debates within the field of history of capitalism and Middle East history. 3. Analyze the major processes that have shaped the history of capitalism in the Middle East. 4. Identify, evaluate, and compare historians' different interpretations of the past, i.e. to engage in basic historiographical discussions, thus understanding the discipline of history as an ongoing conversation between sources, scholars, and students. 5. Identify and evaluate primary sources and use them critically as the basis to formulate analytical questions and as evidence to build historical interpretations. 6. Interpret fictional works such as films and novels to address themes in the history of capitalism. 7. Hone traditional skills: reading and writing rigorously, as well as articulating ideas verbally and supporting them with evidence.
Class Notes
History Major Concentration(s): Asia/Middle East, Africa/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Middle East, Economics and Labor, Environment
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Only History majors and minors can currently enroll in this class.