History of the Modern Middle East, 1789 - Present (271-3-20)

Instructors

Henri Lauziere
847/467-3654
Harris Hall - Room 333
Lauziere is Associate Professor and specializes in Middle Eastern history and Islamic intellectual history.

Meeting Info

University Hall 102: Mon, Wed, Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

This course introduces students to the major themes of the last two centuries of Middle Eastern history and seeks to promote an understanding of the background to the current conflicts in this important but frequently misunderstood region of the world. Because one can hardly hope to understand recent events without understanding their multiple historical roots, the lectures, readings and discussions aim at rendering intelligible the complex political and social changes that the Middle East experienced in the modern era. The course begins with a study of traditional (mainly Ottoman) institutions; it then traces the forces which weakened those institutions and examines the efforts of Middle Eastern leaders to resist or encourage change. The second half of the course focuses on the period since World War I. It examines the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the significance of secular ideologies such as Arab nationalism and socialism, the successes and failure of the Nasser regime in Egypt, the rise of Islamism, the Iranian revolution, and the Middle East since the end of the Cold War.

Learning Objectives

1) Become familiar with how the societies of the modern Middle East changed over time, and how these changes were cumulative. 2) Identify and go beyond facile explanations for complex historical issues. 3) Develop an ability to read primary sources closely and to extract insights from them, regardless of their tenor. 4) Use primary and secondary sources to make sense of the past and make arguments about historical developments in a coherent and nuanced way. 5) Acquire a historical perspective on current and ongoing events in the Middle East.

Evaluation Method

Midterm exam (20%); short paper (20%); final exam (35%); participation and quizzes (25%).

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Africa/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Middle East

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is restricted to History Majors and Minors only until the end of pre-registration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites (if any)