College Seminar (101-7-1)

Topic

Daily Life in Israel/Palestine

Instructors

Maayan Hilel
Crowe Hall, 5-155
Office Hours: W 5:00 – 6:00
Dr. Maayan Hilel is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Jewish & Israel Studies, and Assistant Director of the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. She is a historian of the modern Middle East specializing in the cultural and social history of Palestine / the Land of Israel.

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-319: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

This course introduces students to the History of Everyday Life, a methodological approach that shifts attention from elites, institutions, and major political events to the daily practices, routines, and social spaces of ordinary people. Applying this lens to Israel/Palestine offers distinctive insights into a region typically understood through conflict-centered narratives. By attending to the daily, the habitual, and the seemingly mundane, this course explores how Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others experienced work, family, religion, fashion, food, leisure, consumption, and sexuality, and how their daily choices and experiences shaped broader social, cultural, and political developments. Through primary sources, ethnographic accounts, visual materials, and scholarly readings, students will investigate how everyday life both reflected and shaped social change and cultural creativity in Palestine and Israel from the late Ottoman period to the present. As a first-year seminar, this course will also guide students through their transition to Northwestern, helping them navigate available resources and develop essential studying skills that will set them up for success in the Humanities and beyond.

Registration Requirements

None.

Learning Objectives

This course is both an exploration of an important topic and a forum for you to hone the skills and habits of mind you'll need to succeed at Northwestern. Some of those, e.g., analyzing evidence, identifying and evaluating arguments, and presenting ideas orally and in writing, may be fairly obvious. As Important, however, we'll also spend time discussing how to navigate this very complicated place and how to keep your balance when things get tough, which they will!

Evaluation Method

Attendance/Class Participation (including transition assignments): 25%
Discussion posts (3 in total): 15%
Midterm Essay (analysis of peer-reviewed article): 20%
Final Project (Presentation and final paper): 40%

Class Materials (Required)

Materials will be provided by instructor.

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required