MAP-UA 511 - Cultures and Contexts: Middle Eastern Societies

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

The popular American picture of the Middle East as a place of violence, veiled women, and oil wealth portrays none of the richness or complexity of most people's lives in the region. How can we make sense of these seemingly unfamiliar societies and think critically about Western images of the unfamiliar? Questions examined in depth include the following: What variety of sources do people in the Middle East draw on to define their sense of who they are-as members of particular households, regions, nations, or religious communities? How do women and men construct their gender identity? In what ways are village, town, and city lives being transformed? Do people of the Middle East experience their region's politics the way it is portrayed in the West? What are some of the causes of political repression, armed struggle, or terror? How did European colonialism reshape the lives of people in the region, and how do they today encounter the cultural and economic power of the United States and Europe? Readings are drawn from history, anthropology, political economy, and the contemporary literature of the region.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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