What is this course about?

This course is a survey of the history and civilization of the Middle East in the Modern era, from about 1600 AD/CE to the present.  We will overview the early history of the region, which includes the origin and spread of Islam.  We will cover pre-modern empires, their collapse and the impact of Western powers over the Middle Eastern region, nationalism, the Arab / Palestinian conflict and other modern issues. 

How will it be taught?

This specific course is taught from an academic approach live in the class room! We will primarily take an historical approach to learning in this class, but we will also include an interdisciplinary approach; (the arts, cultural studies, religious studies, anthropology, etc.).  The class will be taught in a seminar format, supplemented with videos/DVDs, music, graphics, maps, readings and lots of lively discussions!

What is required for the course?

Attend class, assigned readings, reflection papers, class discussions, a presentation, a Midterm Exam and a Final Exam. There is also one major semester Special Project / Paper assignment which allows you many choices.

TEXTBOOK:

A History of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edition, by William Cleveland, Westview Press, 2004 (recommend purchasing it from amazon.com!!)

For more answers to your questions about the course, please email Ms. Adelia!