Course Syllabus

The Middle East has been a cultural and political “hot spot” for centuries, particularly the most recent. The wealth of culture on one hand and the amount of conflict on the other has dramatically increased the interest of scholars, academics, politicians, and regular citizens in the region. Understanding the discourses around the Middle East has become an imperative.

This two-unit course focuses on the study of the Middle East using historical exploration of the cultural, political and geopolitical realities of the region. This historical exploration will use three major thematic perspectives: ethno-nationality (Persians, Arabs, Turks, Israelis); religion (Islam, Christianity, Judaism); and geopolitics (anthropology, sociology, etc.) to explain the complexity of the conflicts in the Middle East.

The course is designed for students seeking to gain greater understanding of the cultural and political structures that have shaped current realities and conflicts in the Middle East.