Course Description, Objectives, and Requirements
Weekly Lectures
Days: TBA
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Course Description
This lecture course provides a general introduction to the making of the modern Middle East. It draws on multiple types of historical research and writing—political, social, and cultural—to identify the processes and practices that were central to the production of the Middle East as both a lived reality as well as an object of inquiry. In doing so, the lectures, readings, and assignments are designed to alternate our historical perspective between examining the macro- and attending to the micro-levels of analysis in considering the processes and practices that were central to the stories we will be covering.
Rooted in a global and regional comparative historical perspective, the course is structured to offer three simultaneous lines of inquiry: (1) What are the major historical processes that facilitated the making of the modern Middle East; (2) What are the ways in which various states and communities can be grouped together and/or separated when discussing this history; (3) In what sense is the Middle East exceptional and non-exceptional vis-à-vis world history?
Course Objectives
Course Requirements
This course is designed as an introductory undergraduate survey, which means that students’ success and that of the course will depend on their individual and collective commitment to the following:
Undergraduate Students: Undergraduate students enrolled in this course are expected to complete all required readings each week.
Graduate Students: Graduate students interested in enrolling in this course at the graduate level need to register for History 5371. Graduate students will be required to fulfill the above-listed requirements, with three modifications.
Extra Credit: Being at an institution such as Ohio University presents students with the opportunity to attend a variety of events that serve to supplement the in-class educational experience. As such, I will be offering the opportunity to earn extra credit toward your final course grade by attending a select number of pre-identified events during the semester. Credit for attending such events is earned only upon the submission of a one-page synopsis of the event indicating: (1) the logistics and nature of the event; (2) a summary of the information presented; (3) a reflection on the student's sense of the event in terms of value added, interest level, and such matters. Additional information on which events qualify for extra credit and what precisely the one-page synopsis should address will be forthcoming as the semester commences. Student must attend at least two events and write synopses for each of them in order to earn extra credit, which will be reflected in the student's overall course grade.
Academic Integrity: In satisfying the above requirements, all students are expected to follow the University’s code of academic integrity. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are unclear on what academic integrity means or have questions about a particular issue.
Services for Students with Difference: If you have a temporary or long-term learning, psychological, or physical disability for which you are or may be requesting reasonable academic adjustments, you are encouraged to privately alert me as soon as possible so we can make all appropriate arrangements. Students requesting accommodation based on the impact of a disability must provide written documentation from the Office of Student Accessibility Services. If the student has not yet registered with the Office of Student Accessibility Services, they are encouraged to do as soon as possible.
Days: TBA
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Course Description
This lecture course provides a general introduction to the making of the modern Middle East. It draws on multiple types of historical research and writing—political, social, and cultural—to identify the processes and practices that were central to the production of the Middle East as both a lived reality as well as an object of inquiry. In doing so, the lectures, readings, and assignments are designed to alternate our historical perspective between examining the macro- and attending to the micro-levels of analysis in considering the processes and practices that were central to the stories we will be covering.
Rooted in a global and regional comparative historical perspective, the course is structured to offer three simultaneous lines of inquiry: (1) What are the major historical processes that facilitated the making of the modern Middle East; (2) What are the ways in which various states and communities can be grouped together and/or separated when discussing this history; (3) In what sense is the Middle East exceptional and non-exceptional vis-à-vis world history?
Course Objectives
- Comprehend historical narratives, historiographical debates, and historical methodologies in the study of the modern Middle East.
- Understand the macro-level chronology of modern Middle East history.
- Identify major figures, events, and processes that defined each historical period.
- Obtain a basic command of the political and economic geography of the region.
- Develop elements of critical knowledge consumption, including reading notes, discussion design, academic research, as well as oral and written presentations.
Course Requirements
This course is designed as an introductory undergraduate survey, which means that students’ success and that of the course will depend on their individual and collective commitment to the following:
- Attendance (5%): Students are expected to attend lectures, where attendance will be taken. More than four unexcused absences will result in an automatic zero in both your attendance and discussion grades. If you need to miss class, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor ahead of time and explain the reason for your absence. If an emergency occurred and you could not make it to class, it is your responsibility to communicate with the instructor in a timely fashion to explain your absence. Merely communicating with the instructor does not qualify as an excused absence.
- Active Participation (10%): Students are required to actively participate in class so as to collectively grapple with some of the more complex and pertinent issues related to course material. A discussion grade is by its nature subjective. However, active participation can be demonstrated by responding to the professor's in-class prompts, asking substantive questions of the professor or other students, and reflecting on the content or nature of an ongoing in-class discussion or lecture.
- Content Test (15%): Students are expected to submit an in-class content test exam on Monday September 3 (Week 3). This content test will deal with the non-modern period the MENA region (600-1800 AD), covering all material covered in lectures, readings, and discussions prior to the content test. It will also include a map quiz component whereby students will have to identify the major geographic areas of the Middle East and North Africa.
- Midterm Exam (20%): Students are expected to submit an in-class midterm exam on Monday October 14 (Week 8). This exam will deal with the Long Nineteenth Century (1800-1914), covering all material covered in lectures, readings, and discussions since the first midterm exam. Students are thus encouraged to attend all class meetings, complete all reading assignments, and take notes accordingly.
- Midterm Map Quiz (10%): Students are expected to submit an in-class map quiz on Wednesday October 16 (Week 8). This map quiz will deal with all states of the contemporary Middle East and North Africa region. Students must be able to label countries on a map and list the capital cities of each state.
- Paper (20%): Students are expected to submit a five-page paper at the beginning of class during the thirteenth week of the term. This paper will deal with the assigned novel. Successful completion of this assignment will be based on a close reading of the required novel and connecting it to issues and themes covered in course lectures and weekly reading assignments. No outside readings will be required or allowed for this paper. A detailed prompt as well as writing guidelines will be provided during Week 6, providing student with ample time to raise questions about the prompt, schedule meetings to discuss the novel, and/or submit drafts of the paper for feedback.
- Final Exam (20%): Students are required to sit for and pass a final exam on Wednesday December 11 in order to complete all course requirements. The exam will be cumulative and will take place according to the Registrar’s final examination schedule. The exam will be comprised of two parts: identification terms and short essay questions.
Undergraduate Students: Undergraduate students enrolled in this course are expected to complete all required readings each week.
Graduate Students: Graduate students interested in enrolling in this course at the graduate level need to register for History 5371. Graduate students will be required to fulfill the above-listed requirements, with three modifications.
- First, graduate students will be expected to only complete the readings designated as "Graduate Student Readings." These assignments will usually consist of a single book assigned for the week that provide an in-depth case-study of what the lectures that week will be addressing. In cases where more than one book is listed under graduate student readings, students are to select one of the books based on their own interests.
- Second, instead of the content test, midterm exam, and novel-based paper, graduate students will be expected to submit a weekly reading response (800-1000 words). The reading responses should address the graduate student readings of the week, with a particular emphasis on providing a synopsis of the book thesis, the logic of its argument, theoretical framework, methodological approach, and its source base. Reading responses will be due at the start of class on Wednesday of every week (beginning WK2) unless otherwise announced.
- Third, graduate students will meet separately as a group with the course instructor at least four times during the semester for a discussion of the readings covered.
- Fourth, the final examination requirement will be substituted with a 15-page final paper synthesizing the graduate student readings of the term in relation to one another and the weekly topics covered. Additional instructions will be provided during the term.
Extra Credit: Being at an institution such as Ohio University presents students with the opportunity to attend a variety of events that serve to supplement the in-class educational experience. As such, I will be offering the opportunity to earn extra credit toward your final course grade by attending a select number of pre-identified events during the semester. Credit for attending such events is earned only upon the submission of a one-page synopsis of the event indicating: (1) the logistics and nature of the event; (2) a summary of the information presented; (3) a reflection on the student's sense of the event in terms of value added, interest level, and such matters. Additional information on which events qualify for extra credit and what precisely the one-page synopsis should address will be forthcoming as the semester commences. Student must attend at least two events and write synopses for each of them in order to earn extra credit, which will be reflected in the student's overall course grade.
Academic Integrity: In satisfying the above requirements, all students are expected to follow the University’s code of academic integrity. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are unclear on what academic integrity means or have questions about a particular issue.
Services for Students with Difference: If you have a temporary or long-term learning, psychological, or physical disability for which you are or may be requesting reasonable academic adjustments, you are encouraged to privately alert me as soon as possible so we can make all appropriate arrangements. Students requesting accommodation based on the impact of a disability must provide written documentation from the Office of Student Accessibility Services. If the student has not yet registered with the Office of Student Accessibility Services, they are encouraged to do as soon as possible.