The Middle East

Fall 2021

The Middle East: Anthropological Perspectives

Listed in: Anthropology and Sociology, as ANTH-265  |  Asian Languages and Civilizations, as ASLC-266

Moodle site: Course (Login required)

Faculty

Christopher T. Dole (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as ANTH 265 and ASLC 266) This course draws on ethnographic writings, documentary film, and literary accounts to examine the everyday realities of people living in the region commonly referred to as the Middle East. Rather than attempting a survey of the entire region, the course explores a number of important themes in the anthropology of the Middle East. These themes include, among others: gender and sexuality, religious piety, urban space, migration, and political protest. By the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of some of the most pressing issues being faced in the region, and the ways that anthropologists have explored these issues. No previous knowledge of the Middle East or anthropology is assumed.   

Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Professor Dole.

Expectations

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on readings, written work, and independent research. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.

If Overenrolled: Priority given to majors and second and third year students.

Keywords

Transnational or World Cultures Taught in English

Course times and locations

ANTH 265 - L/D

Section 01
Tu 03:00 PM - 04:20 PM CHAP 203
Th 03:00 PM - 04:20 PM CHAP 203

Textbooks

Below are the textbooks used in this course, along with pricing information and availability at local bookstores. The price range shown is based upon queries to multiple online booksellers; click on the the price field to see detailed pricing information.

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN	Title	Publisher	Author(s)	Comment	Book Store	Price
9780226006918	Gendered Paradoxes: Educating Jordanian Women in Nation, Faith, and Progress	University of Chicago Press	Adely, Fida		Amherst Books	From $8.00-$50.66
9780520292499	Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society	University of California Press	Abu-Lughod, Lila		Amherst Books	From $12.99-$46.59
9780520305304	Sacrificial Limbs: Masculinity, Disability, and Political Violence in Turkey	University of California Press	Aciksoz, Salih Can		Amherst Books	From $10.03-$43.92
9780691149806	Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject	Princeton University Press	Mahmood, Saba		Amherst Books	From $17.08-$35.94
9780822357568	Cultivating the Nile: The Everyday Politics of Water in Egypt (New Ecologies for the Twenty-First Century)	Duke University Press Books	Barnes, Jessica		Amherst Books	From $19.59-$36.94
9781503610897	Waste Siege: The Life of Infrastructure in Palestine (Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures)	Stanford University Press	Stamatopoulou-Robbins, Sophia		Amherst Books	From $21.89-$39.49

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2022-23: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023