Introduction to the Middle East: Adjustment and Change in Modern Times Spring 2011 Tuesdays & Thursdays: 2:00-3:30 - UTC 4.10
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Introduction to the Middle East: Adjustment and Change in Modern Times Spring 2011 Tuesdays & Thursdays: 2:00-3:30 - UTC 4.10 Professor: Brian Mann TA: Anthony Joyce Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Office: TBD Office: TBD Office Hours: Tu: 10:30am-1pm & by appt. Office Hours: TBD Course Description This course is a survey of the history of the Middle East from roughly 1798 C.E. to the present day. Throughout the semester, we will study the political, socio-economic, religious, and cultural transformations the region experienced during the ages of imperialism, global war, decolonization, and the Cold War. The course is organized chronologically; however, we will also focus our attention on specific themes and issues (such as orientalism, imperialism, nationalism, decolonization, oil politics, and the rise of modernist and revivalist Islamic movements), which will provide us with a framework with which to construct and analyze the modern Middle East. By the end of the semester, students will have obtained a broad understanding of the historical and present day Middle East and will have improved their analytical skills. Moreover, students will have a basic grasp of the various methodological and theoretical tools historians rely upon when they study this vital region of the world. The class sessions are organized around lectures, with time provided for questions. A schedule of the topics, readings, assignments, and exams is given below. Videos, songs, and other multimedia materials assigned and shown in class will supplement the readings and lectures. Students are advised to attend class regularly and to keep up with the assignments. We will be covering a few hundred years of history, many countries, and a wide range of issues and themes. Students who do not attend class regularly and those who do not keep up with the assignments likely will find it difficult to understand and comprehend the complexities of the history of the modern Middle East. This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. Course Readings The textbooks are available for purchase at the Co-op and online through retailers such as Amazon. All other readings and assignments can be found on Blackboard. 1) William Cleveland & Martin Bunton. A History of the Modern Middle East, 4th edition. 2) Marvin E. Gettlemen and Stuart Schaar, eds. The Middle East and Islamic World Reader. Grading Midterm Exam: 25% Final Exam: 30% Film Paper: 20% Discussion Board/Class Participation: 10% Assignment Quizzes: 5% Map Quiz: 5% Arab-Israeli Conflict Quiz: 5% Evaluation Exams o There are two examinations for the course. The format of the exams will be announced ahead of time. The exams will include some short answer questions (e.g. multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching), as well as questions which will require longer written responses (e.g. identifications and essays). o The midterm examination will be held in class on Thursday, March 10. This is the class just before Spring Break. o The final examination will be held on a date and in a location to be determined. o The exams will cover material from both lectures and readings. o Students must take the midterm and final exams on the specified dates at the specified times. Only in extreme and extraordinary circumstances can the exams be taken at other times. Please see the makeup policy below. Film Paper o Each student will watch a film chosen from the list provided below. Each student then will write a short paper comparing the film we watched in class to that of his or her own film. Students specifically will address the ways in which American-Middle Eastern relations and/or the peoples of the Middle East are portrayed. The paper is due on Tuesday, May 3. The assignment is posted on Blackboard. Quizzes o Unannounced quizzes will be administered throughout the semester. You will only be quizzed on readings and assignments which are not from Cleveland. Discussion Board/Class Participation o Unfortunately the size of this class (75 students!) limits our ability to engage in meaningful dialogue and debate. That said, the professor encourages all students to ask questions and they should feel free to offer critical analysis at any time during a lecture. Remember: there are no silly questions. o In order to make up for the limitations imposed by the size of the class, students are required to post on the Discussion Section on Blackboard. There is no required content for these posts. However, students are particularly encouraged to post questions, analysis, links to articles, videos, songs, etc. (anything related to the course), and offer comments on their own posts and the posts of others. In other words, students should engage in a dialogue with each other about the modern Middle East. o The Discussion Section is divided into several boards devoted to specific countries or regions. Please post accordingly. Moreover, please note that there is also a “class related” board which is reserved for discussion of the class itself (i.e. lectures, readings, assignments, study tips, and so on). o Students will be graded on the quality and frequency of their posts. o Please note, during weeks 11-16, students are required to post with regard to specific topics (see below). Each student must post at least once during each of these weeks (i.e. a minimum of 6 posts); however, multiple posts are encouraged and will be rewarded. Map Quiz o Students will be asked to identify countries, cities, and geographical features. A list of locations can be found on Blackboard. o The Map Quiz will take place in class on Tuesday, February 8. Arab-Israeli Conflict Quiz o The quiz will consist of two sections: a) map identification, and b) people identification. o The map section will have the same format as the Map Quiz, except here you will be asked to identify areas, cities, and geographical features in Israel/Palestine and its immediate vicinity. o The people section will consist of matching/fill in the blank/multiple choice questions with regard to the political leaders involved in the conflict (some historical, some contemporary). o A list of all locations and people can be found on Blackboard. o The Arab-Israeli Conflict Quiz will take place in class on Thursday, April 14. Policies Privacy Policy The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the confidentiality of your educational records. Grades cannot be given over the phone, posted on a campus bulletin board or on the Web, e-mailed, or delivered through a fellow student. Additionally, parents do not have the right of access to their student's grade information without the student's formal approval. More information on FERPA is available at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html Grading & Email As indicated immediately above, all matters concerning any and all course grades must be dealt with during office hours or by appointment. Such matters must not be raised over email, which is not a secure and private mode of communication. Makeup Exams Makeup exams will be available only for students who are facing extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances for which documentation can be provided. The professor reserves the right to decide whether those circumstances actually warrant the granting of a makeup exam. Leaving Austin early for Spring Break or summer vacation does not constitute an extraordinary and unavoidable circumstance! In addition, the professor reserves the right to administer makeup exams that are longer and potentially more challenging than the exams administered in class on the regularly scheduled exam dates. Academic Freedom The free exchange of information and ideas is essential to the success of this course. Therefore, class debate and discussion is encouraged, and students are required to respect one another‟s ideas and opinions. You also of course are free to disagree with your professor. General Policies All University policies apply to this course, including: o (1) the accommodation of disabilities; (2) allowed absence for religious holidays (see Part 4 of the current General Information catalog); and; (3) freedom of speech Please note: Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on University policies, see the General Information 2007-2008 catalog, Appendix C, Chapters 11 and 13, and the following Web sites: Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities at: www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/ and Student Judicial Services (SJS) at: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/ Miscellanea Please do not be late. The professor or one of your fellow students will be speaking, and coming late will serve as a distraction and is disrespectful. Please turn off all cell phones or set them to silent before class begins. Please do not begin to pack up until you are dismissed. Your fellow students may still be listening or speaking. Laptop use is permitted in class. However, you are expected to use your computer for class related purposes (We all love Facebook, but we can check it after class!) Video/audio recordings of lectures are prohibited unless otherwise approved by the professor. The professor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus. Any changes in this schedule will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard. Course Schedule Readings & assignments are to be completed for the class meetings under which they are listed. If you did not take the first course in the Middle East sequence (Introduction to the Middle East: Religious, Cultural and Historical Foundations), you may want to read the first three chapters of Cleveland to familiarize yourself with the history of the region prior to 19th century.