This course is intended for undergraduates with some experience in the field of Near Eastern Studies. The course will be taught by a temporary faculty member or as a testing course for permanent faculty. Topics will vary, focusing on such areas as film, literature, history, popular culture, religion, etc.

As this course is focused on the analysis of culture, the course will introduce students to the methods of the humanist: close readings of cultural texts such as films, novels, short stories, religious treatises, and works of art. The class will ask students to consider such cultural texts from the perspective of voice, perspective, medium, and genre -- all methodologies employed by the humanists. Students will furthermore be taught the communicative modalities of the humanities, specifically, essay writing that challenges the traditional hypothesis testing methods of the social scientists.

Course Requirements:

The requirements will vary according to instructor and course content. Typical requirements will consist of active class participation, short essays (5-6 pages in length), reading response papers (1-2 pages in length), in-class quizzes, group presentations, creative projects, and a final exam/paper. No assignment will exceed 25% of the overall grade.

Intended Audience:

UM undergraduate students interested in Near Eastern studies. This course especially targets students majoring or minoring in Near Eastern Studies, International Studies, Sociology, History, Political Science, Comparative Literature, Anthropology, or disciplines similar to the topics of the course.

Class Format:

Two 90-minute meetings weekly