INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION (4 Credits)
A thematic approach to religious and cultural aspects of Middle Eastern society; the development of
Islam as a body of religious thought and practice; and major cultural movements
in the Middle East.
Readings:
Watt, W.M.: Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman
Bloom and Blair, Islam: A Thousand Years of faith and Power
Helfgott: Ties That Bind
Friedl: Women of Deh Koh
Fernea: Guests of the Sheikh
Esposito, Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam
Films:
"Making of the Arabs", ten parts-selected films
"Grass"
"Suleyman the Magnificent"
"Yol"
other selected films
Class Requirements:
- You are expected to attend all classes and films unless you are ill
- Map quiz- A quiz will be given covering place names in the Middle East which will be handed
out during the first week of class. Maps for study are available on this Web site. Passing the map quiz means getting 45 out of 50 questions correct. If you do not pass the map quiz you lose one full letter grade on your final grade. Although you may take the quiz as many times as necessary to pass, it does get more difficult as time progresses.
- mid-term exam-part take home essay; part in class essay.
- final exam-part take-home essay; part in-class essay.
- Final grade-midterm and final each count 45%. Attendance and class participation counts 10%.
Week One:
Geography, ethnicity, religion, culture. An introduction to the Middle East as a geographic, ethnic, socio-economic and religious mosaic. The map will be covered in
detail. The major socio-economic settings-agriculture, pastoral nomadism and urban based production and commerce will be covered.
September:
Weds, 25: Introduction
Thurs., 26: Middle East as Mosaic-geography, religion and ethnicity
Fri., 27: Film: Making of the Arabs
Reading: Watt: chapters one and two; Bloom and Blair: pp. 1-34
Week Two:
Mon. 30-geography, religion and ethnicity
Tues. Oct. 1 Ditto
Weds., Oct. 2 Ditto
Thurs., Oct. 3. Ditto
Friday, Oct. 4: FIRST MAP QUIZ
Reading: Watt, Complete book
Bloom and Blair, pp. 35-76
Week Three:
Origins and early practice of Islam
Mon., Oct. 7: The Middle East before the 7th century: Arabs, Iranians, Jews and Greeks
Tues., Oct. 8: The Arabian background-the Jahaliyya: tribalism, religion, economy
Weds. Oct. 9, Muhammad: Mecca, Medina and the Rise of the Islamic Ummah
Thurs, Oct. 10, The Spread of Islam and early schisms: Shi'ism and Sunni Islam
Fri., Oct. 11: MAP QUIZ TWO (Mid-term essay questions distributed)
Reading: Bloom and Blair, pp. 77-156
Week Four:
Mon., Oct. 14: Mediterranean Monotheism: Judaism, Christianity , Zoroastrianism and Islam
Tues. Oct. 15: Pillars of Faith
Weds. Oct. 16-The Hajj-Pilgrimage to Mecca
Thurs., Oct. 17-Islam and urbanism
Friday, Oct. 18-FilmMaking of the Arabs, "The City Victorious"
Reading: Helfgott, Ties That Bind, Chapters Introduction and part I-pp. 1-82
Week Five:
Islamic art and material culture
Mon., Oct. 21: the Bedouin (slides are also available on Web site)
Tues., Oct. 22: Early Islamic monuments-the Mosque
Weds. Oct. 23: Arab painting and decoration
Thurs., Oct. 24, Mid-term Examination- (OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS DUE)
Friday, Oct. 25, Film--"Grass"
Reading: Bloom and Blair, pp. 157-232; Helfgott, Chapter 4, pp. 83-124
Week Six:
Monday: Oct. 28: The Abbasids and the emergence of Sharia (Islamic law)
Tues., Oct. 29. The Invaders: Seljuks, Mongols, Mamlukes and Crusaders
Weds. Oct. 30, Rise of the Ottoman and Safavid Empire
Thurs., Oct. 31- Slide lecture-Isfahan in the 17th Century
Fri., Nov. 1: Film, "Suleyman the Magnificent"
Reading: Helfgott, Chapters 5, 6, 7
Fernea, Guests of the Sheikh, pp. 2-84
Week Seven:
The Impact of the West on the Islamic world
Mon., Nov. 4: The Atlantic Ocean and the creation of the Modern World System-the expansion of Capitalism
Tues. Nov. 5, The Middle east in the Eighteenth Century
Weds. Nov. 6-Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the 19th century Western impact
Thurs. Nov. 7- Carpets- a case study-slide lecture
Friday., Nov. 8-film-TBA
Reading: Helfgott, Complete
Fernea, complete
Week Eight:
The Modern Middle East:
Mon., Nov. 11: Colonialism and Imperialism in the Middle East.
Tues. Nov. 12-Early Islamic responses: Al Afghani and the Middle Eastern intelligentsia
Weds. Nov. 13-Arab nationalism, pan-Turkism, Zionism
Thurs., Nov. 14: ditto
Friday, Nov. 15: film
Reading: Friedl, Women of Deh Koh,, chs. 1-6
Week Nine:
Changing lives of Women in the Middle East
Monday, Nov. 18: Women and Islam-law and tradition
Tuesday, Nov. 19: Origins of feminism in the Middle East
Weds., Nov. 20, Village Women, Urban women, nomadic women
Thurs. Nov. 21: Film "Wedding in Galilee" part 1
Friday, Nov. 22: Film, Wedding in Galilee" part 2 (final exam questions distributed)
Reading: Friedl, complete
Week Ten:
The Contemporary Middle East
Mon., Nov. 25: The Islamic revival-anachronism or modernity
Tues., Nov. 26: film , "Yol: part 1
Wed.s, Nov. 27: film, "Yol", part 2
Reading: Esposito, Unholy War, complete
Week Eleven:
The Contemporary Middle East
Monday, Dec. 2- Israel and Palestine-
Tues, Dec. 3: ditto
Weds. Dec. 4, The Iranian Revolution
Thursday, Dec. 5: Helfgott predicts the future
Friday, Dec. 6: Film
|
|
