INDIANA UNIVERSITY at INDIANAPOLIS
Department of History
PROFESSOR
Office: CA 243B
Office Hours: T Th 1:00-2:30pm
Tel. (317) 278-9022
E-mail: sstoffer@iupui.edu
TEXTS and RESOURCES
Goldschmidt, A Concise History of the Middle East, 7th ed. (Westview, 2002)
Ruthven, Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 1997)
Friedman, From Beirut to Jerusalem (Anchor, 1995)
Mahfouz, Palace Walk (Anchor, 1990)
Pamuk, The White Castle (Vintage, 1990)—optional
Gettleman & Schaar, The Middle East and Islamic World Reader (Grove, 2003)
Internet Islamic History Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/islam/islamsbook.html
COURSE GOALS
This course will
explore the rich history and culture of the Middle East. While the tumultuous past century will
receive the most consideration, the overall goal will be to ground recent
events in their long-term historical context —particularly with regard to the
potent interaction between the Middle East and the West. Significant attention will thus be devoted
not only to the 19th, 20th, and early 21st
centuries, but also to ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and
Roman civilizations, the rise and spread of Islam, the flowering of the
medieval caliphates, and the fates of their eventual successors.
The course will make use of lectures, textbook and primary source readings, films, and your own independent analysis of these materials to construct a historical view of the people and forces that have shaped this vitally important region of our world. In doing so, it endeavors to sharpen your ability to think critically about the things you read, watch, hear, and subsequently discuss with your teacher and fellow students—an important skill which you will use throughout the rest of your life. The course is thus dedicated to helping you develop skills consistent with the Principles of Undergraduate Learning, as detailed at www.iupui.edu/~history/principlesundergradlearning.htm.
COURSE POLICIES and
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Policies
As a university student, you are an heir to the traditions and expectations of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. You are entering into a unique relationship with your professor, not always easily defined. As both apprentice and partner, student and teacher, much is expected of you in this course by way of actively learning about the Middle East. Class lectures, readings, assignments, films, and discussions are all meant to facilitate that learning process, but the crucial task of integrating the available knowledge into a coherent view of history ultimately resides with you. As your professor, it is my duty to help you reach that goal, and also, of course, to evaluate your level of success in this endeavor.
In accordance with departmental and university guidelines, regular attendance is mandatory for this course. Missing any more than two days of class will result in the lowering of your course grade by 1% per day absent. Absences may be excused for medical or other dire personal reasons, but written documentation explaining the situation is required. It is possible to make up the first exam or receive a short extension on the written assignments, provided there is a good reason (usually medical) that the regular date or deadline was missed; otherwise, late work will be penalized at a rate of a quarter-grade per day.
You are hereby reminded that plagiarism (i.e., failing to give proper credit to sources of information and ideas, particularly in written assignments) or cheating, if discovered, will beget disciplinary action consistent with the guidelines set forth by the university. For further details, consult the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct at www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/studcode.
Exams
There will be two examinations, each worth 20% of the course grade. The first, a traditional in-class affair, will be comprised of a mixture of short-answer identification items and extended essay questions. The second will be a take-home exam, which will in essence amount to a 5- to 7-page response to a broad, overarching question regarding the second half of the course. Additional details will be provided as the semester progresses, and a review sheet will be distributed the week before the midterm.
Paper
There are two formal writing assignments for the
course. The first, worth 15% of the
course grade, will take the form of a 5- to 6-page analytical essay on Naguib Mahfouz’s novel, Palace
Walk. Students should identify the
most profound themes tying the novel together and comment on their historical
significance. With regard to the latter,
attention can be drawn both to early 20th-century Egypt (and even
the wider Arab world) as well as to the specific messages Mahfouz
was trying to communicate to his immediate audience when he wrote the book in
the late 1940s. Due March 11th.
The second, worth 5%, will consist of your historical-minded response to the documentary, “Promises.” Specifically, in about 4 pages, you should analyze this particular portrayal of the Palestinian-Israeli question, identifying the film’s major themes and assumptions. Given the amount of attention we will be giving to this topic prior to viewing the film, you should be able to formulate some basic conclusions regarding the film’s merit. Illustrate your arguments with references to specific scenes and/or subjects. Due April 13th. One important tip: if you would like help polishing your writing style, the best resource on campus is the University Writing Center, staffed by dedicated faculty ready to offer assistance: CA 427, tel. 274-2049, http://www.iupui.edu/~writectr/.
Project
For this portion of the course grade, small groups of approximately five students each (formed either of their own accord or by lot) will take on the ultimate challenge of solving the problems of the modern Middle East. First, each group will select a social, economic, cultural, or political quandary that it believes gravely threatens the well-being of the region (and, by inference, the world at large). The possibilities here are vast (as indeed they would be in any region), so the selection process will take some thought. (Note, however, that the Israeli-Palestinian question is already taken, since we will be discussing it in detail as a class.) Once a decision has been reached (and once it is clear that no two groups overlap), group members must research in detail the history, context, contributing factors, major players (internal and external), attempted solutions (and results), and current status of the issue at hand. Drawing on this information, the group must then propose a solution to the problem, including details as to its potential implementation—not forgetting what would be asked of all interested parties, and what incentives or reasonable pressures would likely convince them to adopt the proposal. As each group will be given an entire 75-minute class session for its presentation, use of various media is encouraged, so long as it specifically addresses the topic and helps effectively communicate the project’s findings.
While no formal paper will be required at the end, each group will have to meet certain benchmarks entailing detailed written reports. These include:
1. A project proposal setting forth the chosen problem and the group’s initial research strategy—i.e., potential resources for the various aspects of the study and specific assignments for group members to find and utilize them. Note that while the internet can provide a handy starting point (and in some cases a good deal of useful information), it cannot be the main resource for the project. Scholarly books, articles, government documents, conference proceedings, and other such reliable sources should provide the lion’s share of information for the project. One handy resource, Akram Fouad Khater’s Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East (Houghton Mifflin, 2004), has been placed on course reserve in the library to help get you started. Due February 5th.
2. A status report detailing how the project has evolved so far (e.g. exciting findings, problems encountered) and what remains to be done. A fairly comprehensive bibliography on the subject should also be submitted, as well as a rough outline of what the presentation will look like. Due March 23rd.
3.
A polished, annotated outline of the group’s class presentation, as well
as a finalized comprehensive bibliography.
Additional supporting documentation may also be submitted if the group
so wishes. Due at the time of the
presentation (April 15th-27th).
Consultation with the professor during office hours or via e-mail is advised and encouraged (though it would be best for each group to select one point-person to handle this correspondence). The presentation is worth 20% of the course grade; each student’s evaluation will be based on a combination of the presentation’s overall merit with an internal audit of fellow group members’ contributions.
NOTE: Those who absolutely wish to work independently may write a 10- to 12-page paper on a “problem” of their own choosing. Depending on time constraints, the results of this research might or might not be shared with the rest of the class during the weeks allotted for group presentations. Contact the professor regarding this option.
Participation
The level of participation in class discussions of primary sources, films, Ruthven’s Islam: A Very Short Introduction, Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem, and Mahfouz’s Palace Walk, along with the quality of responses to the occasional extemporaneous question about the day’s assigned textbook readings will account for 20% of your overall grade. (Specifically, each general class discussion will be worth 10 points, with attendance counting for 5, and the rest assigned according to the frequency and quality of contributions.) So be sure to read the material on time, and if you have questions, by all means, ask them. Those students who simply cannot bring themselves to speak in public may (with the professor’s consent) write a 2-page paper on the assigned material instead, due on the day of the relevant discussion.
Extra Credit Option
There is one extra credit opportunity, with the potential of adding up to 3% to a student’s overall course grade. This option revolves around the world of modern Middle Eastern popular culture, particularly in the realms of literature and cinema. In short, this is the chance to be rewarded for reading novels and watching movies about the Middle East—with the proviso that they be of Middle Eastern authorship and origin within the past century. Examples of such media might include Orhan Pamuk’s The White Castle (available in the bookstore) or the recent Iranian films “Children of Heaven” and “The Color of Paradise.” (I leave it to your resourcefulness to come up with the most comprehensive selection possible.) Those interested must write up an annotated bibliography and/or filmography featuring a short summary of each work, where you found it, when you watched/read it, and a personal recommendation as to its worth (i.e., whether you would recommend it to a future section of H425—and why or why not). There is no minimum number of works, but the higher the number and the higher the quality of the annotations, the more extra credit the project will garner. The project will be due (for those who choose to do it) on April 22nd.
Thus, your grade will stem from the following composite: Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Group Project 20%
Participation 20%
Palace Walk Essay 15%
Film Response 5%
TOTAL 100%
[Extra Credit Option 3%]
COURSE AND READINGS
SCHEDULE
Assigned chapters from Arthur Goldschmidt’s A Concise History of the Middle East are referred to below as “G 1,” G 2,” etc. Students should also be aware that almost every class session will begin with a short discussion of a primary source related to the day’s topic. The particular source for each day (drawn either from the Gettleman/Schaar reader or the Internet Islamic History Sourcebook) will be announced at the end of the previous class meeting and likewise posted on OnCourse.
Jan 13 Introductions
Jan 15 In the Heart of the Ancient World
G 1-2
Jan 20 Arab Culture
Form
Project Groups
Jan 22 Muhammad
FILM: Empire of Faith: The Messenger
G 3
Jan 27 Islam
FILM: Empire of Faith: The Awakening
G 4
Jan 29 DISC: Ruthven, Islam
Feb 3 DISC: Ruthven, Islam (cont.)
GUEST: Rafia Syeed, Islamic Society of North America
Feb 5 The Great Caliphates
G 5-6
Group
Project Proposals Due
Feb 10 Medieval Grandeur
G 8
Feb 12 Challenges from Within and Without
G 7
Feb 17 Ottoman and Safavid Successors
G 9
Feb 19 Imperial Intrusions
G 10-11
Feb 24 MIDTERM EXAM
Feb 26 Nationalism, Resistance, and Independence
G 12-13
Mar 2 DISC: Palace Walk
Mar 4 DISC: Palace Walk (cont.)
Mar 9 “Modernization” between Cold War Colossi
G 14-15
Mar 11 Blessings and Curses of Black Gold
Palace
Walk Essay Due
Mar 16-18 SPRING BREAK
Mar 23 Palestine and Israel / Israel and Palestine
G 16-17
Group
Project Status Report and Bibliography Due
Mar 25 DISC: Friedman, From Beirut to Jerusalem, Pt. I (Beirut)
Mar 30 DISC: Friedman, From Beirut to Jerusalem, Pts. II-III (Jerusalem, Washington)
Apr 1 The Search for Peace
G 18
Apr 6 FILM: “Promises”
Apr 8 FILM & DISC: “Promises”
Apr 13 Resurgent Radicalism, Wars on Terror
G 19
“Promises”
Response Due
Apr 15 Group Presentation I
Apr 20 Group Presentation II
Apr 22 Group Presentation III
Extra
Credit Option Due
Apr 27 Group Presentation IV
Apr 29 The Middle East Today and Tomorrow
FILM: “Beyond the Veil”
G 20
May 6 FINAL EXAM due in my office by 5:30pm