Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
The Program in Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and North African Studies (MECANA) offers a minor focusing on the study of the area from Morocco to Afghanistan, from antiquity to the present day. Bryn Mawr students can investigate the history, politics, and cultures of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa through coursework, independent study, study abroad, and events here and at neighboring institutions.
The Director of MECANA is also the advisor for the concentration and can assist students to plan coursework and independent study, including independent majors.
There are two tracks in the MECANA concentration: one requires study or competence in a modern regional language, the other does not.
Minor Requirements
Track 1
The first track consists of six courses in the Humanities or Social Sciences that include pre-modern and modern topics distributed in the following manner:
- A basic course that offers a broad introduction to the region and its peoples. When available, students should take MEST B100 Introduction to Middle Eastern, Central Asian and North African Studies at Bryn Mawr. If this course is not available, students will select a comparable introductory course in consultation with the MECANA advisor(s).
- Five elective courses, including:
- at least one course at the 300 level, in a specific area to be chosen in consultation with the MECANA advisor. This area might be defined in terms of conceptual, historical, or geographical interests and, in many cases, will be connected to work in the student's major.
- at least one course must be in the Social Sciences, and at least one course must be in the Humanities.
- at least one course must be pre-modern/early modern in content (before 1800) and at least one course must be modern or contemporary in content (after 1800).
- Of the six courses required for the minor, only two may form a part of the student's major.
Track 2
The second track includes language study. Students opting for this track must take the equivalent of two years of study of a modern regional language. Four additional courses distributed as follows are required for the minor:
- A basic course that offers a broad introduction to the region and its peoples. When available, students should take MEST B100 Introduction to Middle Eastern, Central Asian and North African Studiesat Bryn Mawr. If this course is not available, students will select a comparable introductory course in consultation with the MECANA advisor(s).
- Three elective courses, including:
- at least one course at the 300 level, in a specific area to be chosen in consultation with the MECANA advisor. This area might be defined in terms of conceptual, historical, or geographical interests and, in many cases, will be connected to work in the student's major.
- at least one course must be in the Social Sciences, and at least one course must be in the Humanities.
- at least one course must be pre-modern/early modern in content (before 1800) and at least one course must be modern or contemporary in content (after 1800).
- Of the courses required for the minor, only two may form a part of the student’s major.
For Middle Eastern languages taught at Bryn Mawr and Haverford, please see the course listings for the Bi-College Program in Arabic and the Bryn Mawr offerings in Hebrew. Additional regional languages may be offered at the University of Pennsylvania.
MEST B100 Introduction to Middle Eastern, Central Asian and North African Studies (1 Unit)
This course introduces the interdisciplinary field of Middle Eastern Studies with a focus on analytical approaches, methods, and tools. Students consider the dynamics of the region in the premodern and modern periods and become familiar with the major issues and debates that dominate various disciplinary approaches to the Middle East. Readings include both important canonical and alternative scholarship in order to examine the limits and possibilities of the field.
Tagged with:
- History
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Critical Interpretation (CI)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B103 Introduction to Dari Persian (1 Unit)
Dari Persian course is an introductory course for learning the Dari Persian language. This course is designed to familiarize students with the pronunciation of Persian sounds, writing its letters, and basic conversation in the Persian language. The course will introduce the Persian alphabet alongside grammar and vocabulary and will emphasize using the language for communication. The material of this course will introduce important expression for polite interaction and aspects of Afghanistan and Persian culture. During this course, students will be able to improve their language skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening, in a balanced and equitable manner.. Dari Persian language is one of the most ancient languages in the world, used in large parts of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. This language has been a carrier of the rich and ancient human heritage for over a thousand years in the fields of literature, art, history, religion, and politics. It is considered the official and administrative language in several countries within a vast region, serving as a central axis for cultural, scientific, and political foundations.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
College Requirement(s): Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B201 Society and Culture of the Middle East Through Film (1 Unit)
This course is designed so that students begin to acquire a knowledge and understanding of the contemporary Arab world through film. A main focus would be society and the representation of family life with all its intricacies. Because the region is extremely diverse and the life of its people and their experiences are, especially in the present, complex, it is necessary to select only a few of the countries in the region and their cinemas to focus on. This should allow for deeper study and meaningful conclusions. The cinemas of several Arab countries will be examined. Egypt has always been and to a large extent remains the center of Arabic-language cinema; three quarters of all Arabic-language feature films having been produced there. Films by famous directors such as Youssef Chahine and Shadi Abdel Salam, among others, will be appropriate to consider. But films from other Arab countries, e.g., from North Africa and the Middle East, will also be included for comparison and a more comprehensive picture.
Tagged with:
- Film Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Visual Studies
College Requirement(s): Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Every Spring
MEST B202 The Legacy of Genghis Khan: The Mongols and Their Successors (1 Unit)
This course examines the political, intellectual, and social history of Genghis Khan, the Ilkhanid Mongols, and their successors in the Middle East and Central Asia from the thirteenth century to the sixteenth century CE. We will consider the formation of new political norms, changing trends in trade, and an increasingly hybrid cultural and artistic production that characterize this period.
Tagged with:
- East Asian Languages and Cultures
- History
- History at Haverford
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Every other Year
MEST B203 Islam in America: Making Muslim Life and Community in the U.S (1 Unit)
Muslims make up a little over 1% of the U.S. population yet Islam is one of the key issues in contemporary U.S. politics. This course offers a framework to understand Islam as a minority religious tradition which has become in recent decades a site of political contestation. Our approach will contextualize the history of Muslim communities through two crucial processes, the Transatlantic slave trade and immigration, in order to understand the formation of Muslim communities and practices. We will look at how Islam becomes integrated in Black religious imagination across the decades of the twentieth century while simultaneously tracing the way in which Islam becomes an anchor for people and families across the immigrant experience. We will look at the lingering effects of the War on Terror and the politics of Islamophobia on democracy. As we chart the historical development of Muslim life in the United States, we will pay attention to the question of political representation as well as new forms of Muslim religious reflection and cultural expression, particularly jazz music, comedy, fashion, forms of spiritual community for women, critiques of supremacy, and discourses of sexuality. A focus on the United States allows us to see Islam in relation to questions of equality and religious pluralism, such that Islam becomes a window on to the democratic project writ large. No prior experience necessary: all are welcome.
Tagged with:
- Africana Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B204 History Modern Iran:Persianate World to Revolutionary Nation (1 Unit)
This course offers a comprehensive study of the major cultural, social, and political developments over the past two centuries that have shaped contemporary Iran as a nation, a state, and a geopolitical force in the twenty-first century. Beginning with the shared cultural foundations of the Persianate world, particularly Iran and India from the sixteenth century onward, the course examines the intellectual and cultural resources that later informed the emergence of modernity and nationalism in the nineteenth century. Situating nineteenth-century Iran within its broader historical context, the course explores how social and political developments contributed to the formation of a distinctive discourse of nationalism. In Iran, this discourse drew on a hybrid of pre-Islamic and Shi’i-Islamic elements, in contrast to nationalist movements elsewhere in the Middle East, which were often shaped by Arab and Sunni-Islamic frameworks. These transformations, combined with the pressures of Russian and British imperialism, provide the historical background for understanding the Constitutional Revolution of 1905–1911, a foundational political moment in the emergence of the Iranian nation. The course then examines how the unfulfilled promises of the Constitutional Revolution created conditions that ultimately contributed to the 1979 Revolution, a unique event in world history in which religion played a central role in mobilizing socio-political transformation. Finally, the course traces the aftermath of the revolution, analyzing the evolving phases of reform, crisis, and political change in Iran from 1979 to the present.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B205 Topics: Ethics and Islam (1 Unit)
This is a topics course. Course content varies. This course will provide a foundation in the study of Islam and introduce students to Islamic ethical thought
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Only Once
MEST B206 Religion and Science in the Islamicate World (1 Unit)
This course examines the historical and intellectual relationship between religion and science in the Islamicate world from the medieval period to the present. Challenging the assumption that science and religion are inherently separate or opposed domains, it explores their intertwined, asymmetrical, and evolving relationship across different historical contexts. It begins by tracing how the categories of “science” and “religion” emerged within Western intellectual traditions, from classical Greek philosophy transmitted first to the Muslim world and later to early modern Europe, and how “science” came to be identified as a distinctly Western enterprise. Highlighting the Islamicate world as a central site of knowledge production, the course examines how scientific inquiry was embedded within religious and philosophical frameworks. It pays particular attention to premodern developments in astronomy, cosmology, medicine, and natural philosophy, as well as to the circulation of knowledge across regions and the role of institutions such as observatories and scholarly networks. Special focus is given to the period following the so-called Islamic Golden Age, challenging narratives of decline by examining the continued contributions of Muslim societies, particularly within the Persianate world. The course then traces transformations brought by early modern and modern encounters, including colonialism, print culture, and the global circulation of scientific knowledge. Through case studies such as the reception of Darwinian evolution in Arabic print culture, as well as contemporary issues at the intersection of religion and science, including bioethics, reproductive technologies, and medical practice in Muslim societies, the course offers a nuanced understanding of how religion and science have coexisted, conflicted, and co-produced knowledge in the Islamicate world and the Middle East. It concludes by encouraging students to critically assess contemporary debates about Islam and science and to reflect on the evolving relationship between faith, knowledge, and modern life.
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
- Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B208 Introduction to the History of the Medieval Middle East (1 Unit)
This course will provide an overview of the political and social history of the Middle East and North Africa from the sixth century C.E., in the Late Antique Period, with the tensions between the Byzantine and Sasanian empires and the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, to the fourteenth century C.E., with the Mongol invasions marking the end of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad. While students will be introduced to the political figures and frameworks of this period, there will also be a focus on social and cultural developments among the diverse populations that lived in the medieval Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa, their relationships with one another, and how they interacted with their neighbors. Issues of political and religious authority and legitimacy, the development of social and cultural institutions, the production of artistic and literary works will also be explored.
Tagged with:
- History
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Every other Fall
MEST B210 The Art and Architecture of Islamic Spirituality (1 Unit)
This course examines how Muslim societies across time and space have used art and architecture in different ways to express and understand inner dimensions of spirituality and mysticism. Topics to be studied include: the calligraphical remnants of the early Islamic period; inscriptions found on buildings and gravestones; the majestic architecture of mosques, shrines, seminaries, and Sufi lodges; the brilliant arts of the book; the commemorative iconography and passion plays of Ashura devotion; the souvenir culture of modern shrine visitation; and the modern art of twenty-first century Sufism. Readings include works from history, religious studies, anthropology, sociology, and the history of art and architecture.
Tagged with:
- Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr
- History
- History at Haverford
- History of Art
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Visual Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B215 Iran: History, Culture, and Politics (1 Unit)
This course explores the history, cultures, and politics of Iran from the time of the Arab Conquest in the 7th Century CE to the Iranian Revolution in 1979 CE. It introduces students to Iranian civilization through its changing political systems, rich intellectual and religious movements, and vibrant cultural developments that spanned this long period of time. It will examine the various ethnic, religious, and cultural groups that have called Iran home and look at the ways that the diverse inhabitants of the region have interacted with one another. This course will also pay special attention to important religious and intellectual thinkers including the mystic Bayazid Bistami, the Illuminationist Shihab al-din al-Suhrawardi, the poet Sa’adi Shirazi, the philosopher Mulla Sadra, the founder of the Baha’i faith Baha’ullah, and modern social theorist Ali Shariati.
Tagged with:
- History
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B302 The Legacy of Genghis Khan: The Mongols & Their Successors (1 Unit)
This course examines the political, intellectual, and social history of Genghis Khan, the Ilkhanid Mongols, and their successors in the Middle East and Central Asia from the thirteenth century to the sixteenth century CE. We will consider the formation of new political norms, changing trends in trade, and an increasingly hybrid cultural and artistic production that characterize this period.
Tagged with:
- History
- Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B305 Merchants, Pilgrims & Rogues: Travels through the Mid East (1 Unit)
This course will critically approach the various ways that people have traveled to and within the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa in the medieval and modern periods. It will explore the many reasons that induced people to travel by looking at travelogues produced by these various travelers, the material culture of travel (e.g. pilgrimage scrolls, architecture and infrastructure that facilitated travel and lodging, movement of commodities, postcards, etc.), and scholarly work on travel, tourism, and migration more broadly. This course will include travels by merchants, pilgrims, adventurers, scholars, conquering armies, imperial powers, oil tycoons, and refugees.
Tagged with:
- History
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
MEST B315 Empire in the Premodern Middle East (1 Unit)
This course focuses on empire in Late Antique, medieval, and early modern Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, including that of the Sasanians, Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Ilkhanids, Safavids, and Ottomans. It will explore the rise, politics, economics, longevity, social relations, and cultural production of these empires. While examining the histories of these empires, students will also interrogate the very category of empire, its meanings, its institutions and actors, and its usefulness in studying the region. It will also consider how premodern empires differed from those of the modern period and how the legacies of these empires might continue into the present.
Tagged with:
- History
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ANTH B223 The Global Middle East: Colonialism, Oil, the War on Terror (1 Unit)
A central premise of this course is that European colonial intervention in the Middle East did not just impact the Middle East, but mobilized social, material, and ideological projects which fundamentally transformed Europe itself, producing the modern “West” and the contemporary globe. Challenging tendencies to think of the Middle East as distant and different, students will explore the ways that Euro-American intervention in the Middle East shapes our everyday lives in the contemporary U.S. We will explore how the economy, culture, identity, and social organization of contemporary life in Europe and the U.S. builds off of, and is dependent upon, this history of intervention. We will conclude with an examination of global solidarity movements, with a focus on Black American activists’ solidarity work in the Arab world, to ask how this global interconnection makes the Middle East an important site for building and imagining a more just world.
Tagged with:
- Anthropology at Haverford
- Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Only Once
ANTH B289 Islam in North America (1 Unit)
How has Islam shaped and been shaped by North America? How do race, gender, and social class influence the practice of Islam in the United States? What can Muslims in North America teach us about Islam, North America, and religion more generally? These questions will guide our exploration of lived Islamic tradition in North America. This course focuses on the complex and diverse ways that Muslims in North America have enacted Islamic tradition in various times, places, and communities. Our course materials combine secondary scholarship with books, films, music, poetry, and digital media. In the process of learning about the history and practice of Islam in North America, you will also engage with a set of conceptual tools and research skills that will serve you in the classroom and beyond. This course will be especially useful for anthropologists specializing in religion and students interested in Islamic traditions and/or American studies.
Tagged with:
- African Studies at Bryn Mawr
- Anthropology at Haverford
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Religion at Haverford
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ANTH B325 The Arab Spring (1 Unit)
In the early 2010s, a series of popular revolts transformed the political landscape of the Middle East. In Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, longstanding dictatorships were overthrown. In Syria, mass protest and its brutal suppression led to a long, devastating civil war. Smaller, still significant, protest movements shook the political order in several other countries. In this course, we will look at scholarly works and primary documents to examine this period of upheaval. We will seek to understand the sources of revolt, the various experiments with new forms of government and society which took shape in this revolutionary moment, and the continuing legacies of the so-called "Arab Spring."
Tagged with:
- Anthropology at Haverford
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
College Requirement(s): Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARAB B003 Second Year Modern Standard Arabic (1 Unit)
Prerequisite(s): ARAB B002 or ARAB H002B or placement by instructor.
Combines intensive oral practice with writing and reading in the modern language. The course aims to increase students’ expressive ability through the introduction of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. Introduces students to authentic written texts and examples of Arabic expression through several media. Prerequisite: ARAB H002 or placement by instructor.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Every Fall
ARAB B004 Second-Year Modern Standard Arabic (1 Unit)
Combines intensive oral practice with writing and reading in the modern language. The course aims to increase students’ expressive ability through the introduction of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. Introduces students to authentic written texts and examples of Arabic expression through several media. Prerequisite: ARAB B003 or placement.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Every Spring
ARAB B103 Conversation on Culture in MSA mixed with Egyptian Dialect (1 Unit)
The main focus of this conversation course is the development of speaking and listening skills of students at the Advanced Level of Arabic. This will be achieved through the introduction of multimedia materials in Modern Standard Arabic. The materials selected will aim to help the students acquire socio-cultural competence while advancing their aural and oral communication skills. The selected audio-visual materials are meant to engage students, help them explore varied topics relating to the Middle East and its culture, and entice them to communicate their thoughts and express themselves in the language. Students will work individually and in pairs and groups to prepare skits and reports for oral presentations. This class is conducted entirely in Arabic. Prerequisite: Two years of Intensive Arabic or their evuivalnt.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Every other Spring
ARCH B101 Introduction to Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology (1 Unit)
A historical survey of the archaeology and art of the ancient Near East and Egypt.
Tagged with:
- Africana Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Museum Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Every other Fall
ARCH B212 Visual Culture of the Ancient Mediterranean (1 Unit)
This course explores the visual culture of the ancient Mediterranean world from the second millennium BCE to early Roman times. Drawing from an extensive variety of extant evidence that includes monuments, sculpture, paintings, mosaics, and artifacts deriving from culturally and geographically distinct areas, such as the Minoan world, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, Tunisia, and Spain, the course explores how such evidence may have been viewed and experienced and how it may have, in turn, shaped the visual culture of the well-interconnected ancient Mediterranean world. Focusing on selected examples of evidence, including its materials, style, and methods of production, the course will also consider how past and current scholarly attitudes, approaches, and terminology have affected the understanding and interpretation of this evidence.
Tagged with:
- Classical Languages at Bryn Mawr
- Classical Studies
- Classical Studies
- Classics at Bryn Mawr
- Classics at Haverford
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
ARCH B214 The Archaeology of Agricultural Revolutions in Western Asia (1 Unit)
This course examines the archaeology of one of the most fundamental shifts to have occurred in human society in the last 12,000 years, the origins of agriculture. Via assigned readings, class work and lectures we will consider the varied factors which led (or did not lead) to the adoption of agriculture, questioning what the core building blocks of agricultural life were across Western Asia and exploring societies that did not experience these changes. We will also discuss the impacts these developments have had, and continue to have, on modern society and culture in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Themes covered will include societal organization, identity (gender, ethnicity, culture, personhood etc.), communication, and the relationships between humans, animals, and the environment. The class will also begin to address the relationships between colonialism and archaeology in Western Asia and explore what the future of a post-colonial and anti-racist archaeology looks like in this region.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
- Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B222 Alexander the Great (1 Unit)
This course examines the life, personality, career, and military achievements of Alexander the Great, as well as the extraordinary reception of his legacy in antiquity and through modern times. It uses historical, archaeological and art-historical evidence to reconstruct a comprehensive picture of Alexander’s cultural background and examines the real and imaginary features of his life and afterlife as they developed in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and succeeding periods in both Europe and Asia. Special attention is also placed on the appeal that Alexander’s life and achievements have generated and continue to retain in modern popular visual culture as evidenced from documentary films and motion pictures.
Tagged with:
- Classical Languages at Bryn Mawr
- Classical Studies
- Classics at Bryn Mawr
- Classics at Haverford
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B228 The Archaeology of Iran: From the Neolithic to Alexander the Great (1 Unit)
This course examines the archaeology of Iran from circa 6000 BC to the coming of Alexander the Great at the end of the fourth century BC. Through the course we examine the beginnings of agriculture, pastoralism and sedentary settlement in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods; Bronze Age interaction between Iran, Mesopotamia, south Asia and the Arabian Gulf; developments within the Iron Age; and the emergence of the Achaemenid Empire (538-332BC).
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B229 Visual Culture of the Ancient Near East (1 Unit)
This course examines the visual culture of the Ancient Near East based on an extensive body of architectural, sculptural, and pictorial evidence dating from prehistoric times through the fifth century BCE. We will explore how a variety of surviving art, artifacts, sculpture, monuments, and architecture deriving from geographically distinct areas of the ancient Near East, such as Mesopotamia, the Eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, and Iran, may have been viewed and experienced in their historical contexts, including the contribution of ancient materials and technologies of production in shaping this viewing and experience. By focusing on selected examples of diverse evidence, we will also consider how past and current scholarly methods and approaches, many of them art-historical, archaeological, and architectural in aim, have affected the understanding and interpretation of this evidence. In doing so, we will pay special attention to critical terms such as aesthetics, style, narrative, representation, and agency.
Tagged with:
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Museum Studies
College Requirement(s): Critical Interpretation (CI)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B235 Death and Burial in the Ancient Near East (1 Unit)
Death is a shared human experience; however, it provokes a huge variety of responses; from the ad hoc and hasty burial of the deceased through to elaborate and lengthy funerary rituals. One of the most direct forms of evidence we have as archaeologists for the people who lived thousands of years ago are burials. The Ancient Near East also offers a rich corpus of textual and visual material, which can be used to explore the ways in which ancient societies conceptualized and thought about death, from the nature of the afterlife to the role of malevolent or helpful ghosts.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B237 Art and Archaeology of Central Asia (1 Unit)
Exploring the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Central Asia, this course delves into the region's history, art, and archaeology spanning from the third millennium BCE to the eighth century CE. Central Asia, constituting the territory between western China and eastern Iran, served as the heartland of the ancient Silk Road. Despite its significance, the region's history and culture often remain shrouded in mystery, largely unknown to the academic community. This course sheds light on topics related to Central Asia, such as state formation, nomadism, religious beliefs, trade, and arts and crafts production of Central Asia, while emphasizing the region’s interconnectedness with the broader world.
Tagged with:
- East Asian Languages and Cultures
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B240 Archaeology and History of Ancient Mesopotamia (1 Unit)
A survey of the material culture of ancient Mesopotamia, modern Iraq, from the earliest phases of state formation (circa 3500 B.C.E.) through the Achaemenid Persian occupation of the Near East (circa 331 B.C.E.). Emphasis will be on art, artifacts, monuments, religion, kingship, and the cuneiform tradition. The survival of the cultural legacy of Mesopotamia into later ancient and Islamic traditions will also be addressed.
Tagged with:
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B244 Great Empires of the Ancient Near East (1 Unit)
A survey of the history, material culture, political and religious ideologies of, and interactions among, the five great empires of the ancient Near East of the second and first millennia B.C.E.: New Kingdom Egypt, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires in Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire in Iran.
Tagged with:
- Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr
- History
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science
- Political Science at Haverford
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B247 The World of Gilgamesh (1 Unit)
This course explores how the people of ancient Mesopotamia perceive and comprehend the fundamental questions of human existence, such as the intricacies of life and death, gender and sexuality, the relationship between humans and the divine, and the definition of self-identity in relation to the outside world, through an examination of the literary works and archaeological remains from the ancient Near East. Guided by the epic tale of Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk in Mesopotamian mythology, we will journey back to the mesmerizing world of the fourth and third millennium BCE, when human civilizations first emerged and thrived. This course offers an immersive experience, enabling students to unleash their intellectual creativity through dramatic performances and curation of a digital exhibit showcasing early Mesopotamian civilization.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B248 Food and Foodways in the Ancient Near East (1 Unit)
Food and foodways play essential roles in all human societies, both ancient and modern, forming fundamental components of cultural identities. The study of the acquisition, preparation, and consumption of food intersects with many aspects of life, such as agriculture and pastoralism, nutrition and diet, social relationships and culinary practices. They also involve religious practices, including sacrifices, food offerings, and feasting. Drawing on visual and material culture, texts, and bio-archaeological data, this course explores the rich and diverse food cultures of the ancient Near East, from prehistorical times to the early medieval period. The course combines lectures, discussions, museum visits, and hands-on experiments.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
ARCH B249 The Archaeology of Urban Revolutions in Western Asia (1 Unit)
This course examines the archaeology of one of the most fundamental developments to have occurred in human society in the last 6,000 years, the origins of cities. Via assigned readings, class work and lectures we will consider the varied factors which led (or did not lead) to the emergence of cities, questioning what cities were (and are) and how they functioned in the ancient world. We will explore different trajectories towards urbanism that can be identified in the archaeological record and consider societies that did not experience these changes. By exploring processes and practices over the long-term, students will address issues of inequality in the earliest urban societies, developing an understanding of how axes of power and difference interacted to produce inequalities and hierarchies. We will also discuss the impacts these developments have had, and continue to have, on modern society and culture in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Themes covered will include the ‘urban revolution’, rurality and urbanism, urban planning and growth, houses and households, communication and mobility, climate and environment, power and inequality.
Tagged with:
- Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
- Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B253 Gender Archaeology in Pre-Islamic Western Asia (1 Unit)
This course explores the intersections of gender and archaeology in Western Asia during the pre-Islamic periods. It examines how diverse social groups use multiple means to construct, perform, and negotiate gender, sex, identities. The course discusses gender's intricate relationship with class, sexuality, and religion through analysis of texts, visual representations, spatial organization, and other material traces of the past. Grounded in the tradition of gender archaeology, this course draws on various discourses and interpretive frameworks to offer new archaeological approaches for understanding and discussing gender dynamics in both past and present societies.
Tagged with:
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
- Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B257 Aromas of Antiquity: The Politics of Smell, Past and Present (1 Unit)
Have you ever wondered how something as unassuming as scent can shape entire civilizations? This course explores the silent power of smell and its influence on how societies interpret concepts like power and being. We’ll begin by examining how scent affects daily life in the US. With activities like scent walks and experiments, you’ll discover how smell shapes our ideas about medicine, relationships, and wealth. Meanwhile, we’ll dive into the fragrant world of the ancient Mediterranean, exploring how the ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks, Romans, and the early Abrahamic religions perceived scent and its entanglement with their belief systems, social lives, and power negotiations.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B312 Bronze Age Internationalism (1 Unit)
This course explores the rise and fall of the first international age in the eastern mediterranean. We will focus on the cultural and diplomatic connections between Egypt, Syria, Anatolia and the Aegean during the Bronze Age, c. 2000-1200BCE.. Prerequisites: ARCH B101 and 102; ARCH B101 and a 200-level ARCH course; or ARCH B102 and a 200-level ARCH course; or two 200-level ARCH courses; or permission by instructor.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B313 The Archaeology of Empires in the Ancient Near East (1 Unit)
Prerequisite(s): ARCH B101 and ARCH B102 or (ARCH B101 and 200 level course) or (ARCH B102 and 200 level course) or two 200-level courses or permission of instructor.
Imperialism has long been a central topic in archaeological research, with the Roman Empire in particular occupying an especially prominent place. Yet the earliest empires in recorded history emerged in the ancient Near East (including Egypt), and the region was very often either an imperial core or subject to foreign rule. It is thus an especially fascinating place to consider how archaeologists study empires. Earlier generations of scholars tended to see ancient imperialism as either a civilizing force or as Oriental despotism, depending on who was dominating whom. Since the era of modern decolonization, however, scholars have employed a range of new approaches, drawing, for example, on landscape archaeology, world-system analysis, entanglement and globalization, that go beyond the simple dichotomy of ruler and ruled. Instead, they focus on how imperialism transformed social, economic and political structures and how various imperial subjects experienced and reacted to empire in diverse ways. In this course we will examine Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Achaemenid, Greek, Parthian and Sasanian imperialism in light of these new approaches, with a view towards understanding what archaeology can teach us about ancient empires.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B317 Cultural Heritage and Endangered Archaeology (1 Unit)
This course will examine how and why archaeological sites are ‘endangered’. Primarily focusing on the Near East and North Africa (the MENA region), we will examine the different types of archaeological and heritage sites found across this broad region, and some of the threats and disturbances affecting them. We will consider how different interest groups and stakeholders view, value and present historical and archaeological sites to the general public, as well as the success of modern initiatives and projects to safeguard the heritage of the MENA region. Our research will consider the ethics of cultural preservation, as well as the issues and problems encountered by heritage specialists working in areas of modern conflict. Whilst not all damage can be prevented, the course will consider how different threats and disturbances might be mitigated. Prerequisite: Upper level 300-level course. Students should have completed at least two 100 level/200 level courses in either classical or near eastern archaeology.
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Museum Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Writing in the Major: Writing Attentive
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B328 The Roman Empire in South West Asia (1 Unit)
Prerequisite(s): The completion of ARCH B101 (Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology) or 102 (Classical Archaeology) is a prerequisite for this course
This course examines the impact – or lack thereof – the Roman Empire had on the visual and material culture in the Eastern Mediterranean and South-West Asia from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. To understand the local response to Rome’s expansion, we study the complex political and social structures that were in place in these regions long before the arrival of Rome as well as the agents that continuously negotiated between Rome, local polities, and external factors (i.e., nomadic tribes). We will explore the multi-faceted world of the easternmost provinces of the Roman Empire with reference to archaeological, visual, and textual sources and adopt counter-narrative approaches to critically discuss the nature of colonial and imperial encounters. The completion of ARCH B101 (Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology) or 102 (Classical Archaeology) is a prerequisite for this course.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B336 Mortuary Archaeology in the 21st Century: Ethical Engagement (1 Unit)
Prerequisite(s): ARCH B101 and ARCH B102 or (ARCH B101 and 200 level course) or (ARCH B102 and 200 level course) or two 200-level courses or permission of instructor.
Death is a shared human experience; however, it provokes a huge variety of responses; from the ad hoc and hasty burial of the deceased through to elaborate and lengthy funerary rituals. One of the most direct forms of evidence we have for the people who lived thousands of years ago are burials; vestiges of once living people. The burial record, however, raises as many questions as it does answers. Moreover, significant debate exists around what constitutes respectful treatment of the dead.
Primarily focusing on case studies from Western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, this upper-level undergraduate/graduate seminar will draw upon archaeological and anthropological literature to explore the different ways in which mortuary archaeology can inform us on wider socio-cultural phenomenon. We will also explore the complex and multifaceted ethical issues around studying the dead. What role do (or can) the ancient dead play in contemporary society?
Tagged with: Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ARCH B536 Mortuary Archaeology in the 21st Century: Ethical Engagement (1 Unit)
Death is a shared human experience; however, it provokes a huge variety of responses; from the ad hoc and hasty burial of the deceased through to elaborate and lengthy funerary rituals. One of the most direct forms of evidence we have for the people who lived thousands of years ago are burials; vestiges of once living people. The burial record, however, raises as many questions as it does answers. Moreover, significant debate exists around what constitutes respectful treatment of the dead.
Primarily focusing on case studies from Western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, this upper-level undergraduate/graduate seminar will draw upon archaeological and anthropological literature to explore the different ways in which mortuary archaeology can inform us on wider socio-cultural phenomenon. We will also explore the complex and multifaceted ethical issues around studying the dead. What role do (or can) the ancient dead play in contemporary society?
Tagged with: Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ENGL B294 Iranian Cinema: Before and After the Revolution (1 Unit)
One of the most celebrated global cinemas to date, Iranian cinema has been recognized in film festivals around the world for its unique aesthetic vision, political complexities, and social import. This course will expose students to major masterpieces of Iranian cinema both prior to and after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Along the way, students will learn to meaningfully engage topics such as film form, colonialism, imperialism, labor migration, realism, expressionism, and issues concerning the politics of gender, race, ethnicity, and religion.
Tagged with:
- Comparative Literature at Bryn Mawr
- Comparative Literature at Haverford
- English at Haverford
- Film Studies
- Film Studies
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ENGL B391 Literary Approaches to the Quran (1 Unit)
The Qur'an, the central holy scripture of Islam, has a long history of being studied as much for its literary and broadly aesthetic qualities as for its divine guidance. This course will engage in a sustained analysis of the history of the study of the Quran as literature, including the recitational practices associated with it, practices that have historically been considered antithetical to the project of modern literature, since they challenge the hegemony of literacy and written textuality. Students will also learn about the Quran and the Quranic interpretive tradition in relation to key fields within literary studies, such as postcolonial theory, African American studies, and American studies. In doing so, this course will also open up space to examine and interrogate the secular basis of the modern humanities. Readings will include work by Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, Malcolm X, Edward Said, and others.
Tagged with:
- Comparative Literature at Bryn Mawr
- English at Haverford
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
HART B201 Critical Approaches to Visual Representation: Medieval/Modern (1 Unit)
This is a topics course. Course content varies. This course is writing intensive. This course examines intersections between the medieval and modern worlds through art and architecture. Students study medieval works of art and/or architecture as well as their afterlives in the modern era, as realized through revivals of style and form, museum exhibition excavation, alteration and adaptation for reuse, etc. There are no prerequisites for this course. Enrollment preference given to majors and minors in History of Art.
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Museum Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Writing in the Major: Writing Intensive
HART B310 Topics in Medieval Art (1 Unit)
This is a topics course. Course content varies. Prerequisite: one course in History of Art at the 100- or 200-level or permission of the instructor. Enrollment preference given to majors and minors in History of Art.
Tagged with:
- Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr
- History
- History at Haverford
- Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies
- Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
HEBR B001 Elementary Hebrew (1 Unit)
This year-long course is designed to teach beginners the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in Modern Hebrew. It will provide students with knowledge of the Hebrew writing system – its alphabet (Square letters for reading, cursive for writing) and vocalization – as well as core aspects of grammar and syntax. Diverse means will be utilized: Textbook, supplementary printed material, class conversations, presentations by students of dialogues or skits that they prepare in advance, and written compositions. This course, followed by Semesters 3 and 4 taken elsewhere, lays a foundation for reading of Modern Hebrew literary works.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Every Fall
HEBR B002 Elementary Hebrew (1 Unit)
This is a continuation of HEBR B001, the year-long course is designed to teach beginners the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in Modern Hebrew. It will provide students with knowledge of the Hebrew writing system – its alphabet (Square letters for reading, cursive for writing) and vocalization – as well as core aspects of grammar and syntax. Diverse means will be utilized: Textbook, supplementary printed material, class conversations, presentations by students of dialogues or skits that they prepare in advance, and written compositions. This course, followed by Semesters 3 and 4 taken elsewhere, lays a foundation for reading of Modern Hebrew literary works.
Tagged with: Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Every Spring
HIST B234 An Introduction to Middle Eastern History (1 Unit)
This course serves as an introduction to the history of the modern Middle East. We will also explore the narratives and debates that have shaped the field of Middle East history. Topics include orientalism, colonialism, political reform, social, cultural, and intellectual movements, nationalism, and the Cold War. Readings will be drawn from the fields of history, anthropology, politics, and literature.
Tagged with:
- History at Haverford
- History of Religion at Haverford
- International Studies
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Philosophy
- Philosophy at Haverford
- Religion at Haverford
College Requirement(s): Inquiry into the Past (IP)
INST B210 Popular Uprisings in Global Perspective (1 Unit)
In recent years, popular uprisings and protest movements have mobilized hundreds and thousands of people in different parts of the world to demand a radical overhauling of existing systems and changes in political leadership. These uprisings have raised a series of questions that will be the focus of this class. What are the catalysts, underlying causes and demands of these protest movements? What can we learn from the grassroots organizing that allowed these movements to gain momentum? All too often popular uprisings in the Global South in particular, are seen as representing the failures and limits of revolutionary action and politics rather than their potential and promise. What then, do recent popular uprisings reveal about the limitations and relevance of various theoretical approaches to explaining revolutionary phenomena and action? How might local scholars and activists analyzing the popular uprisings taking place in their countries, allow us to develop new vocabularies and frameworks for understanding popular protests and revolutionary action elsewhere? Students will explore these questions through a series of case studies including Sudan, Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon, France, Ethiopia and India.
Tagged with:
- Africana Studies
- Anthropology at Bryn Mawr
- Anthropology at Haverford
- Latin American, Iberian, and Latinx Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science
- Political Science at Haverford
College Requirement(s): Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Every Spring
INST B301 Politics of Aid and Humanitarianism (1 Unit)
This course explores the relationship between humanitarian aid, politics and the legacy of colonialism. Our goal will be to historicize and contextualize humanitarian policies and practices through specific case studies which can include, but will not be limited to: Haiti, Sudan, USA, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Palestine, Somalia, Brazil, Nicaragua and the Philippines. We will use these case studies to explore topics such as the militarization of aid and the politicization of emergency assistance. We will also be looking to non-traditional sources such as novels, films, NGO documents and congressional hearings to gain insight from the perspectives of those impacted by and/or shaping humanitarian policies and practices. Finally, we will examine the ways ‘non-Western’ actors and humanitarian organizations are reshaping the field of humanitarianism and relationships across the Global South more broadly.
Tagged with:
- Africana Studies
- Latin American, Iberian, and Latinx Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science
- Political Science at Haverford
Typically Offered: Every Spring
ITAL B218 Early-Modern Intersections: A New Italian Renaissance (1 Unit)
The period or movement commonly referred to as the Renaissance remains one of the great iconic moments of global history: a time of remarkable innovation within artistic and intellectual culture, and a period still widely regarded as the crucible of modernity. Although lacking a political unity and being constantly colonized by European Empires, Italy was the original heartland of the Renaissance, and home to some of its most powerful and enduring figures, such as Leonardo and Michelangelo in art, Petrarch and Ariosto in literature, Machiavelli in political thought. This course provides an overview of Italian culture from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century by adopting a cross-cultural, intersectional, and inter-disciplinary approach. The course places otherness at the center of the picture rather than at its margins, with the main aim to look at pivotal events and phenomena (the rise of Humanism, courtly culture, the canonization of the language), not only from the point of view of its protagonists but also through the eyes of its non-male, non-white, non-Christian, and non-heterosexual witnesses. The course ultimately challenges traditional accounts of the Italian Renaissance by crossing also disciplinary boundaries, since it examines not only literary, artistic, and intellectual history, but also material culture, cartography, science, technology, and history of food and fashion. All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students seeking Italian credits will complete their assignments in the target language.
Tagged with:
- Africana Studies
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- History
- History at Haverford
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
College Requirement(s):
- Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
- Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ITAL B221 What is Aesthetics? Theories on Art, Imagination, and Poetry (1 Unit)
This course investigates how global thinkers, poets, and artists reflected in their works on the roles and powers of art, poetry, and human creativity. The course approaches this theme through a cross-cultural and trans-historical approach, which encompasses the Italian Humanism, which argued for the first time for the importance of aesthetic knowledge, as well as the Age of Enlightenment, which founded ‘aesthetics’ as a specific scientific discipline. Readings from these writers will show how artistic products, human imagination, and poetry are not just light-hearted activities but powerful cognitive tools which can reveal aspects of human history. If the human being is deemed to be a combination of reason and feeling – soul and body – art and poetry, which border both the rational and irrational realms, appear the most appropriate scientific tool to reveal the human essence and its destiny. The discussion will focus on pivotal global writers and philosophers such as Giambattista Vico and Giacomo Leopardi, who pioneered aesthetic, historical, literary, and anthropological ideas which are still crucial in the current theoretical debate on arts and poetry. All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students will have an additional hour of class for Italian credit.
Tagged with:
- German
- German at Haverford
- History
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Philosophy
- Philosophy at Haverford
College Requirement(s):
- Critical Interpretation (CI)
- Inquiry into the Past (IP)
Typically Offered: Occasionally
ITAL B326 Love, Magic, and Medicine: Poetical-Philosophical Bonds (1 Unit)
The course investigates how the concepts of love, magic, and medicine emerged and developed throughout early modernity and beyond. In exploring the fields of Philosophy, Medicine, and Magic, global thinkers, poets, and artists drew not only from classical sources, but were also deeply influenced by a wide range of models, such as fictional ancient sources, Islamic philosophy, and the Jewish Kabbalah. In this interesting syncretism, love was considered as an inspiration experienced by the entire universe, and magical practice was understood as a philosophy in action, which had the power to establish a bond of a loving nature between the different realms of reality. Magicians were therefore conceived as wise philosophers capable of joining this network of correspondences and controlling them (art)ificially. As a result, the figures of poets and artists interestingly merged into those of magicians of physicians, and poetry was conceived both as a magic able to arouse mental images stronger than real visions, and as a medicine able to exert a mental and physiological agency on the body. The course will approach these themes through a multi-disciplinary and trans-historical approach, which will include in the discussion a wide variety of figures, such as global early modern and modern philosophers, physicians, poets, artists, and composers.All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students will have an additional hour of class for Italian credit.
Tagged with:
- Classical Culture and Society at Bryn Mawr
- Classical Languages at Bryn Mawr
- Classical Studies
- Health Studies
- Health Studies
- History
- History of Art
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Philosophy
- Philosophy at Haverford
College Requirement(s): Course does not meet an Approach
Typically Offered: Occasionally
POLS B283 Middle East Politics (1 Unit)
This course offers an overview on the contemporary politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the relevant social (mostly political) science work on it. It brings together empirical knowledge on domestic and transnational politics in different countries of the region and how empirical political science around the big questions is conducted. Each module of the course revolves around a central question that has been keeping social and political scientists busy in the last decades: What triggers risky protest movements in authoritarian settings? Why has the MENA region remained authoritarian despite successive global waves of democratization? Under which conditions do transitions to democracies succeed? Do monarchies in the Middle East have an advantage in ensuring political stability, and if so, why? Is it impossible to ensure good governance and peace at the same time in divided societies? What motivates people to take up arms in the name of religion and sect? What are the reasons behind the economic underdevelopment of the MENA region? Students are also invited to think about these “big questions” and take MENA countries as their case studies, while at the same significantly enhancing their contextual knowledge about the region. No prerequisites, but either some prior familiarity with the Middle East or a prior political science course encouraged.
Tagged with:
- Hebrew and Judaic Studies
- International Studies
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science at Haverford
College Requirement(s): Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)
Typically Offered: Every Year
POLS B362 Civil Society and Social Movements in the Middle East (1 Unit)
This course explores the role of civil society and social movements in shaping politics across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Centering this course on practices of society and non-state actors, we will aim to broaden our understanding of the MENA region beyond scholarship more typical to the area, such as authoritarianism, political violence, and international politics. We will examine how civil society has emerged in the region, adapted, and persisted in contexts of political repression, authoritarianism, and conflict. Special attention will be paid to the Arab Spring in 2011, and how those social movements across the region have shaped politics for the past 15 years. Other topics include the rise of Islamist activism, feminist organizing across the region, everyday resistance, labor organizing, the rise of NGOs, and the formalization of civil society, among others. We will engage with the literature on social movements and civil society broadly and specialize our discussion with readings focusing on these themes within the MENA region and the literature. Prerequisite: Preferred course: Middle East Politics
Tagged with:
- Middle Eastern, Central Asian & North African Stud
- Political Science at Haverford
Typically Offered: Only Once
POLS B382 Political Parties, Polarization and Democracy (1 Unit)
Political parties are facing a crisis around the world. Trust in them as civic organizations plummets. Elite politicians do not invest in party organization-building and find other ways to build linkages with voters. Meanwhile, new forms of civic and political participation emerge, such as social media activism, boycotting and ‘buy’cotting, and occupation of urban spaces, the implications of which cannot be very well understood by parties. The Middle East and North Africa region, with its history of personalistic and/or militaristic authoritarian regimes, weak party organizations and divided societies, is experiencing an acute form of this crisis. While there is a heightened sense of political participation in the region, as indicated by the repetitive waves of protests since the early 2010s, people debate whether democracy and/or good governance are attainable without political parties.
Tagged with:
- History at Haverford
- International Studies
- Middle Eastern/Central Asian/North African Studies
- Political Science at Haverford
Writing in the Major: Writing Intensive
Typically Offered: Occasionally