ARAB 307 - Arab Civilization in Transition: Self, Culture, and Society in the Modern Period

Fall (3) Eisele. Prerequisite(s): ARAB 302 or consent of instructor

This course explores various themes pertinent to modern Arab political and sociological thought, using texts and audio as a basis for student writing, discussion and oral presentations. Themes may include: Islam and politics, women & gender, environmental issues, the role of politicians and intellecutuals (Abd al-Nasser, Muhammad Abdo, Qasim Amin, Taha Hussein). The student will be expected to make analytical comments on the content of the material presented as well as to handle the language at a 300-level course (high intermediate to advanced). The overall goal of this content course is to prepare students for independent work in Arabic as they grow comfortable with more advanced texts and those taken directly from sources in the Arabic speaking world, such as news broadcasts or documentaries from Al-Jazeera, etc. The combination of textbook and supplemental materials provides this transition from “class work” to “real world.”