Viewing: NELC 034 C1: Israel in Middle East

Last approved: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:22:36 GMT

Last edit: Sat, 27 Apr 2019 00:31:48 GMT

Rationale for Inactivation

Last Effective Term

Requested By

First Name	Last Name	Userid	Title	Home School	Org Short Name
Alon	Tam	alontam	VISITING SCHOLAR	School of Arts and Sciences	Center for Judaic Studies

Course Subject

NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES & CIVLZT

Course Number

034

Start Term

Fall 2019 (Deactivations ONLY)

Committee Term

Spring 2019

Course Title

Israel in Middle East

Course Description

This introductory level course will offer an in-depth look at Israeli history and society, and how it relates to the Middle East through varying lenses. We will consider such topics as the rise of Jewish, Palestinian, and Arab nationalisms in the context of changing imperial control over Palestine/Israel (from Ottoman to British), and the emergence of the Middle East in its current borders; Conflict and conflict-resolution in Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East; Israel's Palestinian minority, Jewish immigrants to Israel from the Middle East, food and music culture in Israel, and their connection to the Middle East; or the place of the Middle East in Israeli literature and film. We will use cutting edge research from several disciplines, as well as literature, film, audio, and photographic evidence. Students will leave the class with a firm grasp of Israeli history and society, and will be widely familiar with the different narratives, viewpoints, and complexities concerning Israel and its position in the Middle East. Prior knowledge of Israeli or Middle Eastern history is not required.

Also Offered As

JWST 041 - Israel in Middle East

Syllabus

Israel in the Middle East PRELIMINARY Syllabus.pdf

Course Frequency

Foundational Approach

Term Offered

Foundational Approaches

Cross Cultural Analysis

Format

Instructor Name

Alon Tam

Instructor Type

Instructor Status

Part Time Lecturer

Place in Curriculum

Instructor's objectives

Methods of Assessment

Number and size of paper(s) assigned

Number and type of exams

Other Requirements

Cross Cultural Analysis

How does the course examine the social values, institutions, and patterns of organization of a culture from within its own perspective?

The course focuses directly on such issues as: religion, gender, modernity, socio-economic patterns, nationalism, social and national conflict, and the construction of social and cultural identities, in Israel, and in other test-case cultures in the Middle East. In addition to established research, it does so by examining cultural products such as literature, film, and music, as well as other primary texts such as manifestos and essays, produced by Israelis, and by other, test-case societies in the Middle East for comparative purposes.

How does the course consider the relationships AMONG the following aspects of the culture(s) in question: art, religion, literature, philosophy, social behavior and institutions, and responses to other cultures?

Beyond historical background, specific classes will be entirely devoted to representations in photography, film, music; literature will be used as a primary source; and other classes will focus on religious expressions, Middle Eastern culture in Israel, or Israeli cultural orientation toward the Middle East. This is a highly comparative class that aims to expose cultural and other affinities, connections, influences, similarities and differences between Israel and other societies in the Middle East.

If the course focuses on a particular element in a culture, can you explain how it relates that element to other more general aspects?

N/A. The course focuses on multiple aspects of Israeli and Middle Eastern cultures and societies.

How does the course teach students the methods required for sensitive and critical cultural analysis, such as the informed reading of texts, artifacts, and social institutions?

The course uses cutting-edge research from a variety of disciplines, including history, sociology, economics, anthropology, and cultural analysis. The fundamental premises of each discipline will be thoroughly discussed in class. Based on these discussions, students will engage in analyses of visual material, literary and other texts, film, and music.

Cultural Diversity in the US

The course should examine one or more of the following forms of differentiation: race/ethnicity, immigrant status, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation. Which does it emphasize?

The course may emphasize a comparative perspective within a particular classification scheme (for example, African Americans and Hispanics). If so, please describe:

The course may examine the intersection between two or more of these means of differentiation (for example, race and immigrant status, minority status and sexual orientation). If so, please describe:

The course should address issues of inequality, stratification, and power. Please explain how it does so.

What is the primary method of analysis for the course? (For example, analysis of social scientific data, critical reading of literature, and so forth.)

Quantitative Data Analysis

Prerequisites

Who is the course intended for?

Sample assignments or exam questions.

Do students actively analyze and interpret quantitative data? Explain.

Do students interpret quantitative data to evaluate hypotheses and/or to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

What types of quantitative analyses are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of random variability and elementary level of statistical analysis of data?

Formal Reasoning

Do students learn formal structures of thought and how to apply them to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

If the course also engages students in the statistical analysis of empirical data, is the preponderance of attention give to formal structures implicated in deductive reasoning rather than on inductive reasoning from data to empirical generalizations? Explain.

Types of Analysis: What types of formal analysis are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of mathematics, formal logic, formal linguistics, computation and algorithmic thinking, decision theory, or some combination of these?

Administrative Fields

College reason for proposal

Committee

Committee Reader

Administrative Status

Reviewer Comments

History

Viewing: NELC 034 C1: Israel in Middle East

Last approved: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:22:36 GMT

Last edit: Sat, 27 Apr 2019 00:31:48 GMT

Foundational Approach

Methods of Assessment

Cross Cultural Analysis

Cultural Diversity in the US

Quantitative Data Analysis

Formal Reasoning

Administrative Fields