HIST 323
Middle East in the World: 1700-Present (GL) (WI)
1. Catalog Entry
HIST 323
Middle East in the World: 1700-Present (GL) (WI)
Credit hours (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of HIST at 100 level
This course covers the major cultural, political, social, economic, and environmental
aspects of the history of the Middle East from the eighteenth century to the present.
Students will learn about the changing imperial situation in the region, the rise
of nationalism, the end of formal colonization and the role of the United States in
the region.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
2. Detailed Description of Course
This course will ask students to consider a number of questions designed to help them
understand the way that the Middle East has been and continues to be connected to
the rest of the world. To that end, we will ask: What is the 鈥淢iddle East鈥� and how
has it been defined as a region over time? How has oil transformed the Middle East
over the last century? How did the age of European imperialism affect the region?
What are the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli issue and why is it so intractable?
What are the historical bases of the contemporary social and political revolutions
in the region? How are all these questions related to each other and other world-historical
processes? These are only some of the questions that the course will address. Moving
both thematically and chronologically through the history of the 鈥淢iddle East鈥� from
the eighteenth century to the present day, the course will expand student understanding
of how the Middle East has interacted with other regions in the world, and what those
interactions mean for our world today.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The course will consist of a combination of lectures and discussions, some of which
will be student-led. Students may be asked to give formal presentations on select
topics.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Having successfully completed this course, students will be able to:
1) Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical
issues, acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of
pertinent historical events and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with
the concepts of historical argument and interpretation.
2) Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies
to locate and analyze primary and secondary source evidence,
processing and organizing the resultant data, and composing proper citation
and bibliographical entries.
3) Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills
to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss,
for example, historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments
and that address issues such as the causes and consequences of
historical change and continuity.
5. Assessment Measures
Course assessment may consist of tests and paper assignments, some of which may require
significant student research.
6. Other Course Information
None.
Review and Approval
April 23, 2014
March 01, 2021