Catalog of Courses for Middle Eastern & South Asian
Introduction to the sound and writing systems of Arabic, including basic sentence structure and morphological patterns. A combination of the direct, audio-lingual, proficiency-based, and translation methods is used. The format consists of classroom discussions of a certain grammatical point followed by intensive practice.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
Introduction to the sound and writing systems of Arabic, including basic sentence structure and morphological patterns. A combination of the direct, audio-lingual, proficiency-based, and translation methods is used. The format consists of classroom discussions of a certain grammatical point followed by intensive practice. Prerequisite: ARAB 1010 or equivalent.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute. Prerequisites: ARAB 1016 or equivalent.
This course is intended for students with native or near-native speaking ability in Arabic, but with little or no reading and writing ability in Standard Arabic (MSA). The course focuses on reading and writing Arabic and aim to help students to: (a) achieve control of the Arabic sounds, (b) be able to write and speak in MSA, (c) and express themselves clearly in written form on a variety of topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
Continues training in modern standard Arabic, with emphasis on speaking, comprehension, writing, and reading. The method of teaching primarily follows the proficiency-based approach to language learning. Prerequisite: for ARAB 2010: ARAB 1020 or equivalent, or instructor permission; for ARAB 2020: ARAB 2010 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic intermediate level expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Prerequistes: ARAB 1016 & 1026 or equivalent.
Continues training in modern standard Arabic, with emphasis on speaking, comprehension, writing, and reading. The method of teaching primarily follows the proficiency-based approach to language learning. Prerequisite: for ARAB 2010: ARAB 1020 or equivalent, or instructor permission; for ARAB 2020: ARAB 2010 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This intensive course begins with instruction in intermediate level oral expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Prerequisites: ARAB 1016 , 1026 & 2016 or equivalent.
This course is for students with native or near-native speaking ability in Arabic, but with reading and writing ability equivalent to ARAB 1020. The course focuses on reading and writing Arabic. The goals of this course are to help students: (a) achieve a basic level of reading competency with rich vocabulary; (b) express themselves clearly in written Arabic on a variety of topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary. This course fulfills the college language requirement.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic intermediate level expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
Introduces students to spoken Arabic, with oral production highly emphasized. Prerequisite: ARAB 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course intends to introduce students to a variety of colloquial Arabic by enabling them to communicate with native speakers in the region where this variety is spoken. The focus will be on vocabulary and expressions used in daily life. Prerequisite: ARAB 1010 and ARAB 1020, or instructor's permission.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic intermediate level expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
This course is a continuation of ARAB 2256. The course intends to introduce students to a variety of colloquial Arabic by enabling them to communicate with native speakers in the region where this variety is spoken. The focus will be on the vocabulary and expressions used in daily life. Prerequisite: ARAB 1010, ARAB 1020, and ARAB 2256. or instructor's permission
This course intends to introduce the students to colloquial Levantine Arabic by enabling them to communicate in Levantine Arabic, the colloquial spoken in Syria, Lebanon, the Holy Land, and Western Jordan Prerequisite: First Year Arabic
This course intends to introduce the students to colloquial Levantine Arabic by enabling them to communicate in Levantine Arabic, the colloquial spoken in Syria, Lebanon, the Holy Land, and Western Jordan Prerequisite: First year Arabic and ARAB 0256/2256
The goal of this course is to increase the student's knowledge of the Arabic language and culture via a communicative-based approach, meaning that though the students will be expected to learn grammatical structures emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language and on communication in context. Prerequisites: ARAB 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
For students residing in the Arabic group in Shea House. Prerequisite: instructor permission.
The goal of this course is to increase the student's knowledge of the Arabic language and culture via a communicative-based approach, meaning that though the students will be expected to learn grammatical structures emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language and on communication in context. Prerequisites: ARAB 3010 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Using a communicatively oriented, proficiency-based approach the course will focus on the communicative prodution skills (speaking and writing) in the language through a combination of interactive classroom activities, take-home assignments and group work. Emphasis will be on the development of these two skills. Students will also be introduced to aspects of the Arab culture to build cultural awareness and communicative competence.
Develops oral and written proficiency to an advanced level of fluency, with emphasis on speaking and writing. Prerequisite: ARAB 3230 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
The course aims to provide advanced training in developing linguistic and communicative skills in business Arabic. The business topics cover data & communication, finance, insurance, law & contract, research & production, marketing, transport, travel, meetings, and conferences. Instructor permission.
This course aims to introduce students of third-year and fourth-year Arabic to Arabic poetry and culture through classical and contemporary songs. Many Arabic songs are taken from poems and they reflect different literary trends: romantic, religious, patriotic, Sufi, and contemplative poems. We will explore these poems, their impact on the Arabic collective unconscious, and cultural influence when turned into songs.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Arabic.
In this course students will develop a mastery of core items relevant to Modern Standard Arabic grammar, a mastery which will enable them to produce discreet, sophisticated sentences, as well as to compose paragraphs and essays, all while utilizing the grammar points covered in this class. Those interested in taking this course are required to have completed ARAB 2020 or equivalent, or to receive approval of instructor.
Students are introduced to twentieth-century Arabic fiction, and to the varied genres of prose including letters, memoirs, short stories, travelogues, and novels. Topics include autobiography, war and nation construction, fantasy, and political and sexual identity crises. Students become acquainted with different schools of modern Arabic literary criticism, and learn to analyze texts using critical analysis and specific theoretical terminology. Prerequisite: ARAB 3020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
The main goal at this stage is to reach a superior level of Modern Standard Arabic with due attention paid to all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing in addition to culture. Acquisition of more advanced grammatical structures will take place primarily through directed in-class drilling, coupled with an emphasis on the functional use of language through communication in context. Prerequisite: ARAB 3020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
The main goal at this stage is to reach a superior level of Modern Standard Arabic with due attention paid to all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing in addition to culture. Acquisition of more advanced grammatical structures will take place primarily through directed in-class drilling, coupled with an emphasis on the functional use of language through communication in context.
This course introduces students to modern Arabic drama from the early pioneers' period in the 20th century to the contemporary era. We will study different forms of this genre including: musicals, traditional, experimental, feminist, and social drama. Further, students become acquainted with different schools of modern Arabic literary criticism and learn to analyze dramatic texts using critical analysis and specific theoretical terminology. Prerequisites: ARAB 5830 or 5840, or instructor's permission.
In this course, we will examine the themes of love, war, and diaspora in the literature of the Lebanese writer, Hoda Barakat. Some of the topics that will interest us are: the role of the author as a witness to the Lebanese civil war, the challenges of rewriting history, recreating the homeland's image in diasporic locales, collective and individual memories and its role in trauma recall and testimony.
Students will gain insight and learn to appreciate some of the most influential "Arab" literary figures and some of the most celebrated classical Arabic prose masterpieces. Students will also broaden their critical and comparative perspectives with regard to some of the most important literary and cultural issues related to the overall poetics and politics of the Arabic-Islamic heritage. Prereq: ARAB 3020 or Instructor Permission.
This course explores the unduly studied corpus of Arabic writings that describes the encounters with and perception of the Other. Much effort will be devoted to investigate medieval and early modern Arab-Muslim views of the Other in a cross-generic selection of non-religious Arabic prose such as travelogues, diplomatic memoirs, captivity reports, marvels, folktales, literary debates/boasting, and poetry. Prerequisite: ARAB 3020
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Arabic.
Independent Study in Arabic
The goal of this course is to increase the student's knowledge of the Arabic language and culture via a communicative-based approach, meaning that though the students will be expected to learn grammatical structures emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language and on communication in context. Prerequisites: ARAB 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
The goal of this course is to increase the student's knowledge of the Arabic language and culture via a communicative-based approach, meaning that though the students will be expected to learn grammatical structures emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language and on communication in context. Prerequisites: ARAB 3010 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
In this course, we will examine the themes of love, war, and diaspora in the literature of the Lebanese writer, Hoda Barakat. Some of the topics that will interest us are: the role of the author as a witness to the Lebanese civil war, the challenges of rewriting history, recreating the homeland's image in diasporic locales, collective and individual memories and its role in trauma recall and testimony.
Students will gain insight and learn to appreciate some of the most influential 'Arab' literary figures and some of the most celebrated classical Arabic prose masterpieces. Students will also broaden their critical and comparative perspectives with regard to some of the most important literary and cultural issues related to the overall poetics and politics of the Arabic-Islamic heritage.
The main goal at this stage is to reach a superior level of Modern Standard Arabic with due attention paid to all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing in addition to culture. Acquisition of more advanced grammatical structures will take place primarily through directed in-class drilling, coupled with an emphasis on the functional use of language through communication in context. Prerequisites: ARAB 3020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course focuses on reading texts in Modern Standard Arabic of different genres.
This course aims to introduce students of third-year and fourth-year Arabic to Arabic poetry and culture through classical and contemporary songs. Many Arabic songs are taken from poems and they reflect different literary trends: romantic, religious, patriotic, Sufi, and contemplative poems. We will explore these poems, their impact on the Arabic collective unconscious, and cultural influence when turned into songs.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Arabic.
Students are introduced to twentieth-century Arabic fiction, and to the varied genres of prose including letters, memoirs, short stories, travelogues, and novels. Topics include autobiography, war and nation construction, fantasy, and political and sexual identity crises. Students become acquainted with different schools of modern Arabic literary criticism, and learn to analyze texts using critical analysis and specific theoretical terminology. Prerequisite: ARAB 3020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Emphasis on reading modern Arabic prose, and writing descriptive and narrative short essays. Prerequisite: ARAB 3020/5020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Exposure to selected reading material in modern Arabic prose, and writing of short essays, summaries, and descriptive pieces in Arabic. Prerequisite: ARAB 5830 or instructor permission.
Examination of electronic (television and radio) and print (newspapers, magazines, periodic publications) Arabic. Prerequisite: ARAB 5530 and 5540, or ARAB 3010/5010 and 3020/5020, or instructor permission.
The course treats in depth aspects of Arabic Grammar. It enables leaners to produce orally and in writing samples of Modern Standard Arabic.
This course introduces students to modern Arabic drama from the early pioneers' period in the 20th century to the contemporary era. We will study different forms of this genre including: musicals, traditional, experimental, feminist, and social drama. Further, students become acquainted with different schools of modern Arabic literary criticism and learn to analyze dramatic texts using critical analysis and specific theoretical terminology. Prerequisites: ARAB 5830 or 5840, or instructor's permission.
New Course in Arabic Prerequisite: ARAB 3020 or equivalent, or instructor permission
Independent Study in Arabic.
In this course, we will venture into the fascinating words and worlds of premodern Arab-Islamic leisure and pleasure. We will focus specifically on the literary representation of and socio-cultural/theosophical debate on humor, pleasantry, wit, frivolity, eating, feasting, banquets crashing, dietetics, erotology, aphrodisiacs, sexual education and hygiene.
Introduction to the development and themes of modern Arabic literature (poetry, short stories, novels and plays). Taught in English.
A comprehensive overview of contemporary Arab women's literature, this course examines all Arab women's literary genres starting from personal letters, memoirs, speeches, poetry, fiction, drama, to journalistic articles and interviews. Selected texts cover various geographic locales and theoretical perspectives. Special emphasis will be given to the issues of Arab female authorship, subjectivity theory, and to the question of Arab Feminism.
The course explores the literary masterworks of some of the most celebrated prose authors of the Classical Islamicate World. Students will develop an appreciation for the development of the intellectual history of what may be called, not without reservation, the medieval and early modern Middle East (including North Africa, al-Andalus and Sicily).
The course will concentrate on cinemas of Egypt, the Maghrib (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) as well as Syrian and Palestinian films. It will examine major moments in the history of these cinemas and the political developments that have inevitably had a major influence on filmmaking in the region.
This course is meant to work with students on major works of Arabic literature in English translation
In this course we will focus specifically on the literary representation of and socio-cultural/theosophical debate on humor, pleasantry, wit, frivolity, eating, feasting, banquets crashing, dietetics, erotology, aphrodisiacs, sexual education and hygiene. We will organize the course around selected readings from a variety of premodern Arabic jocular, culinary and erotological literature available in English translations.
Introduction to the development and themes of modern Arabic literature (poetry, short stories, novels, and plays). Taught in English.
A comprehensive overview of contemporary Arab women's literature, this course examines all Arab women's literary genres starting from personal letters, memoirs, speeches, poetry, fiction, drama, to journalistic articles and interviews. Selected texts cover various geographic locales and theoretical perspectives. Special emphasis will be given to the issues of Arab female authorship, subjectivity theory, and to the question of Arab Feminism.
This course explores the literary masterworks of some of the most celebrated authors of the classical Islamicate world (500-1500). Drawing on both classical Arabic-Islamic and modern Western theories, we will further form comparative insights into the poetics and politics of the humanist topics encountered across our literary journeys into the rich corpus of Arabic-Islamic adab (belles-lettres).
The course will concentrate on cinemas of Egypt, the Maghrib (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) as well as Syrian and Palestinian films. It will examine major moments in the history of these cinemas and the political developments that have inevitably had a major influence on filmmaking in the region.
An introduction to the pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and writing system of modern Israeli Hebrew. By the end of this sequence students have mastered the core grammatical principles of Hebrew, along with a basic vocabulary of 1000 words, and they are able to read and understand simple texts and carry out simple conversation. Includes material on Israeli culture, history, and politics.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute.
Prerequisite: HEBR 1010.
This intensive course begins with instruction in basic oral expression, listening comprehension, elementary reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills at the intermediate level. Part of the Summer Language Institute. Prerequisite: HEBR 1016 or equivalent
This is the non-credit option for HEBR 1016.
This is the non-credit option for HEBR 1026.
First half of a year-long introduction to biblical Hebrew, using an innovative language-learning approach. Through communicative activities in an immersive environment, students acquire oral and aural capacities naturally, in Hebrew. These capacities enable students to internalize the language and thus achieve the overall course goal: read simple biblical Hebrew prose with immediate comprehension. No prerequisites.
Second half of a year-long introduction to biblical Hebrew, using an innovative language-learning approach. Through communicative activities in an immersive environment, students acquire oral and aural capacities naturally, internalize the language, and efficiently develop the ability to read biblical Hebrew prose with immediate comprehension. Students read the prose portions of the Book of Jonah and master basic Hebrew grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 1410 or the equivalent.
Continuation of the study of the fundamentals of grammar, with special attention to verb conjugation, noun declension, and syntactic structure, and their occurrence in texts which deal with modern Israeli culture and values. These texts, which include excerpts from newspapers and fiction, introduce 600 new words and expose the learner to political and other issues of modern Israel. Prerequisite: HEBR 1020 with grade of C or above, or instructor permission.
This intensive course begins with instruction in intermediate level oral expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Part of the Summer Language Institute. Prerequisite: HEBR 1016 & 1026 or equivalent
Prerequisite: HEBR 1020 with grade of C or above, or instructor permission.
This intensive course begins with instruction in intermediate level oral expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and continues with further development of these four skills. Part of the Summer Language Institute. Prerequisite: HEBR 1016, 1026 & 2016 or equivalent
This is the non-credit option for HEBR 2016.
This is the non-credit option for HEBR2026.
Readings in the prose narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Emphasizes grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Attention to issues of translation and interpretation. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 1420 or the equivalent
Readings in the poetry of the Hebrew Bible. Emphasizes grammar, vocabulary, and poetics. Attention to issues of translation and interpretation. Prerequisite: HEBR/RELJ 2410 or the equivalent
This course focuses on the conjugation of weak, or hollow verbs, and the passive of all conjugations. It also continues the study of subordinate clauses with special attention to adverbial clauses and their use. Texts for the course, which form the basis for class discussion in Hebrew and exercises in Hebrew composition, are drawn from various genres. Prerequisite: HEBR 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Prerequisite: HEBR 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Independent study for advanced students of Hebrew. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
Students whose proficiency in Modern Hebrew has already reached the advanced level, or alternatively students who for their research focus on Hebrew Literature in translation, will pursue an independent study that will focus on the reading and interpretation of texts, as well as the analysis of media. Prerequisite: HEBR 3010
Introductory training in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Hindi and Urdu.
Prerequisite: HIND 1010.
This course is designed for heritage students who have some prior, informal proficiency in Hindi. Students work on their listening and speaking skills and achieve basic reading and writing skills so that they can handle simple written texts and converse appropriately on day-to-day situations with grammatical accuracy and suitable vocabulary.
This class is designed to introduce and improve all aspects of the Hindi language. We learn the script in detail and learn enough grammar for students to move on to Intermediate or Advanced Hindi. Most course material will be handouts specially designed for this class and online listening materials.
One-time course offerings in Hindi at the 1000 (first and second semester) level.
Introduction to various types of written and spoken Hindi; vocabulary building, idioms and problems of syntax; and conversation in Hindi. Prerequisite: HIND 1020 or equivalent.
Prerequisite: HIND 2010 or equivalent.
This course is designed for heritage students who have some prior, informal proficiency in Hindi. Students work on their listening and speaking skills and achieve basic reading and writing skills so that they can handle simple written texts and converse appropriately on day-to-day situations with grammatical accuracy and suitable vocabulary.
Readings are drawn from areas of particular interest to the students involved, and include readings from various disciplines. Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent or instructor permission.
Language is a dynamic entity, and it keeps on changing. In HIND-3011, we will learn and build upon our knowledge of Hindi through social media, TV commercials, News, legendary Bollywood dialogues and songs that never lose their charm, and podcasts. The efforts to excel in Hindi reading, writing, speaking, and listening will remain the pivot for the course to improve your confidence in Hindi.
This course uses Bollywood cinema as course material to learn more about the culture related to Hindi, expand your Hindi language skills, and make you competent to use Hindi even more efficiently. This course emphasizes individual learning styles and preferences and advances all the aspects of the Hindi Language. We explore how language and culture are interrelated with the help of some Bollywood movies.
For students residing in the Hindu group in Shea House. Prerequisite: instructor permission.
Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent or instructor permission.
This course is to allow 3000-level new courses in HIndi to be taught for one semester.
Independent Study in Hindi
Readings are drawn from areas of student interest and include readings from various disciplines. Restricted to area studies majors and minors. Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Survey of Central Asian civilizations from the first to the twenty-first centuries, with particular emphasis on nomadism, invasions, conquests, and major religious-cultural developments.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Middle Eastern and South Asian studies.
"Transnational Circuits of Cinema: An Introduction to Middle East - South Asia Film History" - Since its very inception as a traveling fairground attraction, cinema has been a globally-circulating medium. This course begins in the moment of early cinema and proceeds through the contemporary moment, with a focus on Middle East - South Asia genealogies of filmmaking.
From the ancient history of games like chess and backgammon, to sports like badminton and falconry, to the "Great Game" of imperial conquests, this course offers a theme-based gateway to the long-connected regions of the Middle East and South Asia. Over the semester, we'll explore this region of the world through short stories, films, tv shows, games themselves, and cameo visits by other faculty--all on the topic of "playing games"!
Survey of the Indian Ocean history from 8000 BCE to present. Includes rise of major religions in the area, dynamics of trade, including the influence of European expansion and the resistance to it.
Women in the Middle East and South Asia have embraced social media as a tool for expressing their identities and promoting causes important to them. This course examines women's use of social media in five selected countries -Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, and Pakistan - and investigates how it simultaneously enables and limits women's empowerment.
This course offers a semester-long study of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian representation and racialization in American popular culture via the superhero genre. Engaging with visual media (comics, television, film), creator talks and interviews, and academic writing, we will think critically about how people and ideas travel across borders.
New course in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies.
This introductory course surveys recent revolutionary movements sweeping across the Islamic World, from North Africa, the Middle East into Asia, including the "Arab Spring." Key course questions include: Why rebel? Why now? What for? How? Are they spreading, failing, or being 'hijacked?' What roles have external actors played? What would Jefferson think?
From arid cities to irrigated fields, hot deserts to high mountains, the Middle East and South Asia encompasses a range of environments for thinking through the relationships between nature and society, people and animals, human and nonhuman worlds.
"Film Festivals and Global Media Cultures: Middle East- South Asia Spotlight"- With an emphasis on transnational film festival histories and collective media cultures in the Middle East and South Asia, this course offers a semester-long study of film festivals, as an intersection of historical and media industry approaches to cinema. Tie-ins will include comparative analyses of local film cultures and film festivals.
This course surveys the classics of Islamic mystical writing, spanning from the Middle East to South Asia and the Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Indian vernacular languages. With an eye to both form and content, we will examine the literary productions - both poetry and prose - of some of the most influential Sufi figures in Islamic history, including Rabi`a, Ibn al-Farid, Rumi, Hafiz, Khusrow, Bulleh Shah, and others. Readings in English translation.
This course offers a survey of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian American comic books, graphic novels, and graphic memoirs. Reading fiction and nonfiction comics, paired with academic and critical writing and other media, we will think critically about what it means for creators of different diasporas and differently marginalized identities to produce art for readers in the United States.
In this course we will examine the history of astrology, as both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery, from the ancient to the contemporary periods. Astrology played a significant, albeit underappreciated, role in the making of ancient and medieval societies. We will consider astrology's early global status as a science with immutable laws, and its 17th-century designation as a pseudo-science in Western thought.
Part one surveys the history of science in the Islamic world, focusing on scientific developments that emerged from the encounter with Greek, Sanskrit, and European cultures. Muslim conceptions of the relationship between science and religion will also be examined. Part two explores contemporary Islamic scientific thought, focusing on Muslim responses to the environmental crisis, utilizing water pollution and India's Yamuna River as a case study.
This course is devoted to the longstanding screen histories of A Thousand and One Nights. We will investigate the way in which the text has variously congealed into a cinematic genre in its own right; a catapult for explorations of the fantastic, iterated as the wonders of technology/medium and sensuality; a contested site of negotiating Orientalist desires and stereotypes; and a platform for reflection upon the question of storytelling itself.
This course explores the cinematic and media worlds of fictional spies. We'll consider histories of espionage and zoom in on the Cold-War-era heyday of modern espionage and fictional spies. By following the narrative, formal, and historical geographies of spy genres in and beyond the Middle East and South Asia, we'll connect depictions of espionage and gadgetry to perspectives on seeing and being in the modern world.
This course provides an introduction to the peoples, cultures, and histories of the Middle East through an examination of language-use. We focus on Israel/Palestine--and the contact between Hebrew and Arabic--as a microcosm for the region as a whole. Readings present ethnographic, linguistic, and literary perspectives on language, identity, and the general processes of SELF/OTHER constructions in contexts of political and military confrontation. Prerequisites: previous coursework in Anthropology, Linguistics, or Middle East Studies.
New Course in Middle Eastern & South Asian Studies
How do we know what we know, and why do we feel what we feel, about Israel/Palestine? This course challenges us to reflect on this question by offering key perspectives on both the modern history of Palestine/Israel, on the one hand; and the modern history of film, on the other, through a unique set of "outsider" films about Israel/Palestine from across the Middle East and South Asia.
New Course (or Topic) in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with guidance in developing their undergraduate capstone projects. The initial portion of the course will be heavy on readings, while the latter portion will be structured as a series of hands-on workshops that draw on the insights of the earlier readings, in order to guide students through a semester-long research project of their choosing.
Independent study in a special field under the direction of a faculty member in MESALC. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
Thesis research under the direction of a MESALC faculty member serving as thesis advisor and a second faculty member serving as second reader. The second faculty member may be from outside MESALC. Prerequisite: DMP major and instructor permission.
Thesis composition under the direction of a MESALC faculty member serving as thesis advisor and a second faculty member serving as second reader. The second faculty member may be from outside MESALC. Prerequisite: DMP major and instructor permission.
This course begins in the era of early cinema and proceeds through the contemporary moment, with a focus on Middle East -- South Asia genealogies of filmmaking. Its emphasis remains on the quintessentially transnational histories (parallels, intersections, circuits) of these cinemas - e.g., the centrality of popular Egyptian cinema within the Arab world; the prolific circulation of Hindi cinema across and beyond South Asia.
This course surveys the classics of Islamic mystical writing, spanning from the Middle East to South Asia and the Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Indian vernacular languages. With an eye to both form and content, we will examine the literary productions -- both poetry and prose -- of some of the most influential Sufi figures in Islamic history, including Rabi'a, Ibn al-Farid, Rumi, Hafiz, Khusrow, Bulleh Shah, and others. Readings in English translation.
New Course in Middle Eastern & South Asian Studies
New course in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with guidance in developing their graduate research projects. The initial portion of the course will be heavy on readings, while the latter portion will be structured as a series of hands-on workshops that draw on the insights of the earlier readings, in order to guide students through a semester-long research project of their choosing.
Independent Study II
Required course for all candidates for the Master of Arts in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies. During this course the final paper, required for the MA, is written. Includes instruction in research methodology, data analysis and a history of academic research on these areas.
For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.
For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.
Introduces the cultural traits and patterns of contemporary Arab society based on scholarly research, recent field work, and personal experiences and observations in the Arab world. Taught in English; no knowledge of Arabic is required.
The course will introduce students to the political history of Abbasid Baghdad from 762 to about 1300 CE. The Abbasids -- monarchs of the Arab/Islamic Empire -- reigned for 500 years, mostly from Baghdad, though many historians hold that their decision-making authority largely collapsed by the mid-10th century. The course will also introduce students to the study of early Arabic/Islamic historiography through the close study of primary texts.
This course looks at the social life of languages in Israel. Beginning historically with the philosophical debates about language, identity, and nationhood swirling around the 19th century European Jewish communities, we examine how the revival of Hebrew contributed to the establishment of the Israeli state in the 20th century, and how processes of language change have influenced political and aesthetic life in Israel today.
Covers Jewish languages Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic, Ladino, and Hebrew from historical, linguistic, and literary perspectives. Explores the relations between communities and languages, the nature of diaspora, and the death and revival of languages. No prior knowledge of these languages is required. This course is cross-listed with ANTH 2470.
New Course in Middle Eastern Studies
Introducing the cultural dimensions of Classical and Medieval Arab-Islamic Civilization (600-1400 CE). We will study how Arabs approach their worldly life and pleasures through literature; organize their social domain by ethical-law; construct their spirituality and worldview through religion; react to nature by science; and attempt to resolve the internal and external inconsistencies of their culture through theology, philosophy and mysticism.
This class aims to develop an understanding of the global significance of the 330 million Arabs as the fourth largest community in the world and Arabic as the fifth largest spoken language in a historical and thematic manner from the Ottomans (1400 CE) to the present.
This course aims to expose students to samples of original translated texts from the creative heritage of the Arab-Islamic civilization
This course reviews key milestones of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout the lends of competitive sports in the MENA regions and in Israel in particular. The course examines sports¿ role in reflecting socio-political divisions of religion, gender, class and representation struggles, while serving political interests as part of culture and identity building, as well as its utilization as a platform for ethno-nationalist violence.
This course will approach the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of literature and film. We will study memoirs, short stories, documentaries, and feature films in order to think about several broader historical themes, including: the relationship between religion and nationalism, the role of colonialism in the Middle East, the links between history and memory, and the meaning of homeland.
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the history and culture of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine, with emphasis on its cultural legacy. Considerable attention will be given to primary sources (Kramer, Arnold and others) and archaeological contributions (with slide illustrations).
In this course, we will examine the history of the Ottoman Empire through social, political and cultural changes and transformations. We will do this through concepts and phenomena such as state and empire formation, capitalism, class struggle, imperialism, colonialism, orientalism, nationalism, nation-building, patriarchy, and ethnic engineering. We will discuss each period and theme within a global framework.
Introduction to peoples, languages, cultures and histories of the Middle East. Focuses on Israel/Palestine as a microcosm of important social processes-such as colonialism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism, and modernization-that affect the region as a whole. This course is cross-listed with ANTH 3470. Prerequisite: Prior coursework in anthropology, middle east studies, or linguistics, or permission of the instructor.
In this course, we will examine how the current refugee crisis may be seen as a radical event of a scope that reaches beyond Europe and the Middle East. We will be looking at previously-shaped images of nation, religion, migration, and integration, as well as asylum, refuge, and citizenship. Ultimately, we will be using our newly gained knowledge as a tool to understand cultural inclusion and societal exclusion both "far away" and "at home."
This course provides a close look at Palestinian cultural and literary production within the State of Israel. Muslim and Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel. With the support of region-specific theory, and through a continuous engagement with (the English translation of) literature, music, film, spoken word, visual art, political speeches, and newspaper articles, you will develop a critical understanding of the multifaceted, contemporary manifestation of Palestinian voices in Israel.
This course offers an in-depth historical, philological, and socio-cultural exploration into the representation of the Afro-Arab and the African as depicted across a wide range of Arabic and Islamicate chronicles, saints' lives, and (mainly) folk epics, among sundry other genres. In the course of the semester, special attention will be given to significant moments in the history of Afro-Arab and Arab-African encounters.
New course in Middle Eastern Studies.
Middle East Studies Seminar
This course will address some of the religious, socio-political, and historical factors that have contributed to the shaping of the Arab Middle East and Arab identity(s) in the modern age. From the rise of Islam in the 7th century A.D., to the Ottoman Empire, to the colonial remapping of the Middle East during the period of the two World Wars,to the Gulf and Iraq wars, this course will help students gain an understanding of modern Arab culture.
This course offers an in-depth historical, philological, and socio-cultural exploration into the representation of the Afro-Arab and the African as depicted across a wide range of Arabic and Islamicate chronicles, saints' lives, and folktales, among sundry other genres. In the course of the semester, special attention will be given to significant moments in the history of Afro-Arab and Arab-African encounters.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Middle Eastern studies
Introducing the cultural dimensions of Classical and Medieval Arab-Islamic Civilization (600 - 1400 CE). We will study how Arabs approach their worldly life and pleasures through literature; organize their social domain by ethical-law; construct their spirituality and worldview through religion; react to nature by science; and attempt to resolve the internal and external inconsistencies of their culture through theology, philosophy and mysticism.
This class aims to develop an understanding of the global significance of the 330 million Arabs as the fourth largest community in the world and Arabic as the fifth largest spoken language in a historical and thematic manner from the Ottomans (1400 CE) to the present.
This course aims to expose students to samples of original translated texts from the creative heritage of the Arab-Islamic civilization
Introductory language sequence focusing on reading, writing, comprehending, and speaking modern Persian through audio-lingual methods. Persian grammar is introduced through sentence patterns in the form of dialogues and monologues.
Introductory language sequence focusing on reading, writing, comprehending, and speaking modern Persian through audio-lingual methods. Persian grammar is introduced through sentence patterns in the form of dialogues and monologues. Prerequisite: PERS 1010 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course is designed for Persian heritage students who many know spoken language to some extent, but they have not been exposed to formal or written language. It covers two semesters of Elementary Persian; emphasizing reading and writing skills, and the grammar of the language.
Each course focuses on the development of reading, writing, and speaking skills. Special attention is paid to reading comprehension using selections from classical and modern Persian prose and poetry, preparing students for advanced studies in Indo-Persian language and literature. Prerequisite: PERS 1020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
Each course focuses on the development of reading, writing, and speaking skills. Special attention is paid to reading comprehension using selections from classical and modern Persian prose and poetry, preparing students for advanced studies in Indo-Persian language and literature. Prerequisite: PERS 1020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course is designed to introduce the students to the world of Persian prose literature. We will read a variety of prose genre. We will look at the semantics, morphology, and syntax and analyze the topic vis-à-vis these aspects. Prerequisite: PERS 2020 or equivalent
The goal of this course is to increase student's efficiency in reading modern texts; ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts, to poetry. although the students will be expected to learn grammatical structures emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language and on communication in context. Prerequisites: Persian 3010 or instructor's permission.
For students residing in the Persian group in Shea House. Prerequisite: instructor permission.
A comprehensive, historical introduction to Persian poetry and prose from the 10th to the 18th centuries. Emphasizing the history and development of Persian poetry and prose, this advanced-level language course introduces various formal elements of Persian literary tradition. It analyzes literary texts and explores the linguistic structure, fine grammatical points, and syntactic intricacies of classical Persian. Prerequisite: PERS 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Persian.
Independent study for advanced students of Persian. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Persian.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Persian. Prerequisite: PERS 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission
Independent study for advanced students of Persian. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic int he subject area of Persian Translation.
This course examines the role of media in the formation, development, and outcomes of revolutions. Cases of the Iran Revolution of 2022, the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and the Constitutional Revolution of early 20th century will be discussed in depth and the part media played in the dissemination of ideas, news, propaganda, etc. in these socio-political movements will be explored.
This course aims to introduce students to Persian literature's contribution to global humanism through poetry and poetics. We'll explore how Persian romance novels in verse (masnavi) engage with themes like love, desire, beauty, and the Divine, and how these themes intersect with gender, religion, society, ethics, womanhood, and leadership. The main focus will be the narrative content, the poets' arguments, and the issues they raise.
Introduces modern Persian literature in the context of Iranian society and civilization. Lectures and discussions follow the development of modern Persian poetry and prose, and trace the influence of Western and other literature, as well as Iranian literary and cultural heritage, on the works of contemporary Iranian writers. Facilitates understanding of contemporary Iran, especially its people, both individually and collectively, with their particular problems and aspirations in the twentieth-century world. Taught in English.
This course is an introduction to major poets of Classical and Medieval Persian literature through learning about different poetic forms and genres, themes and topics, and motifs and images within the Persian literary canon by reading the works of poets from different centuries. We will also learn about these poets, their social lives, cultural changes, court affiliations, thoughts, and philosophies.
This seminar examines life narratives and other forms of literary output by Iranian women writers. We will examine the ways these writers have desegregated a predominantly all-male literary tradition, as well as their arrival at the forefront of a bloodless social movement. Some of the genres to be investigated include novels, short stories, poetry, autobiographies, memoirs, and films.
In this course, we study the experimental cinema of post-revolutionary Iran. We will examine issues related to gender, culture and religion, and study film as a gateway into understanding the cultural, historical and political issues in contemporary Iran.
Using a mix of cinema and literature, this course seeks to highlight how personal narratives of love and desire are often more than just individual stories. These stories don't exist in a vacuum; they are underwritten by the influence of politics on personal freedoms, the evolution and impact of gender roles, the tension between tradition and societal change, and the weight of cultural norms and expectations on individual choices.
The course focuses on two key twelfth-century texts: Nasrullah Munshi's Kalila and Dimna (translated by Wheeler Thackston), a collection of animal fables--featuring lions, jackals, elephants, hares, tortoises, snakes, ducks, and even ants--rooted in Indian and Persian moral traditions; and Farid ud-Din Attar's The Conference of the Birds (translated by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis), a Sufi allegory exploring the soul's journey.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic int he subject area of Persian Translation
This course examines the role of media in the formation, development, and outcomes of revolutions. Cases of the Iran Revolution of 2022, the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and the Constitutional Revolution of early 20th century will be discussed in depth and the part media played in the dissemination of ideas, news, propaganda, etc. in these socio-political movements will be explored.
Introduces modern Persian literature in the context of Iranian society and civilization. Lectures and discussions follow the development of modern Persian poetry and prose, and trace the influence of Western and other literature, as well as Iranian literary and cultural heritage, on the works of contemporary Iranian writers. Facilitates understanding of contemporary Iran, especially its people, both individually and collectively, with their particular problems and aspirations in the twentieth-century world. Taught in English.
This seminar examines life narratives and other forms of literary output by Iranian women writers. We will examine the ways these writers have desegregated a predominantly all-male literary tradition, as well as their arrival at the forefront of a bloodless social movement. Some of the genres to be investigated include novels, short stories, poetry, autobiographies, memoirs, and films.
This course focuses on the life and art of Forugh Farrokhzad in a spectrum of genres that includes poetry, travel narratives, literary criticism, essays, and films by and about her. Although from the beginning of her literary career, Farrokhzad was a daring, often irreverent explorer of taboo topics, she was also deeply rooted in the Iranian culture. We study the body of her work to better understand Iran in the 1950-60s
In this course, we study the experimental cinema of post-revolutionary Iran. We will examine issues related to gender, culture and religion, and study film as a gateway into understanding the cultural, historical and political issues in contemporary Iran.
Using a mix of cinema and literature, this course seeks to highlight how personal narratives of love and desire are often more than just individual stories. These stories don't exist in a vacuum; they are underwritten by the influence of politics on personal freedoms, the evolution and impact of gender roles, the tension between tradition and societal change, and the weight of cultural norms and expectations on individual choices.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Persian Translation
This course aims to introduce you to Persian literature¿s contribution to global humanism through poetry and poetics. We'll explore how Persian romance novels in verse (masnavi) engage with themes like love, desire, beauty, and the Divine, and how these themes intersect with gender, religion, society, ethics, womanhood, and leadership.
This survey course introduces major poets of Classical and Medieval Persian literature. We will explore poetic forms, genres, themes, and imagery across eight centuries. We'll also examine these poets' social lives, cultural changes, court affiliations, thoughts, and philosophies. The class involves close reading and critical analysis to better understand Persian poetry and the poets who wrote it.
In this course, we¿ll explore how Persian literature---especially in allegorical and narrative forms like the masnavi---addresses themes such as virtue, justice, empathy, and self-knowledge. The focus will be on two key twelfth-century texts: Nasrullah Munshi¿s Kalila and Dimna (translated by Wheeler Thackston), a collection of animal fables---featuring lions, jackals, elephants, hares, tortoises, snakes, ducks, and even ants---rooted in Indian and Persian moral traditions.
New course in Persian Literature in translation.
A continuation of SANS 1010. Prerequisite: SANS 1010. Note: The following six courses are all intermediate level Sanskrit courses. They are offered two-by-two in a three-year rotation.
A continuation of SANS 1010. Prerequisite: SANS 1010. Note: The following six courses are all intermediate level Sanskrit courses. They are offered two-by-two in a three-year rotation.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Mahabharata, one of ancient India's major epics. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Ramayana of Valmiki, one of two major epics of ancient India, and the 'first poem' in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva, the most important collection of story literature in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Bhagavadgita, a major religious text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020/5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Upanisads, a major spiritual text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the huge corpus of Puranic texts. Prerequisite: SANS 1020.
This course centers on selected passages from the Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa. Class time will be devoted primarily to translation and grammatical analysis and secondarily to discussion of the content. This course has three objectives: 1. to shore up and expand your knowledge of grammar, 2. to expand your reading vocabulary and increase the speed of your reading comprehension, and 3. to introduce you to the story of the Buddha in Sanskrit.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies.
This course is meant to give students training in advanced Sanskrit
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Mahabharata, one of ancient India's major epics. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva, the most important collection of story literature in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing.
A continuation of SANS 5010. Prerequisite: SANS 5010 or instructor permission. Note: The following six courses are all intermediate level Sanskrit courses. They are offered two-by-two in a three-year rotation.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Bhagavadgita, a major religious text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Upanisads, a major spiritual text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 5020.
A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the huge corpus of Puranic texts. Prerequisite: SANS 5020.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies.
Independent Study in Sanskrit.
The course will focus in on the period since 1990, when India took dramatic steps to reform its economic policies and re-set its relationships with other world powers. Students will be introduced to a wide range of initiatives taking place in a variety of public and privates sectors, and be encouraged through focused case studies to learn about opportunities for them to discover their own interests, possibly by studying in India with the UVa.
The course will not be a conventional "introduction" to India which customarily emphasizes cultural history. Though there will be a short section at the beginning of the course that provides an overview of India's history, we will quickly move, after 6 class meetings, to the post-independence era, and focus in on the period since 1990, when India took steps to reform its economic policies and re-set its relationships with other world powers
This course is an overview of the cultural dynamics as evident in the languages, literature and the arts from 2500BCE to the present. Drawing on a selection from the literary as well as writings on cultural history, miniature painting, music and cinema, the course will guide the students through the landmarks in the development of literature and the arts within a historical-cultural backdrop.
New course in South Asian studies.
This course approaches South Asia and its cultural diversity from the inside out, rather than from an `other' centered, western viewpoint. This course is not about the history of South Asia. It is about understanding the contemporary cultural milieu 'the world as seen reflexively and reflectively through a South Asian lens. We will be reading and discussing almost exclusively South Asian voices' opinions and perceptions.
This class will focus on cinema produced by the industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood. Topics will include the relationship between fiction and documentation, between melodrama and realism, music and affect. Students will be taught the tools of film analysis and will be expected to watch and unpack films each week. They will also be expected to consider films in the social, political and economic contexts in which they were made.
In this class we will examine how South Asia (primarily India, Pakistan, and Bangla Desh) came to be a legitimate area of academic investigation within the modern American and European university. How did the various disciplinary discourses pertaining to South Asia (anthropology, religious studies, art history, literature, etc.) get their starts? A close look at the history of British colonialism will serve as our point of departure.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies.
South Asia, the region which stretches from Afghanistan to Burma and down to Sri Lanka, has been the center of thousands of years of trade and finance. In this course we will investigate the early history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance from about 1500 B.C to the early European merchant adventurers , the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history.
In this course we will investigate the history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance that include the early European merchant adventurers, joint stock companies and other collectives, the beginnings of share markets, the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history, and some of the theoretical questions that help us understand how business and banking worked.
New Course in South Asian Studies
This is the fourth-year capstone seminar for students majoring in South Asian Studies. This course will draw on the multidisciplinary interests of the students who participate to create a collaborative and collegial environment in which to investigate some of the foundational concepts and categories involved in the construction of "South Asia" as unified area of academic discourse.
Independent Study course
This class will focus on cinema produced by the industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood. Topics will include the relationship between fiction and documentation, between melodrama and realism, music and affect. Students will be taught the tools of film analysis and will be expected to watch and unpack films each week. They will also be expected to consider films in the social, political and economic contexts in which they were made.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies.
South Asia, the region which stretches from Afghanistan to Burma and down to Sri Lanka, has been the center of thousands of years of trade and finance. In this course we will investigate the early history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance from about 1500 B.C to the early European merchant adventurers , the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history.
In this course we will investigate the history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance that include the early European merchant adventurers, joint stock companies and other collectives, the beginnings of share markets, the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history, and some of the theoretical questions that help us understand how business and banking worked.
Travel writing is among the oldest forms of literature, especially in Asia. This course explores depictions of the Indian sub-continent by travel writers from Buddhist pilgrims to Arab geographers to colonial and post-colonial writers.
We will read and critique the fiction and poetry of culturally specific regions while reflecting on the assumption that experiences and identities are fundamentally gendered. We will explore issues associated with women writing in regional languages to writing in mainstream languages like Hindi, Urdu and English. We will also examine how the publication and dissemination of women's texts are related to the women movements in India and Pakistan. Prerequisite: Completion of First Writing Requirement
What is love? How is it articulated? Is love devotion? What is passion? What are the different forms of desire? The object of desire may be human (male or female), divine, abstract or ambiguous; its defining trait is its inaccessibility. Poets through the ages have expressed love and devotion through language. We will read and ponder the poetics of love.
This upper level course will comprise readings that will cover a broad spectrum of what constitutes the "modern" in Urdu and Hindi Literature. The course will track the historical beginning of Urdu-Hindi as a language, its development as a literary language and the complexities of the divide form one to two distinct languages: modern Hindi and modern Urdu.
Dalit literature is perhaps the most remarkable literary movement to emerge in post-independence India. It is the voice of the most marginalized section of India's population, those formerly known as untouchables. Until the advent of Dalit literature, the lives of Dalits had seldom been recorded in Indian literature. We will read fictional and non-fictional narratives of Dalit writers, and watch films to visualize and comprehend their lives.
The course explores some of the most influential literatures of love and devotion to emerge from the Indian subcontinent. Starting with the Bhagavad-Gita -- the first South Asian text to dwell upon the idea of bhakti or "devotion" -- then to various other "classics" of South Asian love literature, spanning the Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi-Urdu, Tamil, Punjabi, Kashmiri, and other languages. Emphasis will be placed on Hindu and Islamic literature.
New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation
This upper level course will comprise readings that will cover a broad spectrum of what constitutes the "modern" in Urdu and Hindi Literature. The course will track the historical beginning of Urdu-Hindi as a language, its development as a literary language and the complexities of the divide form one to two distinct languages: modern Hindi and modern Urdu.
New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation
Dalit literature is perhaps the most remarkable literary movement to emerge in post-independence India. It is the voice of the most marginalized section of India's population, those formerly known as untouchables. Until the advent of Dalit literature, the lives of Dalits had seldom been recorded in Indian literature. We will read fictional and non-fictional narratives of Dalit writers, and watch films to visualize and comprehend their lives.
Elementary Turkish is designed to introduce basic Turkish language forms. They introduce the basic Turkish language and daily culture in modern-day Turkey. By the end of this course, students will attain the Novice High level according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines: ability to exchange greetings in appropriate settings, give basic information about self, name familiar objects.
Elementary Turkish 1 and 2 (TURK 101 and TURK 102) are designed to introduce basic Turkish language forms. They introduce the basic Turkish language and daily culture in modern-day Turkey. By the end of 101, students will attain the Novice High level according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines: ability to exchange greetings in appropriate settings, give basic information about self, name familiar objects.
This course is the first of two Intermediate levels of Turkish. It will build on students' existing basic skills. There will be a focus on communication, and students will have opportunities to practice Turkish in oral, written, and reading forms. Besides pre- recorded video lectures and audio conversations, students will explore authentic materials such as TV commercials, film trailers, and news media. Instructor Permission
This course is the second of the two Intermediate levels of Turkish (TURK 203 and 204). It will build on students' existing basic skills. There will be a focus on communication, and students will have opportunities to practice Turkish in oral, written, and reading forms. Besides pre- recorded video lectures and audio conversations, students will explore authentic materials such as TV commercials, film trailers, and news media.
This advanced-level Turkish course offers an in-depth exploration of Turkish popular culture from the 1980s to the present. Students will critically examine the dynamic interplay between media, literature, cinema, and television, gaining insight into how these cultural productions have both reflected and shaped contemporary Turkish society.
This advanced-level Turkish course explores the rich culinary heritage of Turkey, focusing on its diverse regions, historical influences, and the role of food in cultural identity. Students will gain an understanding of how Turkey's cuisine reflects its multicultural past and present, blending flavors from the Ottoman Empire, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.
In this class we will conduct an intensive review of the Nastaliq script and the basic grammar of the Urdu language.This is not a class for students with no prior knowledge of Urdu. Rather it is designed to take advantage of the familiarity you already have with Urdu by virtue of growing up in a family where Urdu is frequently spoken. The pace will be quick, with an eye to enabling you to proceed directly to a 2000- or 3000-level Urdu class.
Introduces various types of written and spoken Urdu; vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax; and conversation. Prerequisite: for URDU 2010: HIND 1020 or equivalent.
Prerequisite: for URDU 2020: URDU 2010 or equivalent.
This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Pre-requisites: URDU 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Pre-requisites: URDU 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.
In this class we will conduct close readings (in Urdu!) of several of Manto's short fiction writings, and will discuss them in detail. There will be weekly assignments, a final take-home exam, and a final video project. Prerequisite: URDU 2020 or instructor permission.
In this class we will conduct close readings (in Urdu!) of several of Masud's short fiction writings, and will discuss them in detail. There will be weekly assignments, a final take-home exam, and a final video project. Prerequisite: URDU 2020 or instructor permission.
In this class we will conduct close readings (in Urdu!) of several 20th-century dramas/plays, and will discuss them in detail. There will be weekly assignments, a final take-home exam, and a final video project. Prerequisite: URDU 2020 or instructor permission.
This course will introduce advanced Urdu and Hindi students to some of the finest poetry in Urdu. Those who cannot read the Urdu script will have the option of reading the texts in Devanagari (the Hindi script). Some of the poets we will read are Mir, Ghalib, Dagh and Faiz. Course work will include brief analytical papers, as well as in-class presentations. Prerequisites: URDU 3010 or 3020; or HIND 3010 or 3020; or instructor permission.
This course is to allow 3000-level new courses in Urdu to be taught for one semester.
Independent Study in Urdu
This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Prerequisites: URDU 2020 or instructor permission.
This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Prerequisites: URDU 2020 or instructor permission
This course will introduce advanced Urdu and Hindi students to some of the finest poetry in Urdu. Those who cannot read the Urdu script will have the option of reading the texts in Devanagari (the Hindi script). Some of the poets we will read are Mir, Ghalib, Dagh and Faiz. Course work will include brief analytical papers, as well as in-class presentations. Prerequisites: URDU 3010 or 3020; or HIND 3010 or 3020; or instructor permission.
Independent study in Urdu language and/or literature. Prerequisite: URDU 5010 or 5020 or equivalent, or instructor permission.