Game of Thrones : On Epics and Emp

Game of Thrones: Epics/Em

This undergraduate course offered in the context of the Global Core component of the Core Curriculum is an examination of the globally popular HBO series “Game of Thrones” as a prototype for a comparative understanding of the larger question of epics and empires.  In this course we expand the domains of our interests and inquiries far wider and divide our syllabus into four parts: (1) Westeros: The Mythic Empire; (2) Persia:  The First Empire, (3) America: The Last Empire; and (4) On Epics and Empires.  Our objective will be to examine the main themes and overall arch of “Game of Thrones” into wider mythic, heroic, and transhistorical dimensions of our contemporary history.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Hamid Dabashi
  CULPA: 30 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

Game of Thrones Discussion Section

Discussion section to accompany the course, "Game of Thrones": On Epics and Empires.

• T 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• T 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• T 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• M 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• M 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• T 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• R 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• R 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• T 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• T 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• W 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• W 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 0 points

ELEMENTARY SWAHILI I

Essentials of grammar, basic vocabulary, practice in speaking and reading Swahili the most widely used indigenous language of East Africa. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY WOLOF I

Introduction to the basic grammatical structures of Wolof, a major language of West Africa spoken in Senegal and Gambia. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

FIRST YEAR ARABIC I

An introduction to the language of classical and modern Arabic literature. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

FIRST YEAR ARABIC II

Prerequisites: First Year Arabic I or instructor permission. An introduction to the language of classical and modern Arabic literature. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY ARMENIAN I

In Elementary Armenian I, students learn the Armenian script and the basic grammar that will enable them to communicate about topics relating to themselves and their immediate surroundings: family, school, daily occupations, describing people, expressing likes and dislikes, requesting and giving information about themselves and others, proper forms of greetings, etc. They also begin to read signs, advertisements, and develop the skills to read texts like short stories and Armenian fables. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

COLLOQUIUM ON MAJOR TEXTS

Readings in translation and discussion of texts of Middle Eastern and Indian origin. Readings may include the Quran, Islamic philosophy, Sufi poetry, the Upanishads, Buddhist sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Indian epics and drama, and Gandhis Autobiography.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY SANSKRIT I

This course constitutes the first half of a year-long introduction to Classical Sanskrit, the translocal language of religious, intellectual, and literary life in South Asia for nearly two millennia. Assuming no prior experience with the language, this introductory sequence provides students with the grammar, reading strategies, and cultural context necessary to begin accessing the language’s many rich textual traditions, including scripture (sruti), epic (itihasa), poetry (kavya), drama (na?aka), systematic thought (sastra), and more.

• MTWR 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Shiv Subramaniam
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE SANSKRIT I

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Shiv Subramaniam
  Info
• 4 points

1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM I

This is an introductory course for which no prior knowledge is required. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or paragraph writing. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY HINDI-URDU I

An introduction to the most widely spoken language of South Asia. Along with an understanding of the grammar, the course offers practice in listening and speaking. The Hindi (Devanagari) script is used for reading and writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 5 points

HINDI FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

This is an accelerated course for students of South Asian origin who already possess a knowledge of basic vocabulary and limited speaking and listening skills in Hindi. They may not have sufficient skills in reading and writing but are able to converse on familiar topics such as: self, family, likes, dislikes and immediate surroundings. This course will focus on developing knowledge of the basic grammar of Hindi and vocabulary enrichment by exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics related to aspects of daily life; and formal and informal registers. Students will be able to read and discuss simple texts and write about a variety of everyday topics by the end of the semester. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

URDU FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

Prerequisites: a knowledge of basic vocabulary and limited speaking and listening skills in Urdu. This is an accelerated course for students of South Asian origin who already possess a knowledge of basic vocabulary and limited speaking and listening skills in Urdu. They are not expected to know how to read and write in Urdu but are able to converse on familiar topics such as self, family, likes, dislikes and immediate surroundings. This course will focus on developing knowledge of the basic grammar of Urdu and vocabulary enrichment by exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics related to aspects of daily life; and formal and informal registers. Students will be able to read and discuss simple Urdu texts and write about a variety of everyday topics by the end of the semester. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY PERSIAN I

An introduction to the spoken and written language of contemporary Iran. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY MODERN TURKISH I

An introduction to the written and spoken language of Turkey. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha Colak
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 0 Info
• 4 points

INTRO TO ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

Lecture and recitation. Islamic civilization and its characteristic intellectual, political, social, and cultural traditions up through 1800. Note: Students must register for a discussion section, ASCM UN2113.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 points

Conflicts: Race, Region, Religion

Prior to “conflict resolution,” there is conflict. But what is conflict and how do we understand it? This introductory lecture course proposes to explore established objects in their presumed ties to the fact and concept of “conflict.” We will inquire into the nature of conflict as well as into the kinds of conflicts that operate, or seem to operate, perhaps even to structure, the understanding of race, of region, and of religion. We will attend to the solidity and fragility of geographic divisions (regional and trans regional conflicts), their history (modern / premodern, colonial / pre- and post-colonial), the emergence of race (racial and ethnic conflicts), the pertinence of religions (religious strife and violence), their relation to political associations (religion and politics, religion and nationalism) and to other social and/or economic divisions (class, gender). We will interrogate the analytic and descriptive value of keywords like war, enmity, dispute, division, partition. We will also reflect on disciplinary tensions and divisions toward an understanding and perpetuation of conflict. Finally, we will think about the possibility and impossibility of “speaking with the enemy.”

• MW 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Gil Anidjar
  CULPA: 22 Info
• 4 points

Conflicts: Race, Region, Religion - Disc

Conflicts: Discussion

Required discussion section for MDES UN2004, Conflicts: Race, Region, Religion

• M 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 11:10 a.m.-noon
• 0 points

South Asia at the Crossroads of Empires

S. Asia Crossroads of Emp

In this course we will study the late colonial and early post-colonial periods of South Asian history together. Some of the events we will cover include: the climax of anti-colonial movements in South Asia, WWII as it developed in South and Southeast Asia, the partition of British India, the two Indo-Pakistan wars, and the 1971 Bangladesh War. While we will read selected secondary literature, we will focus on a range of primary sources, including original radio broadcasts and oral history interviews. We will also study artistic interpretations of historical developments, including short stories and films. In this course, we will strive to remain attentive to the important changes engendered by colonialism, while simultaneously recognizing the agency of South Asians in formulating their own modernities during this critical period. We will also seek to develop a narrative of modern South Asian history, which is attentive to parallel and/or connected events in other regions.

• MW 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Isabel Huacuja Alonso
  Info
• 3 points

INTERMEDIATE TAMIL I

Prerequisites: MDES W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission. Further develops students' written and oral proficiency in order to allow them to function adequately in a Tamil-speaking environment. Of particular interest to students planning to conduct scholarly research or fieldwork in a Tamil-speaking context. Develops the students' appreciation for the rich culture of the Indian subcontinent where Tamil is spoken. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Shiv Subramaniam
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE SWAHILI I

Prerequisites: SWHL W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission. A review of the essentials of Swahili grammar; detailed analysis of Swahili texts; practice in conversation. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE WOLOF I

Prerequisites: WLOF W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission. Further develops a student's knowledge of Wolof, a major language of West Africa spoken primarily in Senegal and Gambia. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

INTRO TO ISLAMIC CIV-REC

• M 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• W 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• M 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• T 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• M 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• 0 points

SECOND YEAR ARABIC I

Prerequisites: MDES W1210-W1211 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of the language of contemporary writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 5 points

SECOND YEAR ARABIC II

Prerequisites: MDES W1210-W1211 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of the language of contemporary writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

ARABIC FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

Prerequisites: Instructor permission. This is an intensive course that combines the curriculum of both First and Second Year Arabic in two semesters instead of four, and focuses on the productive skills (speaking and writing) in Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha). Students are exposed intensively to grammar and vocabulary of a high register. After successful completion of this course, students will be able to move on to Third Year Arabic. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 5 points

INTERMEDIATE ARMENIAN I

Prerequisites: MDES UN1301 and MDES UN1302 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of reading, writing and speaking of Armenian. In Intermediate Armenian I, students learn to communicate about a wide range of topics. Such topics include biographical narration, cooking and recipes, health and well-being, holidays and celebrations, travel and geography, etc. At this level, students continue to develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening while perfecting the grammatical concepts to which they were introduced in the first year. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

2ND YR MOD HEBREW:INTER I

Prerequisites: 1st Year Modern Hebrew II or the equivalent and instructor's permission. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading and writing. Regular categories of the Hebrew verb, prepositions, and basic syntax are taught systematically. Vocabulary building. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or short compositions. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Danielle Katz-Shenhar
  Info
• 5 points

HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I forms part of a year-long sequence with Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II. The course is intended for those who have developed basic speaking and listening skills through exposure to Hebrew at home or in day-school programs but do not use Hebrew as their dominant language and have not reached the level required for exemption from the Columbia language requirement. Heritage speakers differ in the degree of their fluency, but their vocabulary is often limited to topics in daily life and many lack skills in reading and writing to match their ability to converse. The course focuses on grammar and vocabulary enrichment, exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics in daily life and beyond. By the end of the semester students are able to read and discuss simple texts and write about a variety of topics. Successful completion of the year-long sequence prepares students to enroll in third-year modern Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MWR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• MWR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• Instructor: Danielle Katz-Shenhar
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE HINDI-URDU I

Prerequisites: (MDES UN1601) and (MDES UN1602) MDES UN1601-UN1602 or the instructor's permission. Continuing practice in listening, speaking, and grammatical understanding. Along with the Hindi (Devanagari) script, the Urdu (Perso-Arabic) script is taught in the class; both scripts are used for reading and writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Timsal Masud
  Info
• 5 points

INTERMEDIATE PERSIAN I

Prerequisites: Elementary Persian II or the equivalent. This course involves reading, writing, translating, conversation and grammatical foundations for Persian Language (PL). The materials are selected from two books: Āmuzesh-e Fārsi: Intermediate Level (required) and English-Persian Dictionary, plus verb system and charts (recommended). These books are assigned and have to be available to every student. There are also handouts, which will be provided throughout the course. This course serves as intermediate and makes students able to read and compose proper Persian language as well as the colloquial one. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE MODERN TURKISH I

A continuation of the study of the written and spoken language of Turkey, with readings of literary, historical, and other texts. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha Colak
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 0 Info
• 4 points

THEORY AND CULTURE

Required of all majors. Introduces theories of culture particularly related to the Middle East, South Asia. and Africa. Theoretical debates on the nature and function of culture as a symbolic reading of human collectivities. Examines critical cultural studies of the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Enables students to articulate their emerging knowledge of Middle East, South Asian, and African cultures in a theoretically informed language.

• MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Debashree Mukherjee
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 5 Info
• 4 points

THEORY AND CULTURE-DISC

THEOR-CULT:MID EAST/S ASIA DIS

• M 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• M 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• T 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• T 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 0 points

Pandemics: A Global History

With an interdisciplinary perspective, this course seeks to expand the understanding of past pandemic crises and recent, lived pandemics such as COVID-19. COVID-19 has brought up urgent questions about how we can understand and historicize pandemics and trace the changing relationship between disease and its vectors, humans and their environments. This course seeks to expand the understanding of past and recent pandemics through a historical lens that traces the deep seated racial and class disparities, social and cultural stigma, and political responses and control that they were expressed and deployed during these historical crises. It seeks to understand and analyze pandemics as representing complex, disruptive and devastating crises that effect profound transformations in ideas, social and economic relations and challenge interdependent networks and cultures. Pandemics are balanced in a global-local flux between dramaturgic, proliferating, contagious outbreaks; and endemic, chronic infections that have prolonged periods of latency before again remerging through new transmissions. They also serve as a crucial lens to analyze a range of historical connections, ensions and movements ranging from colonialism and the politics of borders, global capitalism and labor, migration and mobility, decolonization and development, and neoliberalism and global health politics.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Kavita Sivaramakrishnan
  Info
• 3 points

E AFRICA & THE SWAHILI COAST

*This course provides an introduction to the social and cultural history of the Swahili coast and an overview of some of the major debates that have dominated this historiography.*

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Laura Fair
  h-index: 15 Info
• 3 points

ADVANCED SWAHILI I

Prerequisites: SWHL UN2101-UN2102 or the instructor's permission. An introduction to the advanced syntactical, morphological, and grammatical structures of Swahili grammar; detailed analysis of Swahili texts; practice in conversation. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED WOLOF I

Prerequisites: Two years of Wolof or instructor permission. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class

• TR 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

ARABIC PRISON WRITING

This course studies the genealogy of the prison in Arab culture as manifested in memoirs, narratives, and poems. These cut across a vast temporal and spatial swathe, covering selections from the Quran, Sufi narratives from al-Halllaj oeuvre, poetry by prisoners of war: classical, medieval, and modern. It also studies modern narratives by women prisoners and political prisoners, and narratives that engage with these issues. Arabic prison writing is studied against other genealogies of this prism, especially in the West, to map out the birth of prison, its institutionalization, mechanism, and role. All readings for the course are in English translations.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Muhsin Al-Musawi
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 3 points

HONORS THESIS SEMINAR PART 1

Prerequisites: minimum GPA of 3.5 in MESAAS courses. The MESAAS honors seminar offers students the opportunity to undertake a sustained research project under close faculty supervision. The DUS advises on general issues of project design, format, approach, general research methodologies, and timetable. In addition, students work with an individual advisor who has expertise in the area of the thesis and can advise on the specifics of method and content. The thesis will be jointly evaluated by the adviser, the DUS, and the honors thesis TA. The DUS will lead students through a variety of exercises that are directly geared to facilitating the thesis. Students build their research, interpretive, and writing skills; discuss methodological approaches; write an annotated bibliography; learn to give constructive feedback to peers and respond to feedback effectively. The final product is a polished research paper in the range of 40-60 pages. Please note: This is a one-year course that begins in the fall semester (1 point) and continues through the spring semester (3 points). Only students who have completed both semesters will receive the full 4 points of credit.

• M 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Hamid Dabashi
  CULPA: 30 Wikipedia Info
• 1 points

Anticolonial Resistance in the Maghreb

Anticolonial Resist/Maghr

This seminar examines the history of anticolonial struggles in the Maghreb (including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya) from conquest to independence. The aim of the course is for students to analyze the history and historiography of different anticolonial struggles in the Maghreb, and to engage with broader questions about colonialism, popular resistance, ‘Islamic’ politics, and nationalism. These questions include: What was the nature of European colonialism in the Maghreb? How did it differ from both earlier imperial projects, and across the region? How can we understand the history of Maghrebi responses to colonialism outside the binary of collaboration and resistance? What was the role of Islam in anticolonial struggles in the Maghreb, and how did this change between early resistance to conquest and later struggles for independence? Finally, how did different nationalist movements define the national community?

• R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Nadia Sariahmed
  Info
• 4 points

THIRD YEAR ARABIC I

NOTE: There are 2 sections of Third Year Arabic I. Section 001 follows the standard curriculum building all 4 language skills, as described below. Section 002 follows a reading-intensive curriculum, with less emphasis on listening and writing while still conducted in Arabic, and is intended for those preparing for advanced research in modern or classical Arabic texts. Students in the regular third-year Arabic track improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through close reading, compositions, class discussions, and presentations in Arabic on topics such as cultures of the Arab world, classical and modern Arabic literature, and contemporary Arabic media. Review of grammatical and syntactic rules as needed. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 5 points

FOURTH YEAR MODERN ARABIC I

Through reading articles and essays by Arab thinkers and intellectuals, students will be able to increase their fluency and accuracy in Arabic while working on reading text and being exposed to the main themes in Arab thought The course works with all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Arabic is the language of instruction. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Taoufik Ben-Amor
  CULPA: 11 Info
• 4 points

FOURTH YEAR CLASSICAL ARABIC I

Through reading excerpts from thirteen essential works, starting with Jabarti's history of the French Campaign in Egypt to a chapter from al-Qur'an, students will be able to increase their fluency and accuracy in Arabic while working on reading text and being exposed to the main themes in Classical Arabic literature, acquire a sense of literary style over a period of fourteen centuries as well as literary analytical terminology and concepts. The texts are selections from essential works that the students will read in detail, write critical pieces, engage in discussion and have assignments which will expand their vocabulary, manipulation of advanced grammar concepts, and employing stylistic devices in their writing. This course will enable students to start doing research in classical Arabic sources and complements MESAAS's graduate seminar Readings in Classical Arabic. The course works with all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Arabic is the language of instruction. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Taoufik Ben-Amor
  CULPA: 11 Info
• 4 points

SPOKEN ARABIC I

Prerequisites: (MDES UN2201) and (MDES UN2202) $10 Arabic Materials Fee; $15 Language Resource Fee. This is an introductory course to Levantine Arabic for students who have completed two years of Standard Arabic studies, at the Intermediate level. The course is designed to further develop fluency in oral communication, through building students’ familiarity with a less formal register of Arabic, namely the Levantine dialect. The course will convert and recycle some of the previous Standard Arabic knowledge to the dialect, by comparing their prior knowledge to its dialectal counterpart; while at the same time developing students’ new communicative skills in a diverse range of contexts that are essential in any conversational interaction. The course will build students abilities to interact effectively in various areas where Levantine Arabic is spoken. In addition to varied thematic topics, the course exposes students to cultural aspects specific to the region. Additionally, the course will work on both constructing students’ knowledge of dialectal diction as well as other grammatical features of the dialects. Even though the course is designed for communication in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking), the emphasis will be mostly on speaking and listening. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 4 points

Literary Encounters and Reading across t

The focus of  this seminar will be exploring the conception of encounters, and contact zones, throughout a selection of Arabic literary works. The course will explore the history of translation in Arabic literary history, the introduction of prose and its development; the Arabic readerly culture; the colonial encounter and its effect on language and form of literature. We will not read encounter as one-way traffc only, but we will also read it as a two-way process. We will read non-Arabic works that were influenced by the texts we are reading and their literary reception in other literary traditions. We will also consider the institution of literary prizes as a form of encounter and analyze the power of celebrity culture on the readership of the contemporary Arabic novel.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah Bin Tyeer
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 1 Info
• 4 points

THEMES IN THE ARABIC NOVEL

The focus of this seminar will be novels by Arab writers. The course will explore the history of the Arabic novel: its rise, development, and evolution. We will read and analyze novels belonging to various periods in Arab history and representing diverse points of views, including gender, identities, and different sub-cultures and sub-genres. We will look into the connections therein between the novel and the historical backdrops of colonialism, decolonization, globalization, war, rights and personal independence from several perspectives and writers across the Arab world. We will also consider the modern Arabic novel’s engagement with the global, glocal, and local as well as its nod to the Arabic literary tradition; its engagement with technology, scientific progress, absurdity, loss, trauma, the human condition, as well as dystopic themes. No knowledge of Arabic is required.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah Bin Tyeer
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 1 Info
• 4 points

Decolonizing the Arabian Nights

Decolonizing Arabian Nigh

In a unique revival of interest, the Arabian Nights has made its way to the academy as the handiest and most approachable cultural commodity. Courses are given on its history, translation, media reproduction, Walt Disney’s appropriation, and, occasionally, narratology. By the end of the 19th century, it was available in translation or abridgement in every written language. This course resituates its advent and vogue in specific cultural contexts that closely relate to the rise of the bourgeoisie and the colonial enterprise. It also explores popular and intellectual or critical responses in terms of the rise of literary theory and modes of literary production. Its massive presence gives way in time to pantomime, parody, and pastiche, before engaging again the attention of prominent writers and theorists of ‘prose poetics’ and the fantastic. Its referential popular presence undergoes fluctuations to fit media stereotypes and hegemonic regimes of thought. This course attempts to dislodge originals from adaptations, highlight the nature of entry in terms of a commoditizing enterprise that reproduces the Arabian Nights as a ‘western text’, a point that in turn incites a counter search for manuscripts, and ‘authentication’ processes. Originals and translations will be compared and cinematic or theater productions will be studied, along with paintings, covers, and tourist guides that present the Nights as a commodity in a post-industrial society.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Muhsin Al-Musawi
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED ARMENIAN I

Advanced instruction in the Armenian dialect. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• R 5:40 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 3 points

WAR,GENOCIDE,& AFTERMATH COMP PERSPECTIV

WAR GENOCIDE AND AFTERMATH

This 4000-level course examines how societies grapple with the legacy of mass violence, through an exploration of historical texts, memoirs, textbooks, litigation, and media reports and debates on confronting the past. Focusing on case studies of the Herero Genocide, the Armenian genocide during WWI, and the Holocaust and the Comfort Women during WWII, students investigate the crime and its sequelae, looking at how societies deal with skeletons in their closets ( engaging in silence, trivialization, rationalization, and denial to acknowledgment, apology, and repair); surveying responses of survivors and their descendants (with particular attention to intergeneration transmission of trauma, forgiveness, resentment, and the pursuit of redress); and dissecting public debates on modern day issues that harken back to past atrocities.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Khatchig Mouradian
  Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

READINGS IN HEBREW TEXTS I

Prerequisites: (MDES GU4510) and (MDES GU4511) 3RD Year Modern Hebrew or the instructor's permission. This course focuses on central identities shaping Israeli society and is designed to give students extensive experience in reading Hebrew. Through selected readings of contemporary literary works and media texts, students will increase their proficiency in Hebrew and enhance their understanding of Israeli culture and society. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Naama Harel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

3RD YR MODERN HEBREW I

Prerequisites: 2nd Year Modern Hebrew II, Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II, or the instructor's permission. This course is designed to take students from the intermediate to advanced level. Students will further develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Hebrew through an examination of a wide range of sources, including short stories, poems, visual arts, popular music, television shows and films. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Naama Harel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

POLITICS IN INDIA

This course will combine study of long-term historical sociology with more short term understanding of policies and their possible effects. Though its main purpose will be to provide students with an understanding of politics after independence, it will argue, methodologically, that this understanding should be based on a study of historical sociology – plotting long-terms shifts in the structure of social power. The course will start with analyses of the structures of power and ideas about political legitimacy in pre-modern India, and the transformations brought by colonialism into that order. After a brief study of the nature of political order under the colonial state, the courses will focus primarily on the history of the democratic state after independence.

• R 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Sudipta Kaviraj
  Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED HINDI I

Advanced Hindi I and II are third year courses in the Hindi-Urdu program that aim to continue building upon the existing four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) along with grammar and vocabulary in a communicative approach. The objective of these courses is to strengthen students’ language skills and to go beyond them to understand and describe situations and the speech community, understand and discuss Hindi literature and films, news items, T.V. shows and current events. Students will also be given opportunities to work on their areas of interest such as popular culture, professional and research goals in the target language. Students will be expected to expand their vocabulary, enhance grammatical accuracy and develop cultural appropriateness through an enthusiastic participation in classroom activities and immersing themselves in the speech community outside. This course will be taught in the target language. All kinds of conversations such as daily life, on social/public interests’ topics as well as on academic interests, will occur in the target language. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

Love and Longing in Early-Modern South A

Love & Longing in S. Asia

How were love and longing imagined and articulated in early-modern South Asia? How do romantic themes and literary genres cross perceived divides between religions, realities, and geographical regions? This class explores themes of romance and love in South Asia and introduces students to a corpus of early-modern Indian literature including the 
Premakhyan
 (love story) genre, 
Bhakti 
and 
Sufi 
devotional poetry, courtly 
Kavya 
poetry, and the 
Ghazal 
literary tradition, among others.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Christine H Marrewa Karwoski
  Info
• 4 points

Advanced Urdu

ADVANCED URDU

Prerequisites: Two years of prior study in Urdu or one year of Urdu for Heritage Speakers I&II courses at Columbia University, or approval of the professor. This is a one-semester course in advanced Urdu language. It will be taught in the fall semester. The goal of the course is to develop students’ linguistic skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural skills in Urdu, and give students in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose. Special emphasis will be given to developing a high-register vocabulary. Necessary grammar points will also be explained for developing an accurate and nuanced understanding of the Urdu language. After completing this course, students will be able to read and enjoy Urdu classics and critical academic texts related to various disciplines i.e. old tales, short stories, essays, history, satire, criticism, politics, current issues etc. along with effective speaking skills suited to active interaction in the speech community and a more advanced academic discussion for undergraduate and graduate students. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of South Asian society and culture as well. This course will prepare students to take MDES GU4635 Readings in Urdu Literature I.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 4 points

GENDER,POWER,CULTURE: INDIA

GENDERPOWERCULTURE: INDIA

Explores gender, culture, power in India, c. 1500-1800 by reading theoretical works on gender and sexuality, historical scholarship relevant to early modern India, and a variety of primary sources. Topics include morality, mysticism, devotion, desire, kingship, heroism, homosocial relations, and homoerotic practices. The focus is largely on Persianate contexts, in conversation with broader South Asian and Islamic studies. This discussion seminar is designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, with some previous background in South Asian, Islamic, or gender studies.

• F 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Mana Kia
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 11 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED PERSIAN I

While helping students advance their levels of oral and written expression, this course focuses on literature of the modern and medieval periods, with particular emphasis on the development of the modern novella and traditional and new forms of poetry. In addition to literature, students are introduced to a wide variety of genres from political and cultural essays and blogs to newspaper translations of the early 20th century. They will be further exposed to ta´rof in reference to a wide variety of socio-cultural contexts and be expected to use ta´rof in class conversations. Students will be exposed to popular artists and their works and satirical websites for insight into contemporary Iranian culture and politics. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 3 points

ADVANCED SANSKRIT I

This course constitutes the first half of a year-long advanced reading course in Classical Sanskrit. In 2021-2022, the focus of Advanced Sanskrit will be the genres of literary theory (alaṅkāraśāstra) and belles-lettres (kāvya). Lending equal attention to literary theory and literary practice, this course will introduce students to iconic works of Sanskrit literature along with the interpretive frameworks whereby they were analyzed, relished, and appraised. Literary excerpts may be drawn from an array of subgenres, including courtly epic (mahākāvya), epic drama (nāṭaka), literary prose (gadya), and individual verses (muktaka). Rigorous analysis of primary texts will be supplemented by occasional discussions about what implications the disciplined reading of kāvya may hold for practices such as translation, comparative literature, and transdisciplinarity. Prerequisites: Intermediate Sanskrit II or instructor’s permission.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Tyler M Richard
  Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED TURKISH I

Advanced Turkish I is designed to use authentic Turkish materials around projects that are chosen by the student in a research seminar format where students conduct their own research and share it in class in a friendly atmosphere. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha Colak
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 0 Info
• 3 points

READINGS IN OTTOMAN TEXTS I

• TR 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Dilek Oztoprak
  Info
• 3 points

THEORY AND METHODS I

This course will be the first part of a two part introduction to theoretical approaches to modern social science and cultural studies in Asian and African contexts. The first course will focus primarily on methodological and theoretical problems in the fields broadly described as historical social sciences - which study historical trends, and political, economic and social institutions and processes. The course will start with discussions regarding the origins of the modern social sciences and the disputes about the nature of social science knowledge. In the next section it will focus on definitions and debates about the concept of modernity. It will go on to analyses of some fundamental concepts used in modern social and historical analyses: concepts of social action, political concepts like state, power, hegemony, democracy, nationalism; economic concepts like the economy, labor, market, capitalism, and related concepts of secularity/secularism, representation, and identity. The teaching will be primarily through close reading of set texts, followed by a discussion. A primary concern of the course will be to think about problems specific to the societies studied by scholars of Asia and Africa: how to use a conceptual language originally stemming from reflection on European modernity in thinking about societies which have quite different historical and cultural characteristics.

• T 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Mahmood Mamdani
  CULPA: 21 Wikipedia h-index: 57 Info
• 4 points

MESAAS RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

This course provides a structured setting for stand-alone M.A. students in their final year and Ph.D. students in their second and third years to develop their research trajectories in a way that complements normal coursework. The seminar meets approximately biweekly and focuses on topics such as research methodology; project design; literature review, including bibliographies and citation practices; grant writing. Required for MESAAS graduate students in their second and third year.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sudipta Kaviraj
  Wikipedia Info
• 2 points

Sharia Texts

This seminar aims to introduce graduate students to the major subfields making up the Sharīʿa system, both in its theoretical as well as practical and institutional manifestations. We will be dissecting representative texts from each genre, all in the Arabic original, ranging from works on the psychoepistemic foundations of the law, to legal theory, the judiciary and juridico-political practice, legal education, biographical constructions of authority, and economic and political management by the Sharīʿa. Theoretically, we will be drawing on historical and cultural anthropology, political theory, Critical Theory, the theories of the subject, and constitutional studies, among others. A reasonable success in this course will permit the student to comfortably specialize in any Sharīʿa subfield.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

DISSERTATION COLLOQUIUM

The dissertation colloquium is a non-credit course open to MESAAS doctoral students who have completed the M.Phil. degree. It provides a forum in which the entire community of dissertation writers meets, bridging the departments different fields and regions of research. It complements workshops outside the department focused on one area or theme. Through an encounter with the diversity of research underway in MESAAS, participants learn to engage with work anchored in different regions and disciplines and discover or develop what is common in the departments post-disciplinary methods of inquiry. Since the community is relatively small, it is expected that all post-M.Phil. students in residence will join the colloquium. Post M.Phil. students from other departments may request permission to join the colloquium, but places for non-MESAAS students will be limited. The colloquium convenes every semester, meeting once every two weeks. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of one or two pre-circulated pieces of work (a draft prospectus or dissertation chapter). Every participant contributes at least one piece of work each year.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Gil Hochberg
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia h-index: 14 Info
• 0 points

MIDDLE EAST RESEARCH COLLOQ

This course is open to Ph.D. students and advanced M.A. students conducting research on aspects of the modern history, culture, and politics of the Middle East and adjacent regions.  The course has two aims. The first is to provide an opportunity to read and engage with some of the most recent scholarship in the field, especially work published in the last five years, organized around a number of current academic debates. The second is to provide a seminar in which those preparing a master’s paper, M.Phil. examination list, PhD. Prospectus, or a term paper intended for publication can develop and present a draft of their work. We will choose readings to accompany each presentation, focusing on recent scholarship that informs or extends the issues addressed in the research. The colloquium will enable students to clarify and test the questions that shape their work and better situate them within current scholarship. The course is intended primarily for MESAAS students. Those from other departments are welcome, but require the permission of the instructor to enroll.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Timothy Mitchell
  Wikipedia h-index: 34 Info
• 4 points

Swahili Coast: Issues, Methods, Historio

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to some of the key issues and terrains of scholarship in Swahili Coastal historiographies. Students will become familiar with some of the central intellectual debates and cornerstone texts, although the reading list is far from exhaustive. We will examine how some of the key issues and locations of research have shifted over time and discuss how and why national politics have shaped regional historiographies in the ways that they have. Of equal, or likely greater, importance is attention to how changes in intellectual theory and methods have impacted the form that scholarship has taken.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Laura Fair
  h-index: 15 Info
• 4 points