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.

• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• T 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• T 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• R 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• T 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• R 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• R 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Prateek Paul
  Info
• 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 1:10 p.m.-2 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 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 Info
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  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 10:10 a.m.-11:15 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.

• TR 1:10 p.m.-3 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.
• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah Bin Tyeer
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 1 Info
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 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: Jay Ramesh
  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.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Alison Vacca
  Info
• 4 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.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 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.

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  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

• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• W 2:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• W 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Erik Aldri Blackthorne-O'Barr
  Info
• 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 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  Info
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 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 8:50 a.m.-9:55 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 10:10 a.m.-11:15 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.

• MW 3:50 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE SANSKRIT I

Prerequisites: Elementary Sanskrit II or instructor permission. This course constitutes the first half of a year-long reading course designed to give students the tools necessary for advanced study in Classical Sanskrit. Readings in epic (itihasa), poetry (kavya), systematic thought (sastra), and commentary (vyakhyana) will introduce students to a variety of important genres and their distinctive conventions. A focus upon the Sanskrit tradition’s own categories of analysis—grammatical, commentarial, and prosodic—will enable students to begin to make sense of original Sanskrit texts as generations of the tradition’s own readers have. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  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

INT HEBREW:INTENSVE GRAMMAR REV

This course focuses on Modern Hebrew grammar, and verb conjugation in particular. It is designed for students with substantial knowledge of Modern Hebrew. Over the semester, students will systematically review the grammatical patterns of regular verbs (shlemim), and learn the grammatical patterns of the irregular verbs (gzarot), as well as several other grammatical topics. After successful completion of this course, the foreign language requirement will be fulfilled (for students of Columbia College and other academic units that require a 4th-semester proficiency). Successful completion of this course also allows students to register in third-year Modern Hebrew.

• MWR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 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 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• 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 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha Colak
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 0 Info
• 4 points

AFRICA BEFORE COLONIALISM

This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the precolonial history of the African continent. It investigates in-depth the political, social, cultural and economic developments of different Africa communities, covering various regions and periods, from prehistory to the formation of the Indian Ocean and Atlantic worlds. Its focus is the intersection of politics, economics, culture and society. Using world history and Africa’s location in the production of history as key analytical frames, it pays special attention to social, political and cultural changes that shaped the various individual and collective experiences of African peoples and states and the historical discourses associated to them.

• MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Mamadou Diouf
  CULPA: 2 Wikipedia Info
• 3 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 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Debashree Mukherjee
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 5 Info
• 4 points

THEORY AND CULTURE-DISC

• 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 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Nadeem Mansour
  Info
• 0 points

ARABIC LITERATURE AS WORLD LITERATURE

This seminar focuses on Arabic literature in the world, as World Literature. The focus will be on pre-modern and modern Arabic literary works that traveled and circulated and were adapted to and acquired individual meanings in different cultures. We will look at literary works that achieved ‘worldliness’ through either writing back to the center or through
international literary prizes. We will consider how literary works travel and circulate through their fusion with regional concepts, or even take on new meanings at different times and places. Admittedly, also, we will look into the strengths, weaknesses, and criticism surrounding World Literature.

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

Introduction to Armenian Studies

Intro to Armenian Studies

Historians frequently situate Armenia between two powers: between Rome and Persia, then Byzantium and Islam. This class will shake up the usual “between-two-worlds” paradigm, which places Armenia and Armenians in the crosshairs of world powers. Instead, we will study Armenians as active participants in world dramas, at the center of global developments. Our main goal will be to draw upon a variety of sources to tell the story of Armenia and Armenians: histories, poems, art, coins, buildings, etc.  

Goals


Critically assess what it means to study history. Why are we learning this?

Analyze primary sources, whether written or material. How can we study this?

Engage with modern scholarship on Armenian experiences. How have other people studied this?

• T 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Alison Vacca
  Info
• 3 points

Anticolonialism, Constitutionalism, and

Anticolonialism in S Asia

How does anticolonialism shape the political present and future(s) of South Asia? This syllabus explores this question by reflecting on how political and social concepts formulated by anticolonial thought have impacted public life in South Asia in the last century. In particular, it explores how anticolonial concepts gain thicker meanings and implications through the experiences and challenges of constitutionalism and democracy in postcolonial societies.
This course explores themes such as Anticolonial Worldmaking, Anti-Caste Assertion, Founding Moments for Post-Colonial Democracies, Representation and Citizenship in Uneasily Secular Societies, the Everyday Life of the Law, Religious Nationalism, and recent debates on Environmental Rights and Data Privacy and Security. Each of these themes are designed to understand how anticolonialism, constitutionalism and democracy address the dilemmas of deep diversity in South Asia.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Shaunna Rodrigues
  h-index: 0 Info
• 3 points

Introduction to Twentieth-Century South

Intro 20th C South Asian

This class offers a survey of major works of twentieth-century South Asian literature. We will read
Raja Rao, Rokeya Hossain, Ismat Chughtai, Viswanadha Satyanarayana, Amrita Pritam, and
Romesh Gunesekera. Emphasis will be placed on studying the thematic, formal, and stylistic
elements of works and developing critical skills necessary for literary analysis. Works will engage
with questions of nation & nationalism, gender & sexuality, caste, environment, and literary history.

• W 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Sourav Chatterjee
  Info
• 3 points

CONTEMP CULTURE IN ARAB WORLD

This seminar, designed for seniors, aims to acquaint students with the notion and theoretical understanding of culture and to introduce them to a critical method by which they can study and appreciate contemporary culture in the Arab World. The seminar will survey examples of written and cinematic culture (fiction and autobiography), as well as music, dance, and literary criticism in the contemporary Arab world. Students will be reading novels, autobioghraphies and literary criticism, as well as watch films and listen to music as part of the syllabus. All material will be in translation. Films will be subtitled. Songs will be in Arabic.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Joseph A Massad
  CULPA: 23 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

CNTRL QUESTIONS IN ISLAMIC LAW

Through detailed discussions of certain landmarks in Islamic legal history (e.g. origins; early formation; sources of law; intellectual make-up; the workings of court; legal change; women in the law; legal effects of colonialism; modernity and legal reform, etc.), the course aims at providing an introductory but integrated view of Islamic law, a definition, so to speak, of what it was/is. Please note, this course must be taken for a letter grade.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• 3 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 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Alison Vacca
  Info
• 1 points

Urban South Africa

The aims of this seminar are 1) to introduce students to the broad parameters of urban South African history 2) to familiarize students with the immense creativity and resilience of African peoples, even in the most difficult colonial contexts 3) to illustrate how race, class and gender were socially, historically and politically constructed in South Africa 4) to guide students in the completion of an original research paper on some aspect of black South African urban life 5) to enhance student appreciation for the ways in which a researcher's perspective and interests influences their interpretation of sources 6) to make visible the ways in which research outcomes are shaped by a researcher's choice of source material 7) to develop student research and writing skills.

            This course provides only a bare introduction to the history of South Africa.  The chief aim is to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to conduct original research and to help students develop skills in documenting African agency and resilience in the face of colonial oppression, often by ‘reading between the lines’ of state-produced documents.

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

Major Debates in the Study of Africa

MAJ DEBATES-STUDY OF AFRI

This course will focus on key debates that have shaped the study of Africa in the post-colonial African academy. We will cover six key debates: Historiography; Slavery: Premodern and Modern; State Formation; Colonialism and Difference; Nationalism; Political Identity and Political Violence The approach will be multi-disciplinary. To the extent possible, readings will be illustrative of different sides in the debate.

• R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Mahmood Mamdani
  CULPA: 21 Wikipedia h-index: 57 Info
• 4 points

The Ways of Ilm: Scholarly Traditions

The Ways of Ilm: Islami

This course covers the epistemologies and main theological and philosophical standpoints of a wide range of Islamic intellectual traditions. It will explore how different groups of scholars accumulated knowledge of God and the universe in the Classical Islamic world, a period which in many ways can be considered formative for contemporary Islam. We focus on various bodies of knowledge as these were developed from the 7th-c. 13th centuries AD. Each week covers a separate theological, philosophical, or scientific tradition, after which the class will explore the tensions and syntheses between various competing worldviews.

• M 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 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 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 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

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

ARABIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY GLOBAL DIMENSIONS

This course draws a map of Arab thought and culture in its multiple engagements with other cultures. It works globally along two lines: a theoretical one that accommodates conceptualizations of self-narrative in relation to shifting categories of center and margin; and a thematic one that selects a number of Arabic autobiographical texts with strong thematic concerns that cut across multiple cultures. Although Europe sounds at times more conspicuous in early 20th century autobiography, the Afro-Asian and Latin American topographical and historical itinerary and context are no less so, especially in writings we associate with societal and cultural transformations. More than historical accounts, these intellectual itineraries speak for the successes and failures of the secular ideology of the Arab nation-state. They convey the struggle of intellectuals-- as self-styled leaders, for an ideal state on the ruins of the past. The course studies a number of autobiographical works; memoirs and reminiscences that are meant to rationalize and reproduce a writer’s experience. Probably self-censored, these serve nevertheless as trajectories for a secular journey rather than one from denial to affirmation. Staunchly established in modernity and its nahdah paradigms, most of these writings are secular itineraries that rarely end in a search for faith. They are the journeys of a generation of Arab intellectuals who are facing many crises, but not the crisis of faith. They provide another look at the making of the Arab intelligentsia- and probably the Afro-Asian and Latin American one, since the early 20th century, and help us discern not only achievements on the level of education and public service , but also the mounting discontent with failures that have been wrapping the formation of the nation state. No prior knowledge of Arabic language is required.

• 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.

• F 11 a.m.-1 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.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 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

Hindu Nationalism

Since the ascent of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India in 2014, Hindu nationalism has dominated headlines concerning India across the globe. However, the influence that Hindu nationalism has had in shaping beliefs about citizenship, belonging, religion, and the nation has a history that predates the Modi regime by around a hundred and fifty years. This class will examine the history of Hindu nationalism from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century by examining primary texts and academic analysis. This class will not only read the writings of key Hindu nationalist thinkers but will also examine how different media and technologies have affected how Hindu nationalists communicate with different publics. In particular, this class will examine topics such as space/ geography, caste and community, gender, technology and media, and diasporic Hindutva.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Christine H Marrewa Karwoski
  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

Gender, Sexuality, Religion, & Power in

Gndr, Sxlty, Rlgn, Power

This course is a broad cultural history of gender, sex, religion, and power in South Asia over the
longue durée.
Readings will examine these topics in early modern and modern Indian cultures and have been chosen not so much with a view toward comprehensiveness but for variety–– allowing us to explore gender and sexuality in diverse topics such as religion, literature, politics, visual culture, and historiography.

• 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

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 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 2:40 p.m.-3:55 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: Timothy Mitchell
  Wikipedia h-index: 34 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: Mana Kia
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 11 Info
• 2 points

COLONIALISM

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

READINGS IN AFRICAN INTEL HIST

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Mamadou Diouf
  CULPA: 2 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

Readings in Sufi Texts

This seminar is based entirely on the primary sources of Ṣūfism, including the writings of Qushayrī, Nūrī, Muḥāsibī, Sarrāj, Ghazālī, Hujwīrī, Ibn ʿArabī, Suhrawardī, Shaʿrānī, and al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī. We will explore how the leading Ṣūfīs saw themselves and the ways in which they articulated their identity. This is also articulated in the ways they organized their works and constructed the biographies of their ethical exemplars. We will study their major concepts and descriptions of their own experiences, and then theorize their subjective formations as “hermeneutics of the subject.” Inasmuch as this seminar is about how we study and view Ṣūfism, it is also as much about the various ways this conception of the world can inform a basis of a set of critiques of modernity and its epistemologies and practices.

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

Camera in the Tropics

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This graduate seminar situates the history of photography within the history of colonial productions of tropicality, and the concomitant occupation of tropical places. Specific regimes of vision accompanied the European conquest of peoples and lands, undergirded the racialization of bodies, and colluded in epistemic binaries of centers and peripheries. At the same time, modern visual media did not possess an intrinsically “colonial gaze.” Rather, many of the same apparatuses of seeing and representation proved to be powerful tools in the assertion of minoritized selves, be it in fugitive , playful, or explicitly confrontational forms. Our focus will be on 19th -20th century lens-based image production, particularly photography. Each week we will acquaint ourselves with concepts and methods that will help us read images, situate current decolonial debates in visual studies within older foundational debates on vision and visuality, and read key texts in historiography. Weekly readings are curated as per a spatial logic, retracing the itineraries of colonial adventurism and control: from the ship to the island, the plantation, the prison, and the laboratory. This seminar is designed mainly for doctoral students; Masters students can join with instructor permission.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Familiarity with foundational debates in photography studies.

• Ability to articulate the relationship between a history of vision, the production of space, and the epistemic techniques of colonialism.

• A comparative history of colonized islands and archipelagoes construed as “tropical.”

• Methods in postcolonial, anti-colonial, and decolonial reading of texts and images.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Debashree Mukherjee
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 5 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.

• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Gil Hochberg
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia h-index: 14 Info
• 0 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 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Laura Fair
  h-index: 15 Info
• 4 points

PSYCHOANALYSIS, IDENTITY, CULT

PSYCHOANALYSIS IDENTITY CULT

This graduate seminar aims to introduce students to Freud and Freudian Psychoanalysis and the integration of both in critical theory. The main question the seminar aims to study is the formation of identity in psychoanalysis and how it relates to civilization and culture more generally, whether in its gender, sexual, or national configurations. The influence of Social Darwinism and Developmentalism more generally on Freudian psychoanalysis will be discussed as well as the importance of related temporal concepts deployed in psychoanalysis' insistence on the divide between primitivism and culture. We will discuss a number of major scholarly works engaging Freud's theories on all these questions and their relevance to social and cultural analysis.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Joseph A Massad
  CULPA: 23 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points