ELEMENTARY SWAHILI II

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

ELEMENTARY WOLOF II

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 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 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 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY ARMENIAN II

In Elementary Armenian II, 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.

• MW 4:10 p.m.-6 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.

• M 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah Bin Tyeer
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 1 Info
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY SANSKRIT II

An introduction to classical Sanskrit. Grammar, and reading of texts. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  Info
• 4 points

1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM II

Prerequisites: MDES UN1501, or the equivalent, based on performance on the placement test. Continued introduction to Hebrew, with equal emphasis on all languages skills. (See MDES UN1501.) No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY HINDI-URDU II

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 II

This is a fast-paced course that compresses two years of Hindi into one year. It is for students of South Asian background who already possess limited speaking and listening skills in Hindi or Urdu. Non-heritage students who have some exposure to Hindi or Urdu and South Asian cultures may also take this course.

It begins with an introduction to the Devanagari Script, which enables students to acquire basic reading and writing skills. They then build on their listening and speaking skills. To achieve these goals, students are introduced to a variety of materials, including literature, newspapers, folk tales, jokes, magazine articles, films, songs, commercials, and other kinds of audiovisual materials. These texts are related to language functions in daily personal and social life situations.

It focuses on vocabulary enrichment by exposing students to a variety of cultural topics and developing knowledge of basic Hindi grammar. By the end of the semester, students will develop productive skills in reading, writing, and speaking and will be able to:

• speak about themselves and their environment, and initiate conversations on topics of general interest.

• Understand most of the basic sentence structures of Hindi in formal and informal registers.

• Write correspondence related to daily life, letters, short essays, and compositions on various topics.

• Learn some basic vocabulary related to aspects of Indian life, such as family life, social traditions, and education.

• Initiate and sustain conversations on a range of topics related to different aspects of Indian culture, social, and family life.

On the first day of classes, there will be an interview/placemat test to establish the proficiency level. Please come directly to class. If accepted, the department will register you internally.

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

URDU FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS II

Prerequisite
: one semester of prior coursework in Urdu for Heritage Speakers I (UN1615) in the Fall semester, or the instructor’s permission. This is an accelerated
 
course for students of South Asian origin who already possess a knowledge of basic vocabulary and limited speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in Urdu. For instance, they should be able to converse, comprehend, read and write on familiar topics in Urdu 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

Introduction to South Asia

This course introduces students to South Asia through
an analysis of the heterogeneity, richness, and
complexity of the region’s conflicted pasts. Our
historical scope is vast and ambitious, starting with the
earliest urban settlements in about 2000BCE and
ending in the present. Though focused on “South
Asia,” the course problematizes the bounded areal
model by emphasizing the region’s enduring
connections to Eurasia, Africa, Southeast Asia, and
the broader Indian Ocean world. With connected
history as our method, the course asks students to
grapple with South Asia’s literary, religious, and
political histories as kinetic processes. This allows us to
ask probing questions about issues that have had, and
continue to have, major implications for the region––
and the world––today: sovereignty, power, gender,
community, devotion, piety, secularism, democracy,
violence, and the nation itself.

• MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Peterson
  Info
• 4 points

Introduction to South Asia-Discussion Se

Intro to S Asia-Disc Sect

Discussion section to accompany the course, MDES UN1630 Introduction to South Asia.

• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• R 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• R 11:10 a.m.-noon
• F 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• F 11:10 a.m.-noon
• 0 points

ELEMENTARY PERSIAN II

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

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

ELEMENTARY MODERN TURKISH II

Prerequisites: MDES UN1901 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 M Fikret
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE TAMIL II

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 II

Prerequisites: SWHL W1101-W1102 or the instructors 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 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE WOLOF II

Prerequisites: WLOF W1101-W1102 or the instructors permission. Further develops a students 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

This course offers an introduction to the intellectual, social, political, and cultural formations resulting from the revelation of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century until around 1800 CE. It is a “civilization” course and is introductory in nature. It is not a course in Islamic history, religion, philosophy, art, science, or literature, although all of these will be considered in various ways throughout the semester. The intent of the course is to survey the structures, themes, keywords, and subjects that are of interest for the study of Islamic societies, and to encounter a sampling of the historical sources that inform such surveys. Whether through documents, letters, sermons, explanations, publications, songs, or literature, the intention is to use historical sources in order to illuminate our understanding of the events of the past, and in particular, to help the student evaluate narratives about the past for themselves.
The course consists of a lecture and a recitation. All students must be registered for and attend both. The lectures will contextualize the required readings and primary sources, and students will participate in discussions about them in recitation. In addition to weekly readings, assignments include a weekly response post (~1 page), a midterm exam and a final exam. All of the course materials are presented in English

• M 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• T 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Nathanael P Shelley
  CULPA: 6 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 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 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.
• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  Info
• 5 points

ARABIC HERITAGE SPEAKERS II

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 II

Prerequisites: MDES W1310-W1311 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of reading, writing and speaking of Armenian. In Intermediate Armenian II, 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.

• TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE SANSKRIT II

Reading and grammatical analysis of a literary text, chosen from the dramatic and narrative tradition. 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 MODERN HEBREW II

Prerequisites: Second Year Hebrew: Intermediate I or instructor permission. Equal emphasis is given to all language skills. Irregular categories of the Hebrew verb, prepositions and syntax are taught systematically. Vocabulary building. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or writing short compositions. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. (Students completing this course fulfill Columbia College and Barnard language requirement.) No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 12:10 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Yael Flusser
  Info
• 5 points

HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS

Prerequisites: Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II forms the second part of a year-long sequence with Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I. 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.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Yael Flusser
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE HINDI-URDU II

This is a second-year (fall and spring semesters) course.

Students practice reading and writing in Devanagari and continue to improve their proficiency in Hindi to:

• Successfully handle most uncomplicated communicative tasks and social situations.

• Initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation.

• Write letters and short compositions and read consistently, fully understanding simple connected texts dealing with personal and social needs.

• Get the main ideas and information from texts, including description and narration.

To achieve these goals, students are introduced to a variety of materials, including literature, newspapers, folk tales, jokes, magazine articles, films, songs, commercials, and other kinds of audiovisual materials. These texts relate to language functions in daily personal and social life situations.

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

INTERMEDIATE PERSIAN II

Prerequisites: MDES W1701-MDES W1702 or the equivalent. A general review of the essentials of grammar; practice in spoken and written Persian; Arabic elements in Persian; selected readings emphasizing Iranian life and culture; materials from Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Indari. 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 II

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 M Fikret
  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.

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

PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI POLIT/SOC

The History of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) in 19th century Europe and the development of Zionism through the current peace process between the state of Israel and the Arab states and the Palestinian national movement. Provides a historical overview of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict to familiarize undergraduates with the background of the current situation. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Joseph A Massad
  CULPA: 23 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI POL/SOC DS

Required discussion section for MDES UN3042: Palestinian and Israeli Politics and Society

• W 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• W 11:10 a.m.-noon
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• 0 points

LITERATURE&CULTURES OF STRUGGLE IN S.AFR

Generations of resistance have shaped contemporary life in South Africa -- in struggles against colonialism, segregation, the legislated racism known as apartheid, and the entrenched inequalities of the post-apartheid era. Two constants in this history of struggle have been youth as a vanguard of liberation movements and culture as a weapon of struggle. As new generation of South African youth -- the born frees -- has now taken to the streets and social media to decolonize the university and claim their education as a meaningful right, this course traces the ways that generations of writers, artists, and activists have faced censorship, exile, and repression in an ongoing struggle to dismantle apartheid and to free the mind, the most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor according to Black Consciousness activist Steve Biko. This course traces the profoundly important roles that literature and other cultural production (music, photography, film, comics, Twitter hashtags like #rhodesmustfall and #feesmustfall) have played in struggle against apartheid and its lingering afterlife. Although many of our texts were originally written in English, we will also discuss the historical forces, including nineteenth-century Christian missions and Bantu Education, as well as South Africas post-1994 commitment to being a multilingual democracy, that have shaped the linguistic texture of South African cultural life.

• MW 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Jennifer Wenzel
  CULPA: 3 h-index: 15 Info
• 3 points

RETHINKING MIDDLE EAST POLITCS

This course examines a set of questions that have shaped the study of the politics of the modern Middle East. It looks at the main ways those questions have been answered, exploring debates both in Western academic scholarship and among scholars and intellectuals in the region itself. For each question, the course offers new ways of thinking about the issue or ways of framing it in different terms. The topics covered in the course include: the kinds of modern state that emerged in the Middle East and the ways its forms of power and authority were shaped; the birth of economic development as a way of describing the function and measuring the success of the state, and the changing metrics of this success; the influence of oil on the politics of the region; the nature and role of Islamic political movements; the transformation of the countryside and the city and the role of rural populations and of urban protest in modern politics; and the politics of armed force and political violence in the region, and the ways in which this has been understood. The focus of the course will be on the politics of the twentieth century, but many topics will be traced back into developments that occurred in earlier periods, and several will be explored up to the present. The course is divided into four parts, each ending with a paper or exam in which participants are asked to analyze the material covered. Each part of the course has a geographical focus on a country or group of countries and a thematic focus on a particular set of questions of historical and political analysis.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Timothy Mitchell
  Wikipedia h-index: 34 Info
• 4 points

RETHINKING MIDDLE EAST POL-DIS

Required discussion section for MDES UN3260 Rethinking Middle East Politics

• R 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• R 11:10 a.m.-noon
• W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• R 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• R 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• W 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• 0 points

ADVANCED SWAHILI II

Prerequisites: Advanced Swahili I 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 II

Prerequisites: Advanced Wolof I or instructor permission. This course will further your awareness and understanding of the Wolof language and culture, as well as improve your mastery of grammar, writing skills, and oral expression. Course materials will incorporate various types of text including tales, poetry, literature as well as multimedia such as films, and videos, television and radio programs.

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

URBAN SPACE & CONFLICT IN MIDDLE EAST

This course explores how civil war, revolution, militarization, mass violence, refugee crises, and terrorism impact urban spaces, and how city dwellers engage in urban resilience, negotiate and attempt to reclaim their right to the city. Through case studies of Beirut (1975-present), Baghdad (2003-present), Cairo (2011-present), Diyarbakir (1914-present), Aleppo (1914-present), and Jerusalem (1914-present), this course traces how urban life adjusted to destruction (and post-conflict reconstruction), violence, and anarchy; how neighborhoods were reshaped; and how local ethnic, religious, and political dynamics played out in these cities and metropolises. Relying on multi-disciplinary and post-disciplinary scholarship, and employing a wealth of audiovisual material, literary works, and interviews conducted by the instructor, the course scrutinizes how conflicts have impacted urban life in the Middle East, and how civilians react to, confront, and resist militarization in urban spaces.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Khatchig Mouradian
  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

Honors Thesis Seminar Part 2

Honors Thesis Sem Pt. 2

The MESAAS honors seminar offers the opportunity to undertake a sustained research project working closely with an individual faculty adviser. It also enables you, as part of a small group of MESAAS students working with the seminar instructor, to develop the skills of academic research and writing and learn how to collaborate with peers and create an engaged intellectual community. This 3-point seminar continues the work begun in the Fall semester of the senior year in MDES 3960 Honors Thesis Seminar Part 1.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Debashree Mukherjee
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 5 Info
• 3 points

LOCATE AFRICA IN 20C WORLD

• T 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Jinny K Prais
  Info
• 3 points

Reading Marx Historically

The historical significance of Marx lies not only in his reception in Germany or Europe, but across the world. But Marx’s thought emerged from a highly specific intellectual context of European thought. Therefore, reading Marx must have a contextual, German and European side, and, equally, a global reception side. The purpose of this course will be to read Marx’s texts closely, and to follow the trajectory of his ideas historically and therefore globally. In one sense, we understand what ‘doing’ political theory means more clearly in studying the struggles of Marx’s readers in addressing the question: how can reading Marx illuminate the historical analysis of very different societies – societies which were not in Europe, societies which were not based on a capitalist economy, societies that were not yet ‘modern’ in their economy, politics and culture. A part of the course will be about the Marxism of the ‘others’: American Black thinkers, and thinkers in China, India, Africa, the Middle East. To follow Marx’s thought historically is to read his thought globally.

The course will be in three parts. The first part will read some texts of Western social theory from which the central questions of Marx’s theoretical reflections were drawn. Following a method of Indian philosophy in which philosophic arguments are always read in relation to its purvapaksha (arguments in response to which the philosophical doctrine was conceived and elaborated), we shall start with questions first introduced in Hobbes (individual) Locke (property and its relation to government) and Adam Smith (capitalism) in the British tradition, and Hegel (on history and capitalism) and Feuerbach (religion and estrangement) in the German tradition. We shall explore the central arguments from these thinkers which Marx contends with – at times accepting and elaborating them, or modifying them, or directly questioning and rejecting them.

In the second part of the course, we shall closely read some texts from Marx, but also pair them with some of the major readings of their meanings from the Marxist tradition. Texts read will include the early journalistic writings, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, Communist Manifesto, the Grundrisse, political writings, Capital and Theories of Surplus Value, reflections on non-European history on the basis of his notes on ‘pre-capitalist formations’ and ethnological manuscripts.

In the final part of t

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

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

Houses of Wisdom: Scholarly Spaces and K

Teaching and learning in the premodern Islamic world centered around the person, rather than the
space. Entries in medieval biographical dictionaries tend to emphasize a scholar’s teachers, not the
institutions they studied at. Nonetheless knowledge had a geography: it was embodied and situated.
Where people studied, discussed, and taught determined how and what knowledge was gained and
transmitted, and to whom. At the same time, different practices and values of knowledge transmission
shaped spaces of scholarship.
This class will question the interplay between knowledge and space. We will focus on social and material
dimensions of spaces, revealing connections and separations between scholars and disciplines as we
attempt to materialize intellectual history. We will interrogate the boundaries between the informal and
formal, personal and institutional, public and private, and use these categories to analyze the teaching
and transmission of various kinds of knowledge, such as Islamic and Ancient sciences. Drawing from
biographical dictionaries, literary works, documentary and archeological evidence, we will explore the
importance of religious endowments and patronage, and examine access to scholarly spaces for the elite,
the ‘sub-elite’ and the ‘common’ people. Finally, this class will confront enduring myths, such as those
surrounding Baghdad’s Bayt al-Hikma, and the Jundishāpūr hospital, and narratives surrounding the
place of the natural sciences within the Islamic world.

• M 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 points

THIRD YEAR ARABIC II

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 II

Prerequisites: MDES W4212. Through reading articles and essays by Arab thinkers and intellectuals of the Twentieth century, starting from the period called Nahda (Renaissance), such as Taha Hussein, Qasim Amin, Abdallah Laroui, Abed Al-Jabiri, Tahar Haddad, Fatima Mernissi and others, 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

ADVANCED ARABIC GRAMMAR REVIEW

Through reading and writing, students will review Arabic Grammar concepts within the context of linguistic functions such as narration, description, comparison, etc. For example, within the function of narration, students will focus on verb tenses, word order, and adverbials. Based on error analysis in the past twelve years that the Arabic Program has been using Al-Kitaab, emphasis will be placed on common and frequent grammatical errors. Within these linguistic functions and based on error analysis, the course will review the following main concepts: Types of sentence and sentence/clause structure. The Verb system, pattern meanings and verb complementation. Quadriliteral verb patterns and derivations. Weak Verbs derivations, conjugation, tense frames and negation. Case endings. Types of noun and participle: Noun of time, place, instance, stance, instrument, active and passive participles. Types of construct phrase: al-iDafa. Types of Adverbials and verb complements: Hal, Tamyiz, Maf’ul mutlaq, Maf’ul li’ajlihi, adverbs of time, frequency, place and manner. The number system and countable nouns. Types of maa.Diptotes, al-mamnu’ min-aSSarf. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Taoufik Ben-Amor
  CULPA: 11 Info
• 3 points

SPOKEN ARABIC II

Prerequisites: MDES UN2202 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

The Arabic Linguistic Tradition

The purpose of the Arabic Linguistic Tradition course is to introduce undergraduate and graduate
students to the Arabic Linguistic Tradition, starting before Islam and ending in current times. The
course maps out the context in which the Arabic language and its predecessors existed, the
history of the development of the language, its script, its geographical spread, its linguistic
influences on other languages and scripts throughout the world, as well as its own influences by
other languages. The course will also examine the importance of Arabic as a language of
religion, philosophy, sciences, and nationalism. Furthermore, the course will focus on the
classical Arabic linguistic categories and fields devised by Arab/Arabic grammarians, and how
we can situate them vis-à-vis modern western linguistic theories. The course will detail some of
the language linguistic issues, challenges and secrets, as the language stands on its own, as well
as within a euro-centric “modern” linguistic theories framework.

• R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED MODERN ARMENIAN II

• F 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 3 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 II

Prerequisites: Third Year Modern Hebrew I or Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II Focus on transition from basic language towards authentic Hebrew, through reading of un-adapted literary and journalistic texts without vowels. Vocabulary building. Grammar is reviewed in context. A weekly hour is devoted to practice in conversation. Daily homework includes reading, short answers, short compositions, listening to web-casts, or giving short oral presentations via voice e-mail. Frequent vocabulary quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Yael Flusser
  Info
• 4 points

Beyond Human in Modern Hebrew Literature

Beyond Human in Mod Hebre

“The possibility of pogroms,” claims Theodor Adorno, “is decided in the moment when the gaze of a fatally-wounded animal falls on a human being. The defiance with which he repels this gaze—’after all it's only an animal’—reappears irresistibly in cruelties done to human beings.” This course traces the development of Modern Hebrew literature, from its fin-de-siècle revival to contemporary Israeli fiction, through the prism of animality and animalization. We will focus on human-animal relations and animalization/dehumanization of humans in literary works by prominent Hebrew authors, including M.Y. Berdichevsky, Devorah Baron, S.Y. Agnon, Amos Oz, David Grossman, Orly Castel-Bloom, Almog Behar, Etgar Keret, and Sayed Kashua. Employing posthumanist and ecofeminist theoretical lenses, we will analyze the bio-political intersections of species and gender, as well as animalization as a process of otherization of marginalized ethnic groups. Throughout the course, we will ask questions, such as: why animals abound in Modern Hebrew literature? Are they merely metaphors for intra-human issues, or rather count as subjects? What literary devices are used to portray animals? How has the depiction of human-animal relations changed in Hebrew over the last 150 years? How do cultural and political frameworks inform representations of human-animal relations? No prior knowledge of Hebrew is required; all readings and class discussions will be in English. Course participants with reading knowledge of Hebrew are encouraged to consult the original literary texts, provided by the instructor upon request.

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

READINGS IN HINDI LIT I

• TR 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Timsal Masud
  Info
• 3 points

ADVANCED HINDI II

This is a third year (or sixth semester) course in the Hindi-Urdu program that aims to continue building upon the existing listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural skills in Hindi and Urdu. Students will be exposed to a variety of authentic materials, such as stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos and film clips. They will be expected to expand their vocabulary, enhance their grammatical accuracy and develop their cultural appropriateness through their enthusiastic participation in classroom activities and immersing themselves in the speech community outside.

The objective of the course is to promote meaningful interaction with literary texts and to strengthen students’ language skills to understand and describe situations and people in diverse academic settings of modern Hindi. Writing in the target language will be emphasized throughout the semester to enable students to use their diverse vocabulary and grammatical structures. The students will gain better understanding of the craft of creative writing in Hindi as the writers explore the innermost sentiments and compulsions of their characters to make us wonder about life, language and emotions, all in conjunction with each other.

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

Sound and Listening Cultures of the Indi

Sound Listening Cult Indi

This course will explore major themes in the growing field of Sound Studies with a focus on the rich history of sound and varied cultures of sound and listening in the Indian subcontinent. The main questions that we will address include: how have political, commercial, and cultural movements shaped
 what
 the diverse populations of South Asia listen to and
 how
 they listen?  How have different forms of media shaped/ informed listening experiences in South Asia? How do listening practices and cultures from the subcontinent differ from those in other regions?  In this class we will listen to the human voice, rumor/gossip, gramophone, loud speakers, radio, film, and mp3. We will discuss the role political speeches, film songs, and devotional songs in shaping South Asian politics and culture in the twentieth-century as the subcontinent transitioned from colonial rule to nation-states. Drawing on the interdisciplinary nature of Sound Studies, we will read works from across the disciplines—anthropology, ethnomusicology, Religious Studies, Media Studies, and history. Organized thematically, this course will focus on the twentieth century, but the readings will address earlier time periods.

 

This is an upper-level undergraduate and graduate (MA) seminar. Students are expected to have some background in South Asian studies/history or media/sounds studies. The class will meet once a week for discussion of readings. In addition to readings there will be a several required film screenings or listening activities.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Isabel Huacuja Alonso
  Info
• 4 points

READINGS IN URDU LIT

Two semesters of prior coursework in Urdu for Heritage Speakers (Urdu for Heritage Speakers I and II) or one semester of Advanced Urdu or the instructor’s permission. This course is a literary course, with in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu poetry i.e. genres of
ghazal
 and 
nazm
. This course is open for both undergraduates and graduates. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

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

India after 1947: Democracy and Majorita

This course will explore recent histories of post-independence India, focusing on the first three decades of independence (1947-1977) following the end of British colonial rule. Until rather recently, most histories of South Asia concluded with independence, casting, perhaps unconsciously, the end of British rule as the end of history in the region. However, in recent years, we have witnessed a boom of historical writing on post-independence India.  In this class, we will analyze this emerging scholarship and focus on the themes of democracy and majoritarianism. We will read about the establishment of universal franchise in 1950s India, the writing and implementation of the constitution, and the country’s experiments with various economic plans. At the same time, we will study the Indian state’s often violent integration of regions originally outside Britain’s direct domain, including the princely states of Kashmir and Hyderabad, and the development of what scholars have described as new forms of colonialism in the region after 1947. Likewise
,
 we will study the growth of majoritarian ideologies and the continued struggle against caste oppression, all while considering India’s place in the larger Cold War. Throughout the class, we will remain attendant to aesthetic developments in media and literature during this period. While the course focuses on India—or more specifically on various communities’ interactions with the Indian state—we will also study developments in Pakistan (and Bangladesh after 1971) and other neighboring states, recognizing that their shared histories did not end with Partition.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Isabel Huacuja Alonso
  Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED PERSIAN II

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 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 3 points

READINGS IN PERSIAN TEXTS

May be repeated for credit; content varies.

Prerequisites: Must have completed MDES 2702, equivalent two years of Persian or the instructor's permission.

This course provides experience reading and analyzing Persian language texts, as well as translating them into English. We will also spend some time learning how to read different kinds of paleography, and about various manuscript and print conventions and practices. Supplementary scholarly readings in English will situate the Persian texts. There will be a translation workshop at the end of the semester with related texts of the students choosing, in preparation for a final translation project. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Mana Kia
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 11 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED TURKISH II

Advanced Turkish II 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 M Fikret
  Info
• 3 points

READINGS IN OTTOMAN TEXTS II

Prerequisites: Elementary Ottoman Turkish. This course deals with authentic Ottoman texts from the early 18th and 19th centuries. The class uses Turkish as the primary language for instruction, and students are expected to translate assigned texts into Turkish or English. A reading packet will include various authentic archival materials in rika, talik and divani styles. Whenever possible, students will be given texts that are related to their areas of interest. Various writing styles will be dealt with on Ottoman literature, history, and archival documents. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Dilek Oztoprak
  Info
• 3 points

THEORY AND METHODS II

The main purpose of this course is to acquaint students with different theories and methodological approaches to reading and interpretation of texts. This course may not be taken as Pass/D/Fail.

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

COLONIALISM

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

NATL IN MID EAST AS IDEA/PRAC

Intends to familiarize students with the most recent theories dealing with nationalism from a variety of angles and perspectives.

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

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