Time Schedule:
Shaun T Lopez
HIST 290
Seattle Campus
Examines special topics in history.
Class description
This course, "Wars in the Modern Middle East" examines the political, social and cultural impact of War on Middle Eastern Societies. The focus will be on how the preparation for, conduct of, and aftermath of wars have affected the people of the region. This is not a military history course, so students should not expect detailed explications of military strategies or technologies of war. Rather than attempt to cover chronologically all wars in modern history of the region, this course will be divided into an introduction and four units, with each unit built around a specific case study. Each unit will include lectures, readings, either a novel or a film, and a writing assignment. The four case studies to be examined in the class are: 1)the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 2)The Algerian War of Independence, 3)the Lebanese Civil War, and 4)the First Gulf War (1991). In each case students will examine how the War and its aftermath shaped the Middle East that we see today.
Student learning goals
Students will learn the basic narrative of the Middle East's twentieth century history, and how the conduct and aftermath of war has shaped that history
Students will learn how to read both primary and secondary texts critically, and how to discuss them among their classmates
Students will gain experience in writing critical analyses of primary texts, including films and novels.
Students will better understand the present moment in the Middle East by have some sense of the historical processes that have shaped the region.
General method of instruction
This is a lecture course with regular discussion. Students will also be asked to watch and analyze films, and to read both primary and secondary texts.
Recommended preparation
No previous background is necessary...
Class assignments and grading
This course will complete a short (3-4 pages) writing assignment for each of the four case studies. There will also be a map quiz and a slightly longer final writing assignment.
Grades will be determined by the following: 1. Four short writing assignments (one for each case study) 2. A Map Quiz 3. A slightly longer final writing assignment (approx. 5-7 pages) 4. Class participation
