Courses

NELC Courses (Numerically by course number)

Not open to students with credit for Anthrop 241.

Cross-listed in Anthropology. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course provides an ethnographic overview of the "Culture" and cultures of the contemporary Middle East. It is designed to increase student knowledge and awareness about the Middle East in regard to its cultural, social, political and religious institutions. The history of the region is examined as background to developing a more thorough understanding of the contemporary Middle East as represented by its villages, towns, and cities. This is also a course in the comparative study of culture, addressing essential questions in the study of societies located within a single regional context which are informed by different cultural traditions. Films, tapes, slides and other resources will supplement course readings.

244 Films of the Middle East U 5
Overview of contemporary films from different Middle Eastern countries; how filmmakers of the region view, present, and construct their countries using particular modes of representation.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

In this course, contemporary films of different Middle Eastern countries will be approached from several perspectives. The course will present films of several countries in the region to give an introductory account of the specific cultures of their production. The emphasis will be on how various national cultures have built popular cultural products that may be representative of their specific cultural locations. In this respect, the course will bring about national, social, cultural, and historical issues and problems pertaining to the region. Film as a form of popular art will be considered as useful for understanding the production of narratives about Middle Eastern lives. Both a narrative and a visual medium, film will be presented as a way of seeing and representing the realities and fictions of these societies. Students will be asked to relate, compare and contrast these films as examples of national projects and cultural products. This introduction to different cinematic experiences in a particular region will consider how the representation and narration of reality in filmic texts are related to its contexts. This course will equip students with a basic knowledge of contemporary Middle Eastern culture. It will give students a chance to understand foreign cultures by presenting examples of how these cultures envision themselves in their films. Film, as a social practice and as a medium for national imagination and representation, will provide students a comparative and critical perspective with which to reconsider their own understanding of film.

271 Sacred Texts of the Near East U 5
An introductory survey of the sacred texts of the Near East: Egyptian and Mesopotamian, the Bible, the Avesta, Hellenistic Gnostic literature, and the Qur'an.

GEC arts and hums lit course.

Given the diversity of cultural backgrounds, genres, times of composition, factors of transmission, languages -- even the very applicability of the term "sacred text" when used to describe a peculiar literary and religious phenomenon in such environments -- it may seem overly ambitious to treat the subject matter of this course under a single rubric. There is no question, however, that most of the traditions to be discussed interact with -- receive stimulus from or react against -- one another or the cultural values which they represent. In the context of a liberal education, there must be a format for a synthetic comprehension of these crucial texts on the elementary level, ultimately enhancing the comprehension of the individual traditions. The significance of these particular traditions does not lie in acknowledging the debt of Western civilization to its non-Western antecedents, or in acknowledging the need to expand eastward our sense of "Western civilization", but such a course provides the necessary introductory context for those who will be specializing in one of the traditions here represented. The course will focus upon two crucial areas in which the above sacred literatures can be analyzed: (1) Prescription and Practice - what God wants and how to do it (morality, covenant, prayer, law, cult); and (2) Theory and Reflection - how God and man relate (history, prophecy, eschatology, creation, election).

272 Masterpieces of Near Eastern Literatures in Translation U 5
An introduction to major works of the Arabic, Persian and Turkish literary tradition from the sixth century to the present. Taught in English.

Students are introduced to masterpieces of four major Near Eastern literatures which bridge a time of more than 1,300 years and have a provenance of great parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. In rough chronological sequence, important works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish prose and poetry, in English translation, are examined and discussed. Students' acquaintance with texts supplemented by slides, recordings, films, and guest lecturers help place the literatures in their broader cultural context

293 Individual Studies U 1-5
Prereq: Permission of instructor.

294 Group Studies U 1-5
Special topics to be announced in the quarter previous to the one in which the course is offered.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

311 Rebuilding the Tower of Babel: Language, Diversity, History, and Ideology U 5
A critical study of some of the mechanisms shaping language evolution, examining a number of linguistic, historical, ideological, and cultural issues.

Not open to students with credit for Linguist 311or 385. Cross-listed in Linguistics. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course is designed to provide the student with a broad perspective on some of the different mechanisms shaping language evolution. The insights of historical linguistics are examined alongside a critical study of other ideological, historical, and cultural issues which can be seen to inform the development of languages outside the Indo-European language family. Traditional courses on historical linguistics are, in essence, introductions to Indo-European linguistics. In contrast, this course seeks to achieve a much broader perspective, in which, for instance, Afroasiatic, African, Far Eastern, and Amerindian languages deserve the same attention and contribute in the same way to our better understanding of the mechanisms of language evolution. Moreover, that broad perspective will put special stress on how ideology shapes historical linguistics, through an overview of the history of the research. Furthermore, linguistics will be just one part of the course, since the ideological, historical, and cultural issues involved (re-construction of identity, ethnicity, gender, etc.) will play an essential role. Thus, a problem like the search for the homeland of the primitive speakers of Semitic or Indo-European will be analyzed not only from a linguistic point of view, but also from that of the critical study of the theoretical framework used in that research and the ideology hidden behind each hypothesis.

314 The Road to the Alphabet: The Middle Eastern Origins of Western Writing U 5
A broad overview of the alphabet and the writing systems that constituted its cultural surroundings and shaped its origins.

GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

In order to achieve a holistic understanding of the alphabet and its significance within its historical context, the course will start with the study of the non-alphabetical writing systems of the Ancient Near East, i.e. those used in Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Northwest Semitic realm (the so-called Syro-Palestinian region). The emphasis will be placed on cognitive, social, anthropological, and historical problems. In order to fully comprehend the nature of these problems, the students will be introduced to the mechanisms and conventions of the Ancient Near Eastern writing systems and how they led to the appearance of the alphabet. Such an overview of the actual data will enable the student to address the wide variety of theoretical issues raised by the origins and development of the earliest writing systems in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syro-Palestine. Our approach will be mostly diachronic and, therefore, special emphasis will be placed on the evolution of practices and conventions within a writing system throughout history. For instance, we will examine how the earliest writing systems in the Near East originated and developed orthographic strategies and standards to record the linguistic realities for which they were designed; what processes and mechanisms facilitated the creation of the first alphabet in the Syro-Palestinian region; how this alphabet was adopted and adapted to write other languages in the Ancient Mediterranean world (Greek, Latin, etc.); and how modern scholars have been able to decipher scripts lost long ago (such as Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform). In order to enhance our theoretical perspective and to establish a typological comparison with the Western and Middle Eastern worlds, the course will devote some time to Meso-American materials, especially to the still ongoing decipherment of the Mayan hieroglyphs. Examining the methodology of modern Mayanists will enable us to reassess a wide variety of theoretical and practical issues involved in the study of ancient writing systems whose chain of tradition and transmission was interrupted at a given time and whose decipherment involves the scholarly resurrection of a dead language. The more social and anthropological aspects of writing will be grounded also in our eminently diachronic approach. General and detailed sessions will be devoted to a variety of these concerns: the possible reasons for which certain cultures started to use writing for bureaucratic and economic reasons, whereas others started to use it for more symbolic realms of life; the relation between writing, national identity, and script reforms in different areas (such as the Slavic-speaking countries and modern Turkey); relations between orality and literacy, etc.

341 Islam in the United States U 5
An examination of the main elements of Islamic belief as well as particular characteristics of each major Islamic group in the United States.

GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

The main objectives of this course are to contrast and compare major Islamic groups in the United States and to provide basic descriptive information for the academic study of Islam. It will explore some of the important social, cultural, and economic trends which caused the divisions in American Islam. By the end of the course, students will have a basic knowledge of the main elements of Islamic belief as well as particular characteristics of each major Islamic group in the United States.

344 The Middle East in the Media U 5
Examination of contemporary Middle Eastern cultures through critical evaluation of the media which inform our understanding of international politics.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

With deep historical roots, intricate ties with Europe, Asia, and Africa, and a dynamic contemporary environment, the cultures of the Middle East are suffused with numerous political issues. Not only does the complexity of these issues often make the cultures of the Middle East difficult to understand, reporting on these issues often tends itself to subtle journalistic bias. By focusing on several ongoing situations of modern Middle Eastern history, this course offers student insights into contemporary Middle Eastern cultures while fostering the ability to critically evaluate the media which inform our understanding of international politics.

345 Women in the Muslim Middle East U 5
Examination of position of women in the contemporary Middle East; impact of regional environment on gender identity; gender bias studies in various Middle Eastern countries.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course enhances an existing series of NELC courses which focus on the peoples and cultures of the Middle East region, providing an overview of the position of Muslim women of the the contemporary Middle East. Emphasis will be put on similarities and differences between Western feminist theory and current Middle Eastern regional theories and experiences. These objectives will be accomplished through studying some of the important socio-historical, cultural, and economic trends that shape the present condition.

The positions of Middle Eastern women are not expressions of traditional or religious sentiments in any essentialist way. Rather they are patterns in which large social and historical issues, including religious issues and processes, are expressed. Therefore, after introductory reading of the major theories and interpretive models of gender based inequality, the concept of women of the Middle East will be placed in its own socio-historical and cross-cultural framework. While some have treated the Middle East as though it formed a single culture area, others have emphasized its diversity, seeing it as a border in which many different cultures have historically come into contact and, at times, conflict. Thus, one of the course's central questions will concern the nature and extent of the "unity" of the Middle East as constructed by scholars. Through a series of readings and discussions, students will be able to explore the realities and representations of the women in the region.

351 Introduction to Islam U 5
Examination of Islam as a world religion, enabling an understanding of its major tenets and beliefs as they are envisioned by insiders and outsiders.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course intends to provide an introductory survey of some of the central premises of Islamic beliefs and practices. It aims to delineate not only the development of Islam as a religion and as a system of belief, but also its growth into a multi-faceted and rich culture and civilization that contributed significantly to the currents of world civilization. This would entail a look at the growth of the major intellectual and spiritual traditions within the Islamic civilization as well as the relation of these to the milieu of their production. The course is broad in scope and introductory in level.

360 Sheherazade and Company: Sex, Gender and Power in Middle Eastern Storytelling U 5
Oral storytelling by adults in recent practice; its depiction in Middle Eastern literature from medieval to modern; how storytellers, male and female, treat gender relations.

Prereq: English 110. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

Oral storytelling predates written literature, by all the evidence we have, in every part of the world. Vigorous traditions of storytelling coexist with many literary traditions of long standing and with very modern literary cultures as well. While stories may be told for children, oral performance is not by any means primarily intended for children in these settings, but may seek to engage an adult audience with a full range of human concerns, including vigorous and often humorous treatments of what we in the West call “adult themes.” This course will explore adults’ oral storytelling in recent practice and its depiction in literature from the medieval and modern Middle East. The course will furthermore focus on the ways storytellers, male and female, treat gender relations and the respective social norms and stereotypes of gender from their different points of view. The archetypal Middle Eastern master storyteller known to the West is an endangered female, Sheherazade of the Thousand and One Nights, performing selections from her immense repertoire of stories in order to save her life and the lives of other young women preyed upon by an abusive king. Other storytellers, male and female, are portrayed in other famous medieval literary tale collections (Kalila and Dimna;, the Book of the Parrot) as tellers with equally definite and urgent reasons for telling their stories so as to influence a particular audience in a particular time and place. The recorded and analyzed storytelling of some living storytellers, as investigated by OSU faculty members Sabra Webber (in Tunisia) and Margaret Mills (in Afghanistan) will be discussed and compared to these literary portrayals. Finally, Fatima Mernissi’s and Azar Nafisi’s highly readable personal memoirs of women engaged with traditional oral and modern literary narratives in their respective home historical and political environments will come in for our attention. They each tell moving and revealing contemporary stories about stories and their tellers (and listeners).

Students will thus be introduced to the general qualities of story literature, including some of the special qualities of important medieval Middle Eastern collections, and will also learn about contemporary ethnographic field research on oral storytelling: methods, concepts and analytical approaches to living oral narrative forms and performances, including theories of gender and performance as developed by folklorists. Additionally, students will examine the experience and analytic approaches of two prominent Middle Eastern women theorists, of literature and social organization respectively, on the use of narrative in contemporary everyday life.

370 Mythology of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia U 5
An introductory comparative survey of the mythology of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Prereq: English 110 or 111 or equiv. GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course is designed to provide students with a comparative overview of the mythologies of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Its focus is the stories that were recounted as successful integrators of perceived reality in the context of these two major ancient cultures. As such, it will identify and explain basic theoretical issues involved in the analysis of myth; examine the central narratives that have been preserved from those cultures; and investigate the varied perspectives that characterize the world-views and life-concerns expressed in these texts. By reading representative selections of both primary and secondary sources, students will be exposed to both the ancient texts themselves as well as relevant contemporary scholarship.

371 Songs of Kings and Lovers: Literature of the Ancient Near East U 5
Examination of ancient Near Eastern literature and tools for appreciating it; focus on non- mythical Mesopotamian and Egyptian genres such as love poetry and wisdom literature.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums lit course.

This course is designed to provide the student with both a basic knowledge of Ancient Near Eastern literature and the tools to appreciate it. The focus will be on the literary compositions from Ancient Mesopotamia, but some attention will also be given to Ancient Egyptian literature, especially when dealing with genres such as love poetry and wisdom literature. The emphasis will be put on the non-mythical material. A fourth of the classes will be devoted to the epic genre, taking Gilgamesh as the best example because it is attested in different periods and in both Mesopotamian languages, Sumerian and Akkadian. The study of the compositions on this king, half mythical half historical, will lead to the study of legends and epics about kings whose historicity is well established (Sargon, Naram-Sin, etc.) Furthermore, the works related to both official cult and popular religion (hymns, prayers, incantations, prophecies) will be read in their political, social, and religious context. In the limits between sacred and profane, the course’s approach to love poetry will address some issues of ritual, gender, and sexuality. More strictly mundane genres (wisdom literature and humor) will show that some basic human concerns have remained unchanged. Finally, the relation between Ancient Near Eastern and Greek literatures will be explored.

372 Literatures and Cutures of the Islamic World U 5
A survey of the Islamic world by way of literature and culture.

Prereq: English 110 or 111 or equiv. GEC arts and hums lit course.

This course is a selective survey of Islamic culture and literature--literature of pre-modern times. Films occasionally shown in class complement lectures and readings.

Religion is one element of culture, and we will concentrate on the religious element in those societies whose populations have been primarily Muslim. Religion is at once a world-view, a collection of abstract principles, and a heritage of concrete, lived experiences--all of which have histories. Understandings and practices of Islam have differed from era to era and place to place, so that while codified principles have a degree of universal validity among Muslims, Islam has been practiced differently in diverse regions at different times. We will concentrate on the roots of Islamic doctrine and belief and on Sufism, Islamic mysticism, which played a central role in the development of literature.

In lectures we will also consider the political history of Muslim states, European relations with the Muslim world and Orientalist views of Islam, as well as Muslim responses to European domination of the regions where Muslims have lived.

374 The Novel in the Middle East U 5
The emergence of the novel in the Middle East and development of its major themes and forms.

Prereq: English 110 or equiv. GEC arts and hums lit course

The novel emerged in part as a self-conscious response to the challenges of modernity in the Middle East. In some cases it played a significant role in a program of cultural revolution. The conflict between east and west, old and new, city and countryside; the experiences of European colonialism, resistance and diaspora, industrialization, urbanization, nationalism and national independence have been common themes. Questions of language and style have often been addressed in terms of traditionalism and modernity, localism and universalism, orientalism and occidentalism. The role of women in society has been contested everywhere in modern times and is a primary concern of the novel in the Middle East as well. We will examine how selected authors have employed novelistic forms in dealing with these concerns.

603 Grammar of Selected Ancient Near Eastern Languages U G 5
Fundamentals of grammar and reading in ancient Near Eastern languages (language of study to be announced, e.g., Egyptian, Coptic, Hittite, Northwest Semitic dialects, Syriac).

Prereq: Knowledge of a Near Eastern language or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs. Taught in English.

611 Comparative Semitic Linguistics U G 5
An introduction to the study of the comparative Semitic linguistics.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

The aim of this course is to familiarize the student with the basics of comparative Semitic linguistics, the current issues of comparison, the possibilities and nature of linguistic reconstruction, and the most important bibliography. Students are not expected to have any previous knowledge of a Semitic language. Moreover, the course is designed for two possible audiences: students interested in Semitic languages (perhaps with some previous knowledge of Arabic, Hebrew, or any other Semitic language); and students interested in general linguistics and historical linguistics (who may not have any familiarity whatsoever with any Semitic language). Furthermore, even for those already familiar with Semitic languages, this course will try to open a window onto other languages not commonly studied in NELC (Old South Arabian, Modern South Arabian, Ethiopic languages, etc.), as well as onto the more general picture of the Afroasiatic languages. At the end of the course, students will know the basic sound correspondences between some major Semitic languages, to be able to explain why some sets of words are cognates and others not, and to be familiar with some issues of reconstruction (the problematic status of proto-languages, the meaning of isoglosses in Semitic, etc.) and comparison (the nature of the so-called "emphatic" consonants, the different ways of establishing morphosyntactic determination, etc.).

612 Languages and Cultures of the Middle East U G 5
Wide overview of languages spoken in the ancient, medieval, and modern Middle East; their linguistic affiliation; main periods of their history; their different writing systems.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

The goal of this course is to go beyond the merely linguistic sketches of the main grammatical features of these languages. In fact, the focus will be placed on historical, literary, social, anthropological, and ethnic matters: language contact settings; relations between language and ethnicity; sociolinguistic aspects of language evolution, language variation, bilingualism, and diglossia; relations between historical and social patterns and the literary, bureaucratic, and popular uses of language; etc. In order to address this ample variety of issues, students will be introduced first to the essential set of facts needed to comprehend the sociolinguistic history of each region, i.e., basic overviews of the languages in question, their linguistic affiliation, the main periods of their history as evolving linguistic realities, and their different writing systems. These overviews will immediately open the door to the discussion of a tapestry of topics concerning the realities behind these languages, especially their speakers and their ethnic, historical, and political identity. This inquiry into the facets of language as an inherently human reality will lead to a miscellaneous constellation of problems, such as, for instance, the construction of a national identity through the use, revival, or vindication of a concrete language or dialect.

620 Biblical Aramaic U G 5
Introduction to the language of the Aramaic sections of the books of Daniel and Ezra in the Old Testament.

Prereq: Hebrew 104 or permission of instructor.

Biblical Aramaic ic the language of the non-Hebrew sections of the biblical books of Ezra and Daniel. Aramaic is a West Semitic language closely related to Hebrew, and this course introduces students with a background in Hebrew to this dialect of Aramaic.

Aramaic is a language known from ca. 900 B.C.E. until ca. 600 C.E. A greatly developed dialect known as "Neo-Aramaic" or "Neo-Syriac" is still spoken today in some parts of the Middle East, and inscriptions have been found from Spain to India.

The textbook is supplemented by class handouts and copies of the biblical text. An ablity to read the Hebrew alphabet is a prerequisite; however, advanced students in linguistics or ancient history who wish to prepare beforehand are most welcome.

630 Ugaritic U G 5
Introduction to the language and literature of Ugaritic; readings in the Ugaritic mythological literature.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

This course introduces the student to the Late Bronze Age language, literature, and culture of the city-state of Ugarit, a kingdom that flourished in northern Syria ca. 1400 B.C.E. The discovery of Ugarit in 1928 opened the world of the Canaanites (in particular their mythological and religious texts) to biblical scholars, and revolutionized scholarly approaches to the Hebrew Bible. Students in linguistics or ancient history are also welcome, since all readings are in transliteration. The course will provide a foundation for further work and research in the areas of ancient Near Eastern religion, culture, history, linguistics, and biblical studies.

634 Sumerian
Examination of the basics of Sumerian grammar; introduction to a variety of literary and non-literary texts and genres.

635 Akkadian
Examination of the basics of Akkadian grammar; introduction to a variety of literary and non- literary texts and genres.

642 Representing the Middle East in Film U G 5
Examination of the discourses of orientalism using film as the primary medium of expression and discussion.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

By looking at films made in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, this course examines the process of identity production and critically reconsiders the phenomenon of orientalism. It culminates with examples of how tropes of viewing the Middle East have become incorporated into how peoples of this region evaluate their own identities.

644 Culture and Politics in Central Asia U G 5
Comparative study of cultural legacy and change, including religious and secular life and civil society development, in relation to political trends in Central Asia.

Prereq: Rank 3 minimum or grad standing, or permission of instructor.

This course offers an overview and limited comparative study of cultural legacy and change in relation to political developments in Central Asia. A quick review of Central Asian cultural history and demographics prior to the Russian expansion into Central Asia will be followed by more detailed assessments of cultural matters in the expanded sense, and their significance to and within political developments of recent decades.

645 Contemporary Issues in the Middle East U G 5
Intensive examination of contemporary issues in the Middle East by applying an interdisciplinary approach.

Prereq: Int Stds 245 or jr standing. Not open to students with credit for Int Stds 645. Cross-listed in International Studies.

This course has developed out of the consensus among Middle East experts that a proper understanding of recent current events in the Middle East requires more than a casual or introductory level of knowledge of the cultural, social, historical, economic, religious and political background of these events. It will provide students with an opportunity to study, through an in-depth interdisciplinary approach, one of the world’s most important and complex regions which, except for its crises, is virtually ignored in the major news media. The course will seek to illuminate the host of factors underlying contemporary issues in the Middle East.

646 Colonial Cities in Postcolonial Memory: The Politics of Urban Development in the Near East U G 5
Introduction to colonial and postcolonial studies through a comparative examination of various cities that developed in the Near East during the late nineteenth century.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

This course will focus on various cities that developed in the Near East during the late nineteenth century, either under colonial administration or influence. It gives students the opportunity to conceive of cities as political structures, and to evaluate the roles of urban planning and architecture in reflecting and imposing social relationships. Students will learn to interpret visual evidence—primarily maps and photographs—in the light of critical discussions of culture, and they will gain experience in following intellectual debates through book reviews and articles. They will also learn about cultures restructured through the tensions of colonial projects and post-colonial aftermaths.

648 Studies in Orality and Literacy U G 5
Examination of major theories of writing and of oral composition and transmission, in juxtaposition to case material deriving from a variety of Middle Eastern cultures.

Prereq: Permission of instructor.

This course introduces the major theoretical trends concerned with literacy and oral communication and their interactions in global perspective, then critiques those theories in the light of case material primarily from the Middle East. All readings are in English. Students working in other areas of the world are encouraged to write their final research papers on case material or theory with direct reference to their own areas of specialization, and to bring their perspectives derived from other parts of the world to bear on classroom discussions of assigned readings. Global theories of literacy and orality owe a great deal to Middle Eastern data, which may in fact limit their applicability elsewhere. The writing system invented in southwestern Asia became the parent of all the surviving alphabetic writing systems of the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. Furthermore, a rich body of research on oral traditions, testing certain dominant theories of oral formulation and transmission, has also accumulated for the region over the last thirty years or so. This course will sample this rich double data base to juxtapose and critique concepts and research strategies in comparison to one another. The course will equip students with an overview and critique of theories of literacy and of oral communication which is applicable worldwide.

671 Canon and Communities in the Near East U G 5
Investigation of the process by which Near Eastern sacred texts (Bible, Qur'an, and others) become sacred and the interaction between texts and the communities holding them sacred.

After defining the scope of the study and discussing the issues associated with what constitutes a sacred text and in what context it is to be studied, the structure of the course will be tripartite as follows: (1) Text - what does the text itself tell us explicitly or implicitly about its origin? a. Texts which are sacred (i.e. texts which are not overtly sacred but which are ultimately interpreted so, e.g., wisdom literature, epistles) b. Texts which are in some degree self-consciously sacred (e.g. prophetic oracles) (2) Text and Community - how does the community affect the text? (Both the physical shape of the text as well as the issue of canon, i.e. affirming or denying the sacred nature of the text.) (3) Community - how does the text function in the community? By the end of the quarter, the student will be able to articulate the issues associated with the generation and preservation of sacred texts in the religious traditions of the Near East.

672 Poetry and Politics in the 20th-Century Mediterranean U G 5
Exploration of several poets and poetic traditions around the Mediterranean in relation to modern political struggles: resistance to fascism; dilemmas of imperialism and underdevelopment. Cross-listed in Comparative Studies.

Prereq: English 110 or 111, or grad standing.

In this course, students will read (defining lyric poetry broadly) ballad and protest chant as well as avant-garde literature from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Readings for the course will also include short fiction, memoir and critical essays. A poem is a performance for an audience inhabiting a social world. This course will examine the nature and limits of agency as it is created through poetic form, figurative language and the voice of the subject in writing within specific political contexts. All texts will be read in translation (provided in the original on request). Knowledge of a Mediterranean language is useful but not required.

675 Intellectuals in the Middle East U G 5
Concerns and conditions of intellectuals in the modern Middle East.

Knowledge of a Middle Eastern language is helpful but not required.

The intellectual is a modern figure, and the course will emphasize developments during the early 20th century before the foundation of Israel, while attention will also be paid to the subsequent emergence of Islamist intellectuals and critiques of modernist projects. We will examine the conditions and concerns special to Middle Eastern intellectuals who participated in the cultural and political conception of their nation-states. As the losers of World War I, these nations experienced situations of "dependent modernity" in relation to western Europe, whether as subjects colonized territorially or economically. They differed from other postcolonials greatly in that their ancestral polities had long threatened Europe, while they shared with others the importation of organizing social structures from Europe.

680 Basic Bibliographic and Reference Tools in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures U G 5
An examination of basic reference works needed to perform research in Near Eastern languages and cultures.

Prereq: 10 cr hrs in Middle Eastern history or literature or equiv. Taught in English. Not open to students with credit for Arabic 680.

The course examines basic research methods in Near Eastern languages and cultures and works with major reference tools necessary for research at the upper undergraduate or graduate level. The tools covered include: books, periodicals, government documents, manuscripts, biographical materials, microfilm, and non-print media. Students work with reference works, bibliographies, and indexes to produce a subject bibliography on a topic of their choice. The quarter-long bibliography project consists of six smaller segments which define the topic, examine its limitations, and investigate source material in a variety of formats and media. At the end of the course, students are able to research in depth any topic in Middle Eastern studies and have a clear understanding of search strategies and basic research methodologies. There is no textbook for the class. It is essential that all students attend class meetings for handouts and discussion. Evaluation is done of the six short biblio! graphy assignments and of the completed bibliography. Evaluations of the project and topic make up the remaining part of the grade.

692 Summer Workshop on Middle Eastern Cultures U G 6
Repeatable to a maximum of 18 cr hrs.

This two-week workshop offers an opportunity to study the dynamically changing societies of the Middle East, i.e., the Arab world, Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Workshop participants will gain insights into these cultures, exploring their distinctive features as well as the sociopolitical and economic significance of the Middle East as a region to American society.

The workshop is geared primarily toward the needs and interests of pre-collegiate social studies teachers; however, it is open to graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree students interested in the cultures of the Middle East. No prior knowledge of the target cultures or their languages is necessary.

694 Group Studies U G 1-5
Special topics to be announced in the quarter previous to the one in which the course is offered.

Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs

[NB: Two courses in Spring 2003]

1. Spring 2003--The Music of Israeli Jews from Islamic Lands: Cultures in Disputed Territory

This course examines the music of Israeli Jews from Islamic lands in order to understand the role that music plays in forging new identities and in crossing political boundaries in disputed territory. It will explore the music in a variety of contexts, including 1) musical performances in daily life, religious ritual, and cultural events; 2) newspaper commentaries about the performers and their music; 3) video documentaries that include music in political and public events; 4) the lyrics and music itself; 5) biographies of the performers; 6) audience responses; and 7) historical accounts of musical style. We will focus on a contemporary musical genre created by Israeli Jews from North African and Middle Eastern countries, but we will also investigate the role of European Jewish communities in establishing what became known as mainstream Israeli music. Beginning with the history of the migration of Jews to Israel from 1948 (the founding of the state of Israel) to the present, we will examine the roles of technology and radio and newspaper media to understand how diverse communities negotiate a shared sense of homeland.

Mediterranean Israeli music is a contemporary musical genre created by Mizrahim--North African and Middle Eastern Israeli Jews with roots in Islamic countries. The music gives voice to the dynamic relationship between ethnic affinity and national identity that accompanied the massive immigration of Jewsih communities to Israel from Islamic countries in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Following the mass migration of Jews from European, Middle Eastern, and North African homelands after World War II, Israel became a site for new genres of music combining the styles, instruments, and traditions of quite different cultures. Jews from Islamic lands found an already present European-dominated national music that specifically excluded their music as too Arabic, too Turkish, or not Western enough. Against a backdrop of cultural and political exclusion, Jews from Islamic lands developed their own musical genres and styles. Specifically focusing on one of the contemporary music genres created by Mizrahi Jews (Israeli Jews from Islamic lands), this course will interrogate processes of cultural exchange between Israeli ethnic groups as well as Israeli musical interactions with neighboring Arab countries from 1948 to the present.

2. Spring 2003--Islam and Popular Culture in South Asia

This course aims at introducing Islam in South Asia, and Islamic practices, popular customs and folk beliefs among South Asian Muslims. It will carry out discussions on topics such as saint worship, singing and dancing practices at holy shrines and the veneration of Sufi saints and similar popular practices. Attention will be given to the cult of spirit possession in different Islamic countries and ways and methods of curing it, as well as to different taboos and popular beliefs related to the day-to-day life of Muslims. Discussing uses and practices in wedding and circumcision ceremonies, the course will provide a basic knowledge of the ways of life of Muslims of South Asia in relation to other peoples in neighboring countries as well as other Muslim nations. We will also discuss some folklore material such as proverbs, folktales, folk songs, folk singers, wandering minstrels, and similar topics.

Most of the material used in class will be taken from already published sources, but video and audio tapes as well as slides will also be used to illustrate and explain the topics of discussions. Students will be asked to make contributions on the topics and to participate in class discussions as well as to collect and present written evidence on topics such as wedding and circumcision practices and taboos related to them in their particular areas, as well as saint worship, etc. This material will be used for discussing parallels with other cultures and for further comments and elaborations. Some of the material collected and contributed by students may also be put in the folklore archives so that others may make use of it.

The course will be open both to graduate and undergraduate students; those interested in studying the Muslim world in a different context and from the perspective of popular and folk beliefs and oral traditions are encouraged to attend the course. Students interested in folklore studies will also find a lot of useful material and discussions relating to folklore studies in general.

Autumn 2002--Politics of Culture in Central Asia

This course will focus on cultural developments of the last 200 years in the area comprised by the southernmost former Soviet republics of Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and Afghanistan, especially the confrontation with modernity and European colonial pressure. We will briefly review the history of Islam in the region to supply basic cultural-geographic information and also dispel any essentialist/primordialist preconceptions of Islam.

Cultural trends do not develop autonomously: politics is cultural and culture is political at all times and places. However, not all aspects of a society's cultural repertoire are equally politically charged or affected at all times, and politics operate variously at all levels of society from the household outward. Thus it is important to define the levels of political activity and the dimensions of cultural production that are our focus.

The following topics will comprise the main areas of study for the course: (1) Historical Sketch of Political/Economic Institutions; (2) Languages and Language Policy; and (3) Cultural Investment and Civil Society. For each topic, a pre-Soviet, Soviet and post-Soviet assessment would be appropriate, including consideration of a range of Islamization effects, similarities and differences in ethnic politics, and the current and prospective effects of international strategic military and development presence.

These topics will be approached from a comparative, culture-specific, performance-centered angle, looking as closely as possible at what distinct groups of people have done or said in what modes and contexts, or what they are now doing and saying, putting as many "authentic" texts and cultural artifacts up for the participants' inspection as possible. This will include visual materials: besides a couple of pertinent films, images of architecture, regional and local dress, and urban and rural visual environments will also be considered.

697 Study at a Foreign Institution U G 1-15
An opportunity for students to study at a foreign institution and receive Ohio State credit for that work.

Prereq: Written permission of dept chairperson. Repeatable to a maximum of 45 cr hrs. This course is Progress ("P") graded. Students will pay Ohio State fees and any fees in excess of Ohio State tuition, as well as all travel and subsistence costs.

792 Interdepartmental Studies in the Humanities U G 3-5
Two or more departments present colloquia on subjects of mutual interest; topics to be announced.

Prereq: Grad standing or permission of instructor(s). Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

998 Research in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures G 1-10
Research for thesis purposes only.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 10 cr hrs.

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