GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST

& NORTH AFRICA

Geog 209 - Fall 2007

T-Th 8:30 -9:50  Plus Discussion Section
Chapman 207

Prof. Shaul Cohen
Condon 107G Tel. 346-4500
Office Hours M 1:00-2:00, Th 10:00-11:00 ABA
scohen@uoregon.edu
 

GTF Matt Landers
Condon 202 Tel  346-4965
Office Hours M 10-11:00 W 12-1:00
mlanders@uoregon.edu
 

Purpose:

This course explores the geography of the Middle East with an emphasis on politics, culture, and regional cohesion. Through a variety of sources including modern literature, film, images of landscape, and traditional academic texts we will pursue an understanding of those elements that characterize the region, as well as those features that are distinct and mark different peoples and places. We will examine local, sub-national, national, and international issues relating to identity and status, history, environment, economy and other topics, in an attempt to create a portrait of daily life in the many venues of the region, whether they be urban or rural, coastal or desert, North African or Asian, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Arab, Israeli, Turkish, Iranian, and so on. Our goal will be to use the information available to us to discern patterns in the region that allow us to grasp its richness and complexity, to gain a sense of its past, contextualize current changes, and to anticipate future directions.

Resources:

For this course we will work from a number of selected writings, and we will also read two novels and part of a third.  The first, by Tayib Salih, is Season of Migration to the North, a tale of identity and crisis in Sudan on the background of the British colonial experience.  The second, by Alaa al-Aswany, is The Yacoubian Building, currently a best-seller in the Arab world, a more modern tale of politics, character, misdeed and human folly.  The third is part of Cities of Salt by Abdelrahman Munif.  You must also read the New York Times on a daily basis. You can get a cheap subscription to the New York Times at the bookstore, or find it on the web.  In addition to these sources we will review a number of short films in class and feature films out of class that are a critical component of the course.

Requirements:

Class and film attendance is essential for the course as we will often depart from the text material in lectures. You will be writing a short synopsis of the novels for 10% each of the grade, and a summary essay based on the novels and films, relating them to themes developed throughout the course worth 20% of the final grade.  Two in-class tests will be worth 20% of the grade each.  10% of your grade will be based on participation in all the elements of your discussion section.  There will also be a  map quiz of the region to ensure your familiarity with some basic place names and physical features. This will be given during the last class of the term, Thursday, November 29, and must be passed at a 90% or better rate in order to receive credit for the course (re-testing during exam week is possible if necessary).  Discussion section attendance is mandatory, sections meet weeks 1, 2, 4, 7, 10.  You must also attend three out of the five supplemental movie showings which will take place during one evening of weeks 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9.

Grade Summary
Novel synopses 3 @ 10% each
In class tests 2 @ 20% each
Final Essay 20%
Section Grades 10%

 I'm happy to make accommodations for students with special learning needs, please see me asap so that we may do so.

Course Policy
Please respect others in class. This includes your own conduct and commentary, spoken, written, and unspoken. Please keep side conversations to a minimum, if you don't I will certainly notice, as will those seated near you. If your cell phone rings during class I get to answer it.  If laptops are in use during class they are for note-taking only.  If you have concerns or complaints, please communicate clearly, and in a timely fashion. If you have needs, desires, concerns, apprehension, etc., don't keep them a secret! Effective measures on my part require some initiative on your part. In this vein, be aware that I am firm on the dates given to you concerning tests, papers, and other assignments. There is a 20% penalty for material turned in one day late, and 10% additional penalty for each day thereafter. Without advance warning and sufficient cause I will not grant incompletes. Leaving town early, an abundance of exams, general stress and other such reasons will not qualify for an incomplete. I am glad to discuss grades with you, but you must notify me of your desire to do so within one week of receiving the grade (final course grades excepted.) Be careful to follow appropriate rules concerning citation, do not work together on essays or tests. A tip for the wise: the quality of your writing counts. If you have concerns about your essays, or think you could benefit from assistance, take advantage of the writing lab. Finally, I am available for conversation much of the time, feel free to stop by the office.

Part I - The Region

Week 1 Introduction to the Region 

Week 2 History/Religion
Film Thursday  The City Victorious

Week 3 Religions/Histories
First Evening Film - Lawrence of Arabia Tues. Oct 9th, 7 pm Mck 125
Discussion on Thursday of Season of Migration to the North - Essay due!

Week 4 People and Politics
Second Evening Film - Three Kings Mon. Oct 15th 7 pm Mck 221

Week 5
Test 1 Thursday

Part II - The Players

Week 6 Iraq - begin Israel/Palestine
Second Class Film A Voice Like Egypt Tuesday
Read "Terra Sancta:  Maps, Politics, and History in the Holy Land" from the journal Mercator's World, available in Blackboard
Discussion Thursday of The Yacoubian Building - Essay due!
Third Evening Film - Late Summer Blues (Israel) Mon. Oct 29th 7 pm Mck 221
 

Week 7 Egypt
Fourth Evening Film - Children of Heaven (Iran) Tues.  Nov 6th 7 pm Mck 221

 

Week 8 Third Film Crude Diplomacy Oil and the new Geopolitics
Discussion of Cities of Salt
Test 2 Essay due Thursday

Week 9 Internal Tensions - Rural Urban, Religion, Ethnicity, Resources
Fifth Evening Film - Zaman (Iraq) Monday Nov 19th 7 pm Mck 221
Take Home Exam Due Tuesday
 

Week 10 Regional Overview and Review Map Quiz Thursday

No Final Exam, but Final Essay due Monday of exam week at 12:00 in my office!

Basic Guidelines for Essay Writing

By following these guidelines you will produce an essay that directs the reader's attention to the style and content of your work, and avoids distraction that comes from improper form. These suggestions are a starting point, feel free to exceed them....

1) Proof-read your essay! Better yet, proof-read it and then have a friend proof-read it. Run a spell-check program if you have one, but don't assume that it will catch all the errors. Number each page after the title page.  Feel free to print on both sides of the page if you can.

2) Save a copy of the essay before you turn it in. Never hand in the only copy of your work.

3) Your essay should have a thesis statement or statement of your goals in the first paragraph.

4) Contextualize your topic. How does it fit in the "big picture"? What is its significance?

5) Use proper citation. Maintain consistency throughout the paper.  Remember, if you are quoting, paraphrasing or taking primary ideas from another source, you must indicate this through citation.

6) Write clearly and concisely. Illustrate your arguments with detailed examples. Remember, you are not writing a report. You are making an argument, or testing a hypothesis or theory, or challenging a viewpoint or conclusion. Your topic needs to be appropriate for this purpose. Whatever you write about, your writing must reflect your own thought on the topic, without being chatty. Back up your position with material that gives it weight and authority!

7) Try to provide a powerful conclusion. In it you briefly recap those elements that have contributed to your argument, and restate the significance of the issues and your analysis.

8) If you have questions or concerns come in and talk about them. You can also get help at the Academic Learning Service's Drop-in Writing Lab, which is open M-F from 9:00-4:00. It is located in PLC room 7, and they will help you with most anything, no charge! Use the link to check out their website.