Middle East, From History to Destiny

We will look at social movements, culture and education, migration, the environment, minorities, the interdependence of societal concerns, and the issue of peace in the Middle East, all of which go beyond the dominant and policy-oriented narratives.

Course Description:

Conflict and war, authoritarian governments, Islamism, the persecution of women, and the oppression of minorities are all things that have, and continue to be, linked with the Middle East in public and media discourse. However, internal and nationalist narratives are often accompanied by bias and bigotry, and they are less concerned with getting to the bottom of things. The "Middle East from History to Destiny" course begins with an analytical explanation of how the modern Middle East came to be, before moving on to a more topic-oriented and concrete investigation of the root causes of some of the region's most pressing issues. As such, we will not limit ourselves to the standard, policy-oriented narratives, but instead will investigate issues in Middle Eastern societies beyond those directly related to politics and government, including social movements, culture and education, migration, the environment, minorities, and the interplay between these factors. These and other concerns related to the Middle East's potential future will be examined at length. Can the issues in the Middle East be decoupled from other problems? Is it realistic to hope for a permanent end to conflict in the Middle East? These issues will be covered in the "Middle East: From History to Destiny" lecture series.