Arabic Culture Cluster

HIS 221. The Medieval Middle East. 3 Credits.

This course offers a survey of some of the most fascinating topics and heated debates of pre-modern Middle East history, covering the periods of Islamic Origins, Golden Age, and Global Connections. Students will analyze crucial moments in Islamic history and understand how these pre-modern roots have lasting effects on our world today.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Fall.

HIS 222. The Modern Middle East. 3 Credits.

This course provides a general introduction to the modern Middle East, including topics such as European imperialism, nation-building, the Cold War, and the war on terror. Rooted in a global comparative perspective, the course highlights the Middle East as a diverse region, home to many religious traditions and cultural practices.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Typically offered in Spring.

HIS 381. The Forgotten Queens of Islam. 3 Credits.

For the past 1, 400 years, women have had a profound impact on institutions and ideologies in the Islamic world. They have mastered branches of knowledge, produced works of culture, amassed wealth, and even ruled as queens. In this course, students will read about prominent women's lives in historical texts from the Islamic world, focusing on the period from 600-1700 CE. Students will learn to read these historical texts "against the grain" through the lens of feminist history, which uses female perspectives to reframe and reconfigure our understanding of the past. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to analyze the various forms of power that have historically been available (and unavailable) to women in the Islamic Middle East, and to assess the many ways women have navigated unequal power structures in order to participate in their polities.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Diversity Requirement, Foreign Language Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Spring.
Cross listed courses HIS 381, WOS 381.

PHI 220. Introduction to Islam. 3 Credits.

A general introduction to Islam which will focus on the sources for Muslim belief and practices, the diversity within the Muslim community, and modern movements within Islam and the Muslim community in America.
Gen Ed Attribute for Students Admitted Prior to Fall 2020: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster, Humanities Distributive Requirement.
Gen Ed Attribute for Students Admitted Fall 2020 and After: Arabic Culture Cluster, Foreign Language Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Spring.

WOS 381. The Forgotten Queens of Islam. 3 Credits.

For the past 1, 400 years, women have had a profound impact on institutions and ideologies in the Islamic world. They have mastered branches of knowledge, produced works of culture, amassed wealth, and even ruled as queens. In this course, students will read about prominent women's lives in historical texts from the Islamic world, focusing on the period from 600-1700 CE. Students will learn to read these historical texts "against the grain" through the lens of feminist history, which uses female perspectives to reframe and reconfigure our understanding of the past. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to analyze the various forms of power that have historically been available (and unavailable) to women in the Islamic Middle East, and to assess the many ways women have navigated unequal power structures in order to participate in their polities.
Gen Ed Attribute: Arabic Culture Cluster, Diversity Requirement, Foreign Language Culture Cluster.
Typically offered in Spring.
Cross listed courses HIS 381, WOS 381.