HIST 481: From Harem to the Streets: Gender in the Middle East, 1900- Present

From Harem to the Streets: Gender in the Middle East, 1900- Present

What does it mean to be a man in Palestine? Who is considered beautiful in Sudan? How is U.S. foreign policy shaped by the presumption that Muslim women need to be saved? This course uses the lenses of gender and sexuality to examine critical moments in nineteenth and twentieth century Middle East history. We’ll see how gender and sexual identity determined how people in the Middle East were affected by, and responded to, political, economic, and social change. Topics covered will include: western intervention and the construction of the man/woman binary in Iran; past and present debates over healthy, fertile, and beautiful women’s bodies in Sudan; and the connections between homeland, strength, and impotency in Israel/Palestine. There will also be plenty of opportunities to discuss contemporary events. No background knowledge of the Middle East or gender studies is necessary to succeed in this class!