1/22/2025 11:43:00 PM	HUMAN 21 Course Outline as of Fall 2016	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  HUMAN 21	Title:  HUMANITIES IN MID. EAST
Full Title:  The Humanities in the Middle East
Last Reviewed:3/14/2016

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		8 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

An interdisciplinary exploration of the arts, ideas, and values among the cultures of the Middle East (aka Near East) drawing upon works of literature, film, visual art, music, theatre, dance, philosophy and religion.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

An interdisciplinary exploration of the arts, ideas, and values among the cultures of the Middle East (aka Near East) drawing upon works of literature, film, visual art, music, theatre, dance, philosophy and religion.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 2007	Inactive:
Area:	E	Humanities
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 2007
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 2007
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2007	Inactive:	Fall 2023
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2007	Inactive:	Fall 2023
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.  Identify, contextualize and discuss the socio-cultural and aesthetic values of representative works of visual arts, drama, music, literature, philosophy or religion in the region variously known as the Middle East (aka Near East).

2.  Compare and contrast the beliefs and values in selected regions variously known as Middle Eastern (aka Near Eastern) as revealed through artistic and literary records.

 

Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze representative works from specific Middle Eastern cultures and describe their distinguishing characteristics within cultural contexts.

2. Discuss the ideas, beliefs, and values communicated in artistic expressions of at least three Middle Eastern cultures.

3. Critically analyze similarities and differences between Middle Eastern and Western ideas, beliefs, and values.

4. Analyze class, gender and other sociopolitical concerns as reflected in literature and the arts.

5. Demonstrate an ability to compare, contrast, and link cultural expressions of various disciplines, including mythology, literature, visual arts, film, theatre, music, dance, religion and philosophy.

Topics and Scope

I.  The course must cover at least three distinct geo-cultural areas such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,

     Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey,

     United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara and/or Yemen.

II.  The course may be arranged chronologically by period, geographically by region, or thematically.

III. The course may include major forms of expression, including use of representative primary sources and texts in areas such as mythology,

     literature, visual arts, film, theatre, music, dance, religion and philosophy such as:

    A.  Visual arts: The effect of Islam on cultural production.  Principal achievements in Islamic architecture 680-1600 AD/CE.  Mosque architecture,

          decorative arts, mosaic and calligraphy.  Pre-Islamic and Islamic architecture design and decoration.  Persian miniatures as well as Muslim

          and Sufi illuminated manuscripts.  Byzantine art and architecture.

    B.  Primary philosophical/religious texts:  Hebrew Bible, New Testament, The Q'uran, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, origin and development of

          Sufism.

    C.  Pre-historical and pre-Islamic literature and philosophy from such civilizations as Mesopotamia (Babylonian creation story, Epic of Gilgamesh,

          Code of Hammurabi), Sumer/Mesopotamia, Assyria, Egypt (Book of the Dead),  Graeco/Roman and Judeo/Christian influences in the Near East.

    D.  Film:  Cairo, Egypt as a center of cinema.  Middle Eastern film history such as Youssef Chahine's Cairo Station (1968) and Saladin (1963),

          Bourlem Guerdjou's Living in Paradise (1998, Algeria) and Silences of the Palace by Moufida Tlatli.

    E.  Music:  Arab culture in World Music.  Storytelling and chant.  Egyptian epic poetry as the basis of the Arab musical tradition.  Classic vocalists

          such as Umm Kulthum, or instrumentalists such as Abdesadek Chekara.  Popular music:  Cheb Mami, Assi Al-Hilani, or Hakim.

    F.  Dance:  Folk dance from Morocco and/or origins of belly dance.

    G.  Literary arts:  Poets such as Mohamed Bennis (Morocco), Nizar Qabbani (Syria), Salma Khadra Jayyusi and Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine).  

          Dramatists such as Sa'dallah Wannus.  Prose fiction by writers such as Abdelrahman Munif, Tariq Ali, Naguib Mahfouz, Amin Malouf, Nawal Al

          Sa'adawi, Fatima Mernisi, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Batutta.

IV.   The course will cover cultural interactions between the Middle East and the West such as the effect of the Silk Road, the Crusades, cultural

        developments in el Andalus (Muslim Spain) and North Africa, Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire as well as the colonial period and the discourse of

         Orientalism. Travel writings from and about the Middle East. Post-colonial and modern topics may also be included.

V.  The historical role of women in the Middle East. Modern feminist discourse and cultural contributions of women in post-colonial Middle East.  

       Effect of religious law on family structure.

VI.  The course may examine minority communities such as the Kurds and Berbers, religious minorities who are Arab but not Muslim, and Jewish

      communities in the Arab countries. Course may also cover traditional practices of caravan culture, (Bedouin) nomadic cultural production,

      and oasis life.

VII. Class relations in the Middle East.

Assignments:

Assignments will include:

1.  Reading and analysis of 20-50 pages per week of assigned primary texts and supplemental readings to establish cultural context.

2.  Four to six examinations, which include quizzes, midterm exams and/or take-home exams.  A final is required.  At least one exam must include an essay component.

3.  Two to four written essays (1000  to 3000  words total) requiring students to analyze representative works of Middle Eastern literature, visual art, music, theater, dance, philosophical and religious thought. Students may be asked to examine, compare and contrast  ideas, values and beliefs, and integrate materials from more than one discipline.

4.  Additional assignments may include projects, participation in cultural activities, museum, field trips and panel discussions.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 20 - 50%
Essays
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 30 - 50%
Quizzes, midterms and final exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 40%
Activities, field trips, creative projects (optional)

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Samples include:

 

Classic:

The Arabian Nights:  Tales From A Thousand And One Nights by Byatt, A.S. (Introduction). Burton, Richard.   Modern Library:  2004 (Classic)

The Egyptian Book Of The Dead.  Wallis, E. A. Budge. Kessinger Publishing:   2005  (Classic)

Essential Rumi (Paperback).   Barks, Coleman.  Harper  San Francisco: 1997  (Classic)

The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin/The Subtleties Of The Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin,  Shah, Idries. Paperback Octagon Press:  1989  (Classic)

Gilgamesh:  A New English Version.  Mitchell, Stephen.  Free Press:  2006  (Classic)

The Hebrew Bible and New Testament  (Classic)

The Muqaddimah:  An Introduction To History.  Khaldun, Ibn and Trans: Dawood, Lawrence, and Rosenthal. Princeton University Press:  2004  (Classic)

The Qua'ran (Koran), Anonymous and Dawood, N. J. Penguin Classics:  2004  (Classic)

The Rubaiyat Of Omar Khayyam, Trans. by  Whinfield, Edward Henry (HTML at Fordham):  2008  (Classic)

On the Duties of Brotherhood, as-Ghazali, Overlook Press:  1976  (Classic)

 

Aesthetics:

Architecture of The Islamic World:  Its History And Social Meaning. Mitchell, George Ed. Thames & Hudson:  1995  (Classic)

Beauty In Arabic Culture.  Behrens-Abouseif, Doris and  Weiner, Marcus:  1999  (Classic)

Islamic Art And Architecture (The World of Art).  Hillenbrand, Robert Thames & Hudson:  1998  (Classic)

 

Criticism:

Culture and Imperialism.  Said, Edward.  Vintage International: 1994  (Classic)

Orientalism.  Said, Edward.  Random House:  1979  (Classic)

From Babel to Dragomans, Lewis, Bernard, Oxford University Press:  2004  (Classic)

 

Anthologies:

A Mansion In The Sky and Other Short Stories. Taraghi, Goli.  Faridoun Farrokh, University of Texas at Austin:  2003  (Classic)

An Introduction to Arabic Literature.  Allen, Roger.  Cambridge University:  2000  (Classic)

Islam And The West.  Lewis, Bernard.  Oxford University Press:  1994  (Classic)

Modern Arabic Fiction:  Jayusi, Salma Khadra.  Columbia University Press:  2005  (Classic)

Modern Arabic Poetry.  Jayusi.  Salma Khadra.  Columbia University Press:  1987  (Classic)

 

Novels/ Fiction/Travel Narratives:

Balthasar's Odyssey.  Malouf, Amin.   Arcade Books:  2000  (Classic)

The Book of Saladin.  Ali, Tariq.   Verso Press:  1998  (Classic)

The Bookseller of Kabul.   Seierstad, Asne.  Back Bay Press:  2002  (Classic)

Cities of Salt:   Munif, Abdelrahman.  Vintage International: 1987  (Classic)

Fountain and Tomb.   Mahfouz, Naguib.  Lynne Rienner Publications:  1998  (Classic)

Shadows of The Pomegranate Tree. Tariq, Ali.   Verso Press:  1993.  (Classic)

The Trench.  Munif, Abdelrahman.  Vintage International: 1993  (Classic)

Variations on Night and Day.   Munif, Abdelrahman. Vintage International:  1994  (Classic)

 

 

Women's Studies

A Walnut Sapling On Masih's Grave and Other Stories by Iranian Women. Green, J. and  Yazdabfar, F.  Eds. Heinemann Press:  1993  (Classic)

Dreams Of Trespass, Tales of a Harem Childhood.  Mernissi, Fatima.  Perseus Books:  1994  (Classic)

The Forgotten Queens of Islam.  Mernissi, Fatima  and  Lakeland, Mary Jo Univeristy of Minnesota Press:  1997  (Classic)

The Hidden Face of Eve, Women In The Arab World.  Sa'a'dawi, Nawal Al. Zed Books:  1980  (Classic)

Memoirs from the Women's Prison.  Al Sa'a'dawi, Nawal.  UC Press: 1994  (Classic)

Memoirs of A Woman Doctor.  Sa'a'dawi, Nawal.  AlCity Lights: 1989  (Classic)

The Sewing Circles Of Herat.  Lamb, Christina .  Harper Collins Perennial:  2002  (Classic)

Writing Woman's Worlds:  Bedouin Stories.  Abuilughod, Lila.  UC Berkeley Press:  1993  (Classic)

Print PDF