Visualizing the Middle East: From National Geographic to the Arab Spring

American visual media remains flooded with images, inspiring and hopeful, or horrifying and terrifying, of the peoples and places of the Near East. By examining National Geographic photography, Hollywood cinema, televised news programs, and images and videos encountered online, we examine how visual culture has both reflected and actively helped shape the relationship between the U.S. and the Near East. Students will experiment with a diverse methods of visual analysis, work with a class Tumblr site, and write and revise a series of essays. Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores.