Energy Cultures in the Gulf

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course examines the complex relationships between energy, culture, and society in the Gulf region, focusing on how energy resources—particularly fossil fuels—have shaped social identities, political power structures, cultural expressions, and environmental imaginations. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, we will investigate how energy production and consumption have influenced the lived experiences of Gulf societies both historically and in the present. Through an extensive and diverse selection of primary sources and scholarly works, we will analyze the cultural dimensions of hydrocarbon modernity and the narratives that surround energy systems, uncovering how energy shapes the cultural and political landscapes of the Gulf both materially and symbolically. By the end of the course, students will acquire the analytical tools needed to critically assess the complex interdependencies between energy forms and cultural practices and productions.