Problems and Methods in Arab Crossroads Studies

(4 Credits)

This seminar introduces students to the main theoretical and epistemological trends in the study of the Arab crossroads region, and offers practical examples of the methodologies used by scholars in the humanities and the qualitative social sciences. We begin with the strengths and weaknesses of area studies, and the politics of producing knowledge on a region of global economic and political importance, then turn to specific areas of research that have attracted attention in the fields of history, anthropology, literature, and politics, before exploring the various methodological approaches used by practitioners of these fields. The course culminates in an extended research proposal for a capstone project.