History 323

HIST 323
Middle East in the World: 1700-Present (GL) (WI)

1. Catalog Entry

HIST 323
Middle East in the World: 1700-Present (GL) (WI)

Credit hours (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of HIST at 100 level

This course covers the major cultural, political, social, economic, and environmental aspects of the history of the Middle East from the eighteenth century to the present. Students will learn about the changing imperial situation in the region, the rise of nationalism, the end of formal colonization and the role of the United States in the region.

Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.


2. Detailed Description of Course

This course will ask students to consider a number of questions designed to help them understand the way that the Middle East has been and continues to be connected to the rest of the world. To that end, we will ask: What is the “Middle East” and how has it been defined as a region over time? How has oil transformed the Middle East over the last century? How did the age of European imperialism affect the region? What are the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli issue and why is it so intractable? What are the historical bases of the contemporary social and political revolutions in the region? How are all these questions related to each other and other world-historical processes? These are only some of the questions that the course will address. Moving both thematically and chronologically through the history of the “Middle East” from the eighteenth century to the present day, the course will expand student understanding of how the Middle East has interacted with other regions in the world, and what those interactions mean for our world today.

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

The course will consist of a combination of lectures and discussions, some of which will be student-led. Students may be asked to give formal presentations on select topics.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course


Having successfully completed this course, students will be able to:
    1) Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues, acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of
       pertinent historical events and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument and interpretation.  
    2) Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate and analyze primary and secondary source evidence,
       processing and organizing the resultant data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
    3) Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss,
       for example, historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address issues such as the causes and consequences of
       historical change and continuity.

5. Assessment Measures

Course assessment may consist of tests and paper assignments, some of which may require significant student research.

6. Other Course Information

None.

Review and Approval

April 23, 2014

March 01, 2021