Sofian Merabet

The subject matter of this graduate seminar is the analysis of gender and masculinities in the Middle East. While the methodological focus of the class will be an anthropological one, we will also explore the concepts of sexuality, power, and desire in Arab, Iranian, and Israeli culture through critical readings in history, sociology, journalism, and literature, as well as through feature films and documentaries. While the course does not provide an inclusive overview over the extensive literature on the subject of gender and masculinities, it attempts at communicating important theoretical concepts and understandings that are at the forefront of current debates within the social sciences. This includes the close reading of recently published ethnographies on Arab societies, but also historical works on pre-modern homoeroticism, as well as novels written during the past ten years on the subject of sexuality, authority, and violence in the region. Next to examining some of the major theoretical discussions in anthropology and gender/queer studies, the seminar will consider critically how the issues raised in class can be contextualized in terms of differing understandings of what constitutes gender and gender identities in the contemporary world.

The subject matter of this graduate seminar is the analysis of gender  and masculinities in the Middle East. While the methodological focus  of the class will be an anthropological one, we will also explore the  concepts of sexuality, power, and desire in Arab, Iranian, and Israeli  culture through critical readings in history, sociology, journalism,  and literature, as well as through feature films and documentaries.  While the course does not provide an inclusive overview over the  extensive literature on the subject of gender and masculinities, it  attempts at communicating important theoretical concepts and  understandings that are at the forefront of current debates within the  social sciences. This includes the close reading of recently published  ethnographies on Arab societies, but also historical works on  pre-modern homoeroticism, as well as novels written during the past  ten years on the subject of sexuality, authority, and violence in the  region. Next to examining some of the major theoretical discussions in  anthropology and gender/queer studies, the seminar will consider  critically how the issues raised in class can be contextualized in  terms of differing understandings of what constitutes gender and  gender identities in the contemporary world.

This advanced undergraduate course deals with the anthropological and sociological analysis of space, with a special emphasis on urban theory and culture in the Middle East. It does not provide an inclusive overview over the extensive literature on the subject, but attempts at communicating important concepts and philosophies that have been at the forefront of important debates within the disciplines of anthropology/sociology and Urban Studies. This includes the close reading of key texts written by such influential theorists like Max Weber and Henri Lefebvre, but also of fiction like Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and an “urban memoir” by Orhan Pamuk. Further, the material to be read will enable us to assess the impact of colonial policies on cities in geographical areas as diverse as North Africa, the Levant, and Iran. Next to examining some of the major debates in qualitative social science, the course will critically consider how the issues raised in class can be applied comparatively, especially in terms of differing understandings of what constitutes cities today and the cultural practices of daily-life that are performed in them.