ANTH 279: PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF THE MIDDLE EAST 
Dr. Barbara Bilge’
OFFICE: 712-K Pray-Harrold
OFFICE PHONE: 487-4246 or 487-0012 (SAC OFFICE)
OFFICE HOURS: Monday, 4:30pm-6pm, Friday 2:30pm-4pm, or by special appointment.

TEXTS: 
PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF THE MIDDLE EAST. By Daniel Bates and Amal Rassam. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1983.

GUESTS OF THE SHIEK: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF AN IRAQI VILLAGE. By Elizabeth Warnock Fernea. Garden City, New York: Anchor Books, 1965.

A WIFE FOR MY SON. By Ali Ghalem. Chicago: Banner Press, 1979.

MONEY MAKES US RELATIVES: WOMEN'S LABOR IN URBAN TURKEY. By Jenny B. White. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1994.

PLUS:   HANDOUTS and a slim COURSE PACK.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course will provide you with concepts, theories, and information to help you
understand
1. Orientalism: the lingering, ethnocentric, "Crusader mentality" of Western scho-
    lars' interpretations of the Middle East, particularly Islamic societies and
    cultures.
2. the influence of environment upon the cultural history of the Middle East.
3. relationships between the historical background of the Middle East and its con-
    temporary political conflicts and cultural adaptations:
    a. Eastern Mediterranean agricultural village and pastoral adaptations, early
        state formations, and ancient civilizations.
    b. Islam and its influence upon all the peoples of the Middle East.
    c. the differential impact of European colonialism and imperialism upon Middle
        Eastern peoples.
4. the foundations of ethnic differentiation in the Middle East today.
5. gender, family relations, and community life in different parts of the Middle
    East today.
6. migration within and emigration from the Middle East.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. To be negotiated. Your input is vital.
2. FINAL EXAM (mandatory).
LECTURE SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

WEEK OF      DISCUSSION TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READINGS
Jan. 6th    Locating the "Middle East." Orientalism. Environment. Prehistory.
             (BATES & RASSAM-Chapter 1, pp. 1-19. HANDOUTS.)

Jan. 13th    Ancient Civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Judaism and Christianity
             in the Pre-Islamic Middle East.
              (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 1, pp. 20-25. CP: S.A. QUEEN, R.W. HABENSTEIN,
             and J.S. QUADAGNO—The Patriarchal Family of the Ancient Hebrews. HAND-
             OUTS.)

Jan. 20th    MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY. No Classes.

Jan. 22nd    Islam.
              (BATES & RASSAM-Chapters 2 and 3. HANDOUTS.)

 Jan. 27th    Arab Islamic Empires. The Ottoman Empire.
              (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 4. HANDOUT.)

 Feb. 3rd    European Imperialism and Its Aftermath in the Middle East: Algeria, Egypt.
              Oil and the Gulf.
              (CP: P. SILVERSTEIN—Realizing Myth: Berbers in France and Algeria; A.
              MAGHRAOUI—Algeria's Battle of Two Languages; J. GOODMAN—Berber Associa-
              tions and Cultural Change in Algeria; B. CHERIET—Gender, Civil Society
              and Citizenship in Algeria; J. STORK—Egypt's Factory Privatization Cam-
              paign Turns Deadly' T. MITCHELL—Worlds Apart: An Egyptian Village and
              the International Tourism Industry; L. ABU-LUGHOD—Islam and Public Cul-
              ture: The Politics of Egyptian Television Serials; K. AL-GAWHARY—Copts
              in the "Egyptian Fabric;" L. CAINKAR—Gulf War Aftermath; A. GRESH—The
              Most Obscure Dictatorship.)

 Feb. 10th    Turkey. Iran.
              (E. KURKCU—The Crisis of the Turkish State; Forced Evacuations and
              Destruction of Villages in Turkish Kurdistan; Y. ARAT—On Gender and
              Citizenship in Turkey; Interview With SiRIN TEKELI—Turkish Women and
              the Welfare Party; A. BANUAZIZI—Iran's Revolutionary Impasse: Political
              Factionalism and Societal Resistance; A. BAYAT—Squatters and the State:
              Back Street Politics in the Islamic Republic; H. HOODFAR—Devices and
              Desires: Population Policy and Gender Roles in the Islamic Republic.)

 Feb. 17th    Israelis and Palestinians.
              (M. DUMPER—Jerusalem Then and Now; M. WENGER—Jerusalem; R. GIACAMAN*
              I. JAD, and P. JOHNSON—For the Common Good? Gender and Social Citizen-
              ship in Palestine; M.A. KHALIDI—Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon; J.
              PETEET—From Refugees to Minority: Palestinians in Post-War Lebanon.)

 Feb. 24th    WINTER RECESS.

 Mar. 3rd    Nomads and Villagers.
              (BATES AND RASSAM—Chapters 5 and 6.)

 Mar. 10th    Villagers, continued.
               (Begin GUESTS OF THE SHEIK.)

 Mar. 17th    The Urban Scene.
               (Finish GUESTS OF THE SHIEK.)

Mar. 24th    Kinship, Marriage, and Family.
              (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 8.  Read A WIFE FOR MY SON.)

Mar. 28th    SPRING RECESS.

Mar. 31st    Gender.  Feminism, Secular and Islamic.
              (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 9.  Begin MONEY MAKES US RELATIVES.)

Apr.  7th    Socioeconomic Class.  Political Culture. Patronage.
              (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 10.  CP: S. JOSEPH-Gender and Citizenship in
             Middle Eastern States.)

Apr. 14th    "Modernization" and Its Discontents.
             (BATES & RASSAM—Chapter 11.  Finish MONEY MAKES US RELATIVES.)

Apr. 21st    Wrap-up and Review.

FINAL EXAM   Wednesday, April 23rd, in this room (415 Pray-Harrold.
             PLEASE do NOT call the department or my office to learn your course
             grade.  If you give me a self-addressed, stamped post card or envelope
             on final exam day, I will send you your final exam grade and your grade
             for this course by mail.  If the envelope is big enough and has suffi-
             cient stamps, I will enclose your final exam in it.