WMST 479/592; ANTH & SOCL 479/592:  WOMEN OF THE MIDDLE EAST   
Dr. Barbara Bilge’
OFFICE:  712-H Pray-Harrold
PHONE:  487-1177 (WMST Office) or 487-0012 (SAC Office)
OFFICE HOURS:  Tuesday, Thursday, 3pm-4:30 pm, or by special appointment

REQUIRED TEXTS:

THE CREATION OF PATRIARCHY.  By Gerda Lerner.  New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1986.

WOMEN AND GENDER IN ISLAM.  By Leila Ahmed.  New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 1992.

WOMEN, ISLAM, AND THE STATE.  Deniz Kandiyoti, Editor.  Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991.

DREAMS OF TRESSPASS.  By Fatima Mernissi.  Addison-Wellsley, 1995.

TEXTS REQUIRED FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR UNDERGRADUATES:

WOMEN IN MUSLIM FAMILY LAW.  By John Esposito.  Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1982.

GENDER AND THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT: THE POLITICS OF WOMEN'S RESISTANCE. By Simona Sharoni.  Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1995.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
     We will explore the conditions of Middle Eastern Women's lives, past and present,
from a multidisciplinary perspective, utilizing the findings of anthropologists (archeo-
 logists and ethnographers), other social scientists (sociologists, political scientists,
 economists, etc.), and historians, as well as the remarkably rich, accumulating litera-
 ture by North African and Southwestern Asian poets, storytellers, novelists, and authors
 of feminist tracts bearing upon women's problems from the late 19th century on.  This
 course will touch upon the following topics:
 1.  The pitfalls of sweeping theories of the "origins" of patriarchy, and of "Oriental-
     ism," a variety of ethnocentrism.
 2.  Gender concepts and relations in Neolithic Mesopotamia and North Africa, on the
     basis of what can be inferred from archeological evidence.
 3.  The rise of patriarchy in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt and a comparison of its
     quality and intensity in both areas over time, based on translated historical texts
     and modern historians' interpretations of them, plus other archeological data.
 4.  Consolidation of "god-given" patriarchal ideologies and their transformations in
     early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, based on translations and interpretations
     of sacred texts.  Focus will be on Islam.
 5.  A brief consideration of the diversity of Muslim women's constraints, rights, and
     opportunities in various Medieval Islamic states—Arab and Ottoman, especially, de-
     pending upon ethnicity (defined primarily by religious sect) and socioeconomic
     class in rural and urban settings, on the basis of historical research.
6.  The traumatic impact of European imperialism and colonialization upon Middle East-,
    ern Islamic states, especially upon gender relations, from the 19th century through
    World War II, using historical research and literary works by Middle Eastern wri-
    ters.
7.  Middle Eastern women's issues and concerns in the post-colonial period of nation-
    building, and women's contemporary struggle for economic, political, and civic via-
    bility and equality within the family, tapping the findings of ethnographers and
    other social scientists as well as Middle Eastern feminist authors.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1.  CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION (10% of your course grade, all students):  This involves
    oral reports on two of the assigned readings, in which the content of the article/
    chapter will be summarized and critiqued in a presentation to the class, supple-
    mented by a one or two page double-spaced, typed outline, and in which the presen-
    ter will pose to the class one question derived from the reading, for discussion.
2.  TAKE-HOME MIDTERM EXAM (45% of your course grade for undergrads, 30% for grads).
    It win test your understanding of topics covered through May 27th (as per the
    schedule).  The exam will be distributed one and a half weeks before the due date
    and will contain two sets of essay questions; you will select one from each set,
    for a total of two essays.
3.  TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAM (45% of your course grade for undergrads, .30% for grads).
    It will test your comprehension of topics treated from May 29th through June l9th
    (as per the schedule).  Exams will be distributed one and a half weeks before the
    due date.  The final also will contain two sets of essay questions, and you will
    select one from each set, for a total of two essays.
4.  RESEARCH PAPER (Grads only, 30% of your course grade):  This will be a 10 to 15
    page double-spaced, typed report, plus end notes and bibliography.  Select any to-
    pic related to this course that captures your interest and that can be handled
    adequately in the above-specified number of pages.  Consult with me before you be-
    gin for ideas and guidance.  Up to 5 extra points will be added to your grade for
    this paper if you present your findings orally to the class on June l9th, when
    it must be submitted to me.

SCHEDULE OF DISCUSSIONS AND ASSIGNED READINGS

         DATE         TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

         May   6th    INTRODUCTION.  THEORIES OF PATRIARCHY.  NEOLITHIC NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA.
                       (In LERNER: A Not on Definitions.  A Note on Chronology and Methodology.
                       Chapters 1 and 2.)

         May   8th    CHIEFDOMS, STATES, AND THE EVOLUTION OF PATRIARCHY IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ANCIENT EGYPT.
                       (In Lerner: Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.)

         May  13th    ANCIENT HEBREWS AND THEIR RELIGION.
                       (In LERNER: Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11.)

         May  15th    ANCIENT HEBREWS AND THEIR RELIGION, concluded.  EARLY CHRISTIANITY.
                       (In AHMED: Chapters 1 and 2.)

         May  20th    GENDER AND WOMEN IN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY AND LAW.
                       (In AHMED: Chapters 3 and 4.  C.P.: E.W. FERNEA and B. BEZIRGAN-The Kor-
                       an on the Subject of Women.  In ESPOSITO: Chapters 1 and 2.)

         May  22nd    WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL ARAB SOCIETIES.
                       (In AHMED: Chapters 5 and 6.)

         May  27th    OTTOMAN MUSLIM WOMEN.
                       (C.P.: U.U. BATES—Women as Patrons of Architecture in Turkey.  I.C.
                       DENGLER—Turkish Women in the Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age.)

         May  29th    EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
                       (In AHMED: Chapters 7 and 8.  Begin DREAMS OF TRESSPASS.)

         June  3rd    WOMEN, ISLAM, AND NATION BUILDING: ARAB WORLD.
                       (In KANDIYOTI: D. KANDIYOTI—Introduction; S. JOSEPH—Elite Strategies
                       for State Building: Women, Family, Religion, and State in Iraq and
                       Lebanon.)

         June  5th    ARAB FEMINISM: ISSUES, PAST AND PRESENT.
                       (In AHMED: Chapters 9 and 10.  C.P.: V.J. HOFFMAN—An Islamic Activist:
                       Zaynab al-Ghazali; N. EL SAADAWI—The Mutilated Half.  Finish DREAMS OF
                       TRESSPASS.)

          June 10th    WOMEN, ISLAM, AND NATION BUILDING: TURKEY.
                       (In KANDIYOTI: D. KANDIYOTI—End of Empire: Islam, Nationalism, and .
                       Women in Turkey.)

          June 12th    WOMEN, ISLAM, AND NATION BUILDING: IRAN.
                       (In KANDIYOTI: A. NAJMABADI—Hazards of Modernity and Morality: Women,
                       State, and Ideology in Contemporary Iran.)

          June 17th    WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
                       (In AHMED: Chapter 11; Conclusion.  Begin GENDER AND THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.)

          June l9th    CATCH UP.  PROJECT REPORTS.
                       (Finish GENDER AND THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.)

          June 24th    ALL WORK DUE