Approved by Faculty Senate

P.S. 270 Politics and Society in the Middle East

Syllabus

SYLLABUS

This course meets both the different culture requirements of the General Education program and the Multicultural Perspective under the University Studies Program, as well as the major requirements for the Department of Political Science majors and minor. As a course that meets the Multicultural Perspective requirement, this course is designed to give the student an appreciation of the prevailing political systems in selected Middle Eastern countries. The course will present common regional issues and emphasize how these issues apply to certain countries.  Particular emphasis will be placed on the following phenomena: importance and role of geographic and climatic conditions on the way of life; religion as a way of life; conflicts and compromises between traditional and modern political values; Arab-Israeli relations, oil and social, political and economic development, as well as conflict resolution between and among the region’s states. Middle Eastern relations with the rest of the world will be surveyed. In the discussion of the role of religion on daily lives, particular attention will be given to Islam, [Please consult the following URLs http://islam.org/, http://www.unn.ac.uk/societies/islamic/, ] the religion of the vast majority of the people in the area; Orthodox Christianity, [Please consult the following URLs http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medweb/, http://www.uoa.gr/departs/theology/html/english/minerva.htm,  http://www.aina.org/aol/link2.htm, ] the most widely adopted belief among Christians in the region; and Judaism, [Please consult the following URLs  http://shamash.org/trb/judaism.html, http://members.aol.com/jewfaq/index.htm] the oldest Middle Eastern monotheistic religion.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Since most of the students are unfamiliar with the cultures, traditions and languages spoken in the Middle East, students will be expected to learn to tolerate the cultural differences. They will need to familiarize themselves with some of the words and names that are commonly used in daily lives and in the literature. To gain such tolerance and familiarity, students will be expected to expand their knowledge of the region by reading at least one daily newspaper and news media.  Most of the newspapers and news media can be accessed on their web sites.  Some of them are as follows: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/mideast.htm , http://www.csmonitor.com/ , http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/, http://www.arabia.com/, http://www.sis.gov.eg/pressrev/html/indexfrm.htm, http://www.gulf-times.com/, http://www.akhbar.com/ http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/index.html, http://www.gulf-news.co.ae./, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/index.html, http://www.jpost.com/, http://www.cnn.com http://cbs.com http://abc.com http://nbc.com .  Contacting and conversing with students from that region, and reading relevant material in the library and other sources are essential means of interacting with the course.

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a. Demonstrate knowledge of diverse patterns and similarities of thought, values, and beliefs as manifest in different cultures;
b. Understand the extent to which cultural differences influence the interpretation and expression of events, ideas and experiences;
c. Understand the extent to which cultural differences influence the interactions between individuals and/or groups;
d. Possess the skills necessary for interaction with someone from a different culture or cultural group.

2. Instructional Plan and Expectations of Students:

Expectations of students:

Expectations of professor:

The professor is expected to:

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While there is no mandatory attendance policy in the University, students will discover that their level of interest in a subject matter will decline with frequent absenteeism. It is strongly suggested that absenteeism be held to a bare minimum.  Unless there is a truly valid excuse, you should plan to be in class every time it meets.

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A.    Two exams and a final (multiple choice and short essay     combinations) (25% each)
B.    One extensive book report (25%)
C.    Class participation

Students' grades will be posted on this web site and can be checked by clicking Results, above, or through: http://course1.winona.edu/aelafandi/polsci270/results.htm 

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5. Book Report

Students are required to submit one extensive book report containing a summary and critical analysis of John L. Esposito’s book, The Islamic Threat. The book report should be at least five and no more than seven double-spaced pages. The book report is due no later than April 3. It may be submitted earlier than this date.

Except in documented medical or family emergencies, no work will be accepted past the due date.

The book report shall contain an analysis of relevant social, economic and political conditions in the society as covered by the book. Students may find it useful to refer to other sources for additional information and insight into those aspects as they prepare for writing their reports. Students who wish to get an A or a B on their book report must use outside reading material. Those who use outside material must refer to their sources of information in the body of the paper and in a bibliography. Encyclopedias, religious sources and other similar material as well as material supplied in class and available to all students may not be considered for the purposes of this requirement to be outside sources. The use of outside sources does not guarantee an A or a B, but you cannot receive one of these grades without using outside sources.

The final draft must be well-documented and clear of grammatical and spelling errors. You are encouraged to use the Writing Lab and other sources in the University to help enhance the quality of the paper. The instructor will also be available for advice throughout the course of the semester. Do not hesitate to use all available facilities.

Students are encouraged to use the Writing Lab, located on the third floor of Minne Hall, as well as the Student Support Services, located in Phelps Hall, for the purpose of refining their writing styles and cleaning up their product.

Up to one full letter grade will be deducted from written work for problems such as improper spelling, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, punctuation errors, misuse or non-use of apostrophes, and typographical errors. You are expected to carefully proofread your written work in order to eliminate any such problems. You are encouraged to use Spell-Checker or other word processing software, but urged not to become dependent upon it nor see it as a substitute for a careful, human proofreading. Most of these computer programs cannot catch frequently misused words such as: "to" "two" and "too"; "there" "they're" and "their"; "could've" and "could of"; "it's" and "its". You are advised to double check for any such errors. When in doubt, LOOK IT UP.

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Congressional Quarterly, The Middle East. 9^th ed. Washington, D. C.: CQ Press. 2000. ISBN 1-56802-100-3

Esposito, John L., The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? 3^rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999. ISBN 0-19-513076-6

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7. Weekly Assignments

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8. Bibliography

See bibliographical list in your textbooks.  Additional readings can be found on the recommended readings page.

For periodicals related to the field of Political Science, use the following URL to link: http://wind.winona.edu/~wwwpolsci/RESEARCHSECTION/reasearc.htm

For official government documents, use the following URL to link: http://wind.winona.edu/~wwwpolsci/LINKSSECTION/INTERNATIONAL/INTERNATA.HTM

For additional readings: See list in different file

For readings on current events: See this file

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