ACADEMIC CATALOG >>
2007-2008
Attention: This catalog is for archival purposes only. Please see www.ccu.edu/catalog for current information.
MID (Middle East Studies Program)
MID 111 Introduction to Arabic Language I (3) and
MID 112 Introduction to Arabic
Language II (3)
This course, taught by Egyptian instructors affiliated with the
American University in Cairo, aims to help students acquire basic skills in Egyptian Arabic,
a dialect widely understood in the Arab world. The course emphasizes the practical use
of the language, encouraging interaction with the locals through the use of
"language lab Cairo" assignments or during visits to service projects. Small classes
four days a week offer a solid introduction to the colloquial grammar and a substantial
vocabulary as students take more than 100 hours of instruction. Once completed,
a MID 111 and MID 112 should bring students to the intermediate level of Egyptian
colloquial Arabic. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to
the Middle East Studies Program, a study abroad semester program based in Cairo, Egypt.
MID 310 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East (3)
With an emphasis on
anthropological approaches to the region, this course examines the variety of peoples
and cultures in the Middle East in societies like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine,
Turkey, or perhaps other countries as well. MESP for example, has recently added Tunisia and
Morocco for the first time to its possible travel options. While the selection of travel
locations will depend upon safety conditions and budgetary constraints prevailing at the
time of travel, the course nonetheless seeks to introduce students to patterns of thought
and behavior which characterize the region generally without losing sight of important
differences across countries. The Middle East is a multiethnic, multi-confessional region,
and student travel allows them to observe and study a great variety of social, religious,
and political groups. In addition, students learn about pressing issues, from gender to
war to economic development, that currently animate the many religious and political
communities they visit. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to
the Middle East Studies Program, a study abroad semester program based in Cairo, Egypt.
MID 320 Conflict and Change in the Middle East (3)
This course examines the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or what many scholars now call "the 100 years war."
Beginning with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the course traces the origin of the
conflict from the early encounters between Arab and Jew in Palestine to the contemporary
struggle to achieve a final status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians today.
Students learn about the complexity and difficulty of reaching peace in an otherwise
tiny space shared by two peoples with competing civilizational visions. While current
conflict between the two peoples may prohibit travel to Israel/Palestine, the course
usually includes a ten day on-site component in Israel/Palestine in order to give
students first-hand experience seeing and hearing the important people and places that
make this conflict so difficult. This component is subject to change based on safety
considerations. Finally, another important part of the course includes an intense
negotiation simulation in Cairo, where students take on role characters, Israeli and
Palestinian respectively, and actively engage their counterparts across the table in
final status talks related to Jerusalem, borders and security, refugees, water, and settlements.
Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the Middle East Studies Program, a study
abroad semester program based in Cairo, Egypt.
MID 340 Islamic Thought and Practice (4)
This course examines many dimensions
of Islamic faith-historical, legal, doctrinal, popular, and behavioral-from early times
to the present. While emphasis is on the early period and its influence on latter
events and people, it also attempts to relate these early developments to contemporary
issues in the Middle East like the impact of colonialism, gender equality, modernization,
development, and democracy. Students are encouraged to begin thinking about relevant
similarities and differences between themselves and Muslim peoples around the world. The
course also makes use of the "Cairo Lab" in order to showcase some of the most historically
influential institutions and architecture in the Arab world. Occasionally, students
encounter important personalities associated with institutions like Al Azhar, Cairo University,
the Egyptian Government, or the Arab League. Dr. Holt may teach all or some of this course
as well as the seminars that follow, but he frequently makes use of local scholars
affiliated with American University in Cairo and Cairo University, and guest lecturers with
particular expertise of relevance to the subject at hand. Enrollment is limited to students
admitted to the Middle East Studies Program, a study abroad semester program based in Cairo, Egypt.
