History 696

History 696

San Francisco State University
History 696: The Middle East and the Modern World 1700-Present
Instructor: Maziar Behrooz
Fall 2021:  Monday 4-6:45 HSS 107

Office Hours: HUM 231, MW 10-10:45 AM or by appointment.
Telephone: (415) 3381776
E-Mail:
mroozbeh@sfsu.edu
Home Page: http://online.sfsu.edu/mroozbeh

Course Description: This is a seminar covering different aspects of Middle Eastern history from 1700 C.E. to the present.  The Middle East will be studied during an age of colonialism, reform, nationalism, emergence of nation states, revolutions, and emergence of political Islam.  Major Twentieth century developments if the region, (e.g., Arab-Israeli conflict, Iranian revolutions, Arab nationalism, and Islamic revivalism) will be focused on.  The goal is to develop a paper topic.

Course Requirements:

The first two third of the course will be devoted to group discussion of selected reading assignments while students develop topics and begin research.  Participants will be assigned book chapters for in class presentation and discussion. 

All participants will be required to give book presentations, do the readings and participate in class discussions (40%) and give presentations on their final paper before submitting it (60%). The grade breakdown is:

Final Paper 60%
Class Participation 20%
Book Presentation 10%
Paper Presentation 10%

By the end of the fifth week, each participant should provide a paper topic (one paragraph typed) on an aspect of the subject under study.  Individual appointments, between you and I, will be made to evaluate the manageability of your topic.  Next, participants will choose a date for their oral paper presentation.  Each presentation should be about twenty minutes.  Students should be ready to ask questions and raise points on each presentation.

Comments on presentations should be constructive.  Remember, everyone will go through the same process.  If you know of sources unknown to the author, you can provide her\him with it.  If you see a contradiction in his\her argument, you should bring it up academically and constructively.

Papers should be between 6000-7000 words (including citation and bibliography) in their final form (Graduate student papers between 7000-8000 words).  Your paper will be based on secondary sources (although those with language skills may use primary sources as well).  You will be provided with a bibliography, to help you get started, and should research on your own for other sources.  All citations (footnote, endnote and bibliography) should follow the Chicago Manual of Styles. 

Course Outline: The following is a rough outline and it is subject to change.

Week 1: January August 23- Introduction and class discussion plus film
Week 2: August 30- Discussion of Arkoun Rethinking Islam, & Abrahamian, “Shariati” & Fischer “Khomeini.”

Week 3: September 6- NO CLASS-Prepare for class discussion

Week 4: September 13- Jeremey Salt, The Unmaking of the Middle East.

Week 5: September 20- Discussion of Discussion of Roy, Secularism. (Paper proposals are due)

Week 6: September 27- Individual appointments (No Class)

Week 7: October 4- Discussion Khalidi, Resurrecting Empire & Smith “Palestine.”

Week 8: October 11- Discussion of rise of secular nationalism in Turkey: Zurcher articles.

Week 9: October 17- Discussion of rise of secular nationalism in Iran: Matin-Asgari and Behrooz articles.

Week 10: October 25- Paper Presentation

Week 11: November 1-Paper Presentation

Week 12: November 8-Paper Presentation

Week 13: November 15- Paper Presentation

Week 14: November 22- Fall Recess

Week 15:  November 29- Paper Presentation-Individual Meeting

Week 16: December 6-Paper Presentation

Final exam papers are due on December 19, 2021 before noon.  Send your exams in word attachment and write “H696F21” or "H899F21" on subject line.  Expect to receive a return e-mail from me acknowledging receipt of your paper.  All citations (footnote, endnote and bibliography) should follow the Chicago Manual of Styles. 

Books:
Muhammad Arkoun, Rethinking Islam.
Rashid Khalidi, Resurrecting Empire.
Oliver Roy, Secularism Confronts Islam.
Jeremey Salt, The Unmaking of the Middle East.

Additional pdf articles will be emailed to you. 

 

Senate Policy Resolution #SU21-292 Temporary Changes to #F10-257

Syllabus Policy to Enhance COVID-19 Communications

Health & Safety Commitments

Your health and safety are our paramount concern at SF State. We ask every member of our campus community to join a pledge to make and follow plans to keep fellow students, faculty, and staff safe and well. Feeling confident, safe and well will help you focus on your academic success. To participate in this class, all students are asked expected to:

stay informed on the most up-to-date information related to SF State’s COVID-19 response and Campus Comeback plan

plan ahead for possible class disruptions due to COVID-19 or other unexpected events, such as unhealthy air quality caused by smoke

take care of yourself and others by staying home when you aren’t feeling well or believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, and

follow all required health and safety guidelines, including verifying your proof of vaccination or exemption status before coming to class; and wearing a multilayered mask over your nose and mouth at all times when indoors on campus; and wash your hands as often as possible (i.e. soap and water, hand sanitizer).

For more information about SF State’s response to COVID-19 and how you can keep yourself and others safe and well, visit the Campus Comeback Website. To plan for how you will maintain your academic success when unexpected events disrupt regular teaching and learning activities, follow the information on the course syllabus and consult the Keep Learning guide.

Academic Senate policy #S07-244 requires that the following statement be included on the syllabus: “Students with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact the instructor.  The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to facilitate the reasonable accommodations process.  The DPRC is located in the Student Service Building and can be reached by telephone (voice/TTY 415-338-2472) or by email dprc@sfsu.edu).”

Academic Senate policy #F14-257 requires that the following statement be included on the syllabus: “SF State fosters a campus free of sexual violence including sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and/or any form of sex or gender discrimination. If you disclose a personal experience as an SF State student, the course instructor is required to notify the Dean of Students. To disclose any such violence confidentially, contact:  The SAFE Place - (415) 338-2208; http://www.sfsu.edu/~safe_plc/  Counseling and Psychological Services Center - (415) 338-2208; http://psyservs.sfsu.edu/ For more information on your rights and available resources: http://titleix.sfsu.edu