Introduction to the History of the Middle East

HIST 2520: Introduction to the History of the Middle East Spring 2015, Georgia Gwinnett College Dr. Axel B. Çorlu Email: [email protected] Office/Cell Phone: 470.955.1484 Office: D – 1480 Open Door Times: By mutual agreement between professor and student. Class Time/Location: TR, 8:00 – 9:15 / Building A, 1135. Prerequisite: ENGL 1102 Course Requirements: Attending lectures regularly is mandatory. Reading assigned texts, observing the films (TBA), and participation in discussions are also requirements of the course. The total grade will consist of a midterm examination (20%), a 10-page research paper (20%), 2 quizzes, –plus 2 map quizzes— (10%), 2 analysis papers (2-3 page papers analyzing a primary source, 10%), participation (10%), and final examination (30%). I expect each student to come to class prepared; in order to follow the lectures and participate in discussions, the readings for the week need to be covered before the first class of the week; the lectures are designed to complement, explain, and enhance the rest of the course material, not replace them. Trying to follow lectures in isolation and leaving the readings to the last moment before an examination is not a wise strategy. Required Textbooks: Egger, A History of the Muslim World to 1405: the Making of a Civilization. Pearson, 2004. Quataert, The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922. Cambridge, 2005. Khater, Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East. Cengage, 2011. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East. Perseus, 2013. In addition to these main texts, I will occasionally distribute articles, online sources, and maps related to particular issues. Course schedule: Week 1 Introduction, historical background, geography, definition of terms, fundamental theory. End of an Empire? Week 2 The Empire Strikes Back – Byzantines in their first golden age Haldon, pp. 9-66. Week 3 Byzantines and Sassanids: Two Empires Struggle for Dominance in the Middle East Haldon, Chapter 4. Egger, Chapter 1. Week 4 Rise of Islam: a New Dynamic Changes the Landscape Permanently Early Divisions Egger, Chapters 2-3. Cleveland, Chapter 1. Quiz #1 (plus Map Quiz #1), (02/05). Week 5 Rise of the Caliphate(s): the Umayyad and the Abbasid Caliphates. Egger, Chapter 4. Haldon, Chapter 5. Analysis Paper #1 due, (02/12). Week 6 The Crusades – The First Crusade Haldon, Chapter 6. Egger, Chapters 6-7 (up to p.178). Research Paper Proposals due, (02/19). Week 7 The Crusades – Second through Fourth Crusades Egger, Chapter 7. Midterm Examination, (02/26). Week 8 Disasters Compounded: Mongols and the Plague Egger, Chapters 8-10. Week 9 Spring Break, (03/08 – 03/15) Week 10 Rise of the Ottomans – Early Expansion and Disaster Cleveland, Chapter 2. Quataert, Chapters 1. Quiz #2 (plus Map Quiz #2), (03/19). Week 11 1453: An old Empire ceases to exist, a new one is born TBA Week 12 The Ottoman Golden Age; a formidable rival in the East (Safavid Persia) Cleveland, Chapter 3. Quataert, Chapter 1. Week 13 Beyond Wars and Empires: a Social History of the Middle East Quataert, Chapters 6-9. Research Papers due (04/09). Week 14 “The Decline Paradigm” “Modernization” “Westernization” Quataert, Chapters 3-5. Cleveland, Chapter 4-7. Week 15 World War I, the Armenian Genocide, and World War II Cleveland, 8-13. Quataert, Chapter 10. Analysis Paper #2 due, (04/23). Week 16 The Modern Middle East; trends, geopolitics, future Cleveland, Parts 4-8. Classes end, May 5. ---------------------------- Final Examination (Date TBA). Course Objectives: Students taking this course will learn to: * Use critical thinking skills to analyze historical data * Develop writing and oral skills to present historical concepts and ideas * Understand historical events over time and their connection to the present * Develop an understanding of diverse cultural perspectives across history * Cultivate an attitude of positive civic engagement and ethical responsibility from local and global perspectives Course Outcomes: Students completing this course should be able to: * Make demonstrable conclusions about historical events to determine cause and effect relationships * Analyze and interpret primary and secondary resources * Understand how geography and environmental conditions influenced the technological advancement of societies or “civilizations” * Present information derived from source material * Communicate effectively in individual and/or group presentations * Actively participate in group discussion * Interpret and understand assigned reading materials * Master knowledge of historical themes and events and demonstrate how the events have shaped current affairs Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Goals: The course goals and objectives that meet the following are in BOLD: * IEE1: Clearly communicate ideas in written and oral form. * IEE2: Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in inter- and multi-disciplinary contexts. * IEE3: Demonstrate effective use of information technology. * IEE4: Demonstrate an ability to collaborate in diverse and global contexts. * IEE5: Demonstrate an understanding of human and institutional decision making from multiple perspectives. * IEE6: Demonstrate an understanding of moral and ethical principles. * IEE7: Demonstrate and apply leadership principles. * IEE8: Demonstrate quantitative reasoning. Grading Scale: A 90 – 100 (Excellent) B 80 – 89 (Good) C 70 – 79 (Fair) D 60 – 69 (Poor) F below 60 (Failure) Assessment Tools: Two exams, research paper, quizzes, analysis papers, participation. Exam 1: 20% Research Paper: 20% Quizzes: 10% (total) Exam 2: 30% Participation*: 10% Analysis Papers: 10% (total) Course Changes: The course syllabus provides a general plan for this course. The professor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus, including changes to assignments, projects, case studies, examinations, and so forth, in order to accommodate the needs of the class as a whole and to fulfill the goals of the course. Important Dates: Drop/Add Ends: January 18. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday: January 19. Last “W” Day: March 4. Spring Break: March 8-15. Last Day of Classes: May 5. Academic Respect: Students are expected to abide by class policies and procedures and to treat faculty and other students in a professional, respectful manner. Students are expected to be familiar with the student conduct code published in the Student Handbook. Technology Covenant Course Materials and Grading: Technology will be used to deliver content, provide resources, assess learning, and facilitate interaction, both within this classroom and in the larger learning community. You can expect to access the course materials and grades via D2L. Students should check D2L regularly, as course changes will always be announced and recorded on the course D2L site. Communication: I want to have face-to-face conversations with you, when possible. However, we may need to establish a time and place via email or by phone. I prefer that you contact me via e-mail for most situations. Expect me to respond on the same day to your message if I am unable to respond immediately. Please make sure you include the course number and class time when you contact me. Communications received after 4 PM usually will be returned by the next day. On the weekend or when I am away from campus (i.e., at a conference), my response is irregular. When corresponding by email, I will communicate with you using only your GGC email. You should check your GGC email every day. Emails from other domains (yahoo.com, gmail.com, hotmail.com, etc.) will not receive replies due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 1. Your e-mail must include a greeting and a closing which includes your full name and the class you are referring to. This not only keeps you from becoming excessively informal but also helps me keep track of who I am speaking with. 2. No stream of consciousness. An e-mail without punctuation or paragraphs is unintelligible and is the electronic equivalent of mumbling. 3. Read your e-mail out loud before you send it. (This applies to anything you write. You’ll be amazed at how many errors you find.) 4. Do not e-mail me with a question / issue that is already explained on the syllabus or course calendar. Expectations of Students: All students at GGC need to have access to a computer. If you do not have one, computer labs are available on campus. I expect students to access course or individual communications within 1-2 days excluding weekends. Technology Changes: This covenant provides a general guideline for the course. I reserve the right to make periodic and/or necessary changes to the covenant, including: technology use and communication channels, in order to accommodate the needs of the class as a whole and fulfill the goals of the course. College/School Policies: Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Statement: It continues to be the policy of Georgia Gwinnett College to implement affirmative action and equal opportunity for all employees, students and applicants for employment or admission without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability. The college’s affirmative action program and related policies are developed in compliance with federal and state laws listed in the college catalogue, and in conformance with these regulations Georgia Gwinnett College does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or against any student or applicant for admission with regard to any opportunity for which the employee or student is qualified. Every member of this college community is expected to uphold this policy as a matter of mutual respect and fundamental fairness in human relations. The policy has the unequivocal support of the Office of the President. All members of the staff, faculty, and student body are expected to ensure that nondiscriminatory practices are followed at Georgia Gwinnett College. Americans with Disabilities Act Statement: Georgia Gwinnett College will provide reasonable accommodation to employees, applicants for employment, students, and patrons who have physical and/or mental disabilities, in accordance with applicable statutes. Georgia Gwinnett College will take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment persons who are qualified disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam Era, or other covered veterans. If you are a student who is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and require assistance or support services, please seek assistance through the Center for Disability Services. Academic Integrity: Georgia Gwinnett College students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity and are expected to encourage others to do the same. Further, students are expected to take responsible action when there is reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of others. While it is not possible to list all acts of academic dishonesty, examples include knowingly performing, attempting to perform, or assisting another in performing any act of academic dishonesty; cheating; plagiarism; collusion; submitting previously submitted material; misrepresentation or falsification of material; misrepresentation of circumstances such as illness, conflicting responsibilities. Additional details on academic integrity are found in the college catalogue. Academic dishonesty carries severe penalties ranging from a grade of “0” on the affected assignment to dismissal from Georgia Gwinnett College. Each faculty member at Georgia Gwinnett College bears the responsibility for assigning penalties for cases of academic dishonesty. Students may appeal a penalty as outlined in the Student Handbook. Attendance Policy: The classroom experience is a vital component of the college learning process. Interaction with instructors and with other students is a necessary component of the learning process. Students are expected to attend regularly and promptly all class meetings and academic appointments. Students who are absent from classes bear the responsibility of notifying their instructors and keeping up with class assignments in conjunction with instructor provisions in the course syllabus. An individual instructor bears the decision as to whether a student’s absence is excused or unexcused and whether work will be permitted to be made up; the decision of the instructor in this case is final. Students who are absent because of participation in college-approved activities (such as field trips and extracurricular events) will be permitted to make up the work missed during their college-approved absences. Individual instructors may establish additional attendance requirements appropriate to their course’s context, e.g., lab attendance. A student whose class schedule would otherwise prevent him or her from voting will be permitted an excused absence for the interval reasonably required for voting. I will take attendance at the beginning of class. If you miss five class sessions during the semester you will receive a “0” for participation. Only college functions and documented medical issues with you or a family member count as excused absences. * For the purposes of this class, participation is defined as knowledgeable, well-thought contributions based on readings and lectures to class discussions or as answers to questions presented by the professor. Attendance is not participation. 7