Evaluation:

Writing: Your work should reflect an analytical grasp of concepts and issues.  All written work should be typed and double-spaced.  Submit all assignments in class.  No late work will be accepted.  Writing will be evaluated for originality, clarity of thought, and organization (argument or thesis).  All relevant bibliographic citations, including Internet sources, must be cited following standard anthropological style.  For writing and documentation tips, consult the following Internet sites (or see Dr. Ilahiane for further writing assistance):

http://www.bartleby.com/141/

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/MLAStyleSheet.html

Term Paper:  You will select a topic that interests you in the anthropological study of Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East to research and prepare a concise (10-12 page maximum, double-spaced) paper combining ethnographic research, a literature review, and research on the World Wide Web.  Your paper must have a thesis statement, and your work should articulate an informed and coherent theoretical perspective, synthesizing recent contributions to the relevant literature.  Students are required to meet with me to discuss paper topics and thesis statements before October 8 , 200 7 for approval.

Academic Integrity: Without exception, all students are expected to know, understand, and conform to the Iowa State University Policy on Academic Integrity.  Zero tolerance applies to all violations.

Note:   Questions regarding class material, assignments, or general conduct of the course are best raised during office hours.  I strongly invite students to meet with me individually or in small groups throughout the semester.

Required Readings :

Abu-Lughod, Lila

1999 Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society.  Berkeley : University of California Press. 

Chatty, Dawn 

1996 Mobile Pastoralists: Development, Planning, and Social Change.  New York : Columbia University Press. 

Eickelman, Dale 

2002 The Middle East and Central Asia : An Anthropological Approach.  Upper Saddle, New Jersey : Prentice Hall. 

Khalidi, Rashid

2004 Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America 's Perilous Path in the Middle East . Boston : Beacon Press

Said, Edward

1997 Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World.  New York : Vintage Books.

Steet, Linda

2000 Veils and Daggers: A Century of National Geographic's Representation of the Arab World.  Philadelphia : Temple University Press.

Recommended Reading :

Esposito, John

2002 Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam.  New York : Oxford University Press.

Hammoudi, Abdellah

1997 Master and Discipline: The Cultural Foundations of Moroccan Authoritarianism. Chicago : University of Chicago Press.

Taha, Mohamed

1987 The Second Message of Islam. Translated by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im.  Syracuse : Syracuse University Press.