Urban Ethnography of/in the Middle East

Course description: The contemporary Middle East is home to a remarkable diversity of urban landscapes.  Cities in this region have been profoundly shaped by both historical forces, such as colonialism and nationalist movements, as well as contemporary ones, such as globalization, migration, and neoliberal restructuring.  This course is therefore grounded in an understanding of Middle Eastern cities as both historical formations and dynamic social processes, and it uses an ethnographic lens to introduce students to these urban dynamics.  Drawing on written and visual material from anthropology, history, geography, and architecture, students in this class will investigate how these social, political, and economic forces have made–and continue to remake–cities in the Middle East.