Major cultural, political and historical issues in the transition from the late Ottoman Empire to the Modern Middle East. Emphasis on Ottoman legacies in the 20th century. Readings and discussions analyze end of empire through colonial intervention, WWI, the caliphate, political violence, cultural revolution, national self-determination, coups, post-colonial states, and Islamist mobilization. Interdisciplinary focus on cultural texts, including film, popular culture and literature. Thematic discussions on women/gender, identity- and state-formation, historiography, and hierarchies of race and religion.
