Middle East Studies
Area Specializations
Language competency: successful completion of three years of Arabic (or the equivalent as determined by the Arabic program). If the focus is on Israel or the Arab-Israeli conflict, then successful completion of two years of Arabic (or the equivalent as determined by the Arabic program), and one year of Modern Hebrew taken as part of an approved study abroad program (or the equivalent as determined by the Middle East Studies track director).
Regional Specialization: Four courses with exclusive or primarily Middle Eastern content in at least three different departments. At least one course must be taken in history or religion, at least one course must be taken in the social sciences division, and at least one course must be taken in the Arabic program. Courses that can fulfill this requirement are: ARBC 0220, 0251, GEOG 0220, HARC 0204, HIST 0102, 0108, 0109, 0262, 0416, PSCI 0217, 0438, RELI 0150, 0160, 0255, 0318, 0319, 0350, 0360, SOAN 0268, 0269, 0353.
Disciplinary Specialization: Five courses or more in a single department; see "disciplinary specialization by department" below. At least two of the courses must have substantial Middle Eastern-related content.
Study Abroad: Students are required to study abroad in the Middle East on an approved program for at least one semester and preferably for a year. Students must receive the approval of their disciplinary specialization adviser and the director of Middle East Studies to receive major credit for courses taken abroad.
Senior Program:
1) A senior international studies seminar; see seminar course descriptions below.
2) An upper-level course in Arabic or Modern Hebrew that will be taken after returning from abroad. This requirement can also be fulfilled by taking a course in which the student uses resources in either Arabic or modern Hebrew.
Students may also propose to write an honors thesis (INTL 0706) in their senior year. A thesis is required for honors. Students must have a 3.3 average or better in all courses that count for the major to apply to write an honors thesis. No exceptions will be made to these requirements.
Disciplinary Specializations by Department
Disciplinary requirements are listed below. Students are required to take two courses within their disciplinary specialization that have substantial content in their region of focus. If these regional courses cannot be taken at Middlebury, students may take them while abroad. Area program directors will determine which courses fulfill this regional requirement in consultation with individual departments.
Economics: ECON 0150, ECON 0155, ECON 0250, ECON 0255, and two departmental electives with an international focus at the 0200-, 0300- or 0400-levels. At least four economics courses meeting the major requirements must be taken at Middlebury, including one of the electives.
Film and Media Culture: FMMC 0131, FMMS 0231; FMMC 0232 or FMMC 0340; FMMC 0244 or one course offered on a foreign language cinema as available; FMMC 0431; and one elective in Film/Media taught during the regular fall or spring terms.
Geography: GEOG 0100, GEOG 0206 or GEOG 0210 or GEOG 0211, GEOG 0214 or GEOG 0215, GEOG 0220 or GEOG 0223; GEOG 0310 or GEOG 0320, and one seminar at the 0400 level. Students wishing to write an honors thesis are required to take GEOG 0339.
History: A 0100-level course and five other courses, including a 0400-level reading seminar normally taken in the senior year. The reading seminar and at least two other courses should be within the regional focus, and at least one course should be outside the regional focus. With the permission of the history department chair, up to two of these courses can be taken abroad.
History of Art and Architecture: HARC 0100; HARC 0102 or another course in non-Western art history; 4 additional courses at the 0200 level or higher, including 1 course outside the region of specialization. In addition, students who elect to write an honors thesis must write the thesis under the auspices of history of art and architecture, which will include HARC 0700, HARC 0710, and ISRU 0701, ISEU 0702, ISLA 0703 or ISEA 0704.
Literature and Culture:
Arabic and Hebrew: See director of Middle East Sgudies.
Philosophy: PHIL 0150 or 0151; PHIL 0180; one course in history of philosophy (PHIL 0201, PHIL/CLAS 0175, or PHIL 0250); one 0400-level seminar to be taken in the last three semesters; and one course from each of the following areas: (1) ethics and social and political philosophy (ESP); (2) epistemology, language, metaphysics, mind and science (ELMMS).
Political Science: PSCI 0103 and PSCI 0109; one course from PSCI 0101, PSCI 0102, PSCI 0104, PSCI 0107; two other courses at the 0200 or 0300 level from either comparative politics or international relations and foreign policy categories, plus one 0400-level seminar in one of these categories at Middlebury in junior or senior year. INTL seminars co-taught by PSCI faculty cannot substitute for 0400-level PSCI seminars, but will count towards the six required courses in political science.
Religion: Three courses on religious traditions in the region (at least one of which is a 0300-level seminar); one course on a tradition or area outside that region; and either a senior project or a senior thesis in religion focusing on the region of specialization.
Sociology/Anthropology: SOAN 0103, SOAN 0105, SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302, SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306, plus two other Sociology/Anthropology electives.
International Studies Courses
INTL 0101 Introduction to International Studies (Fall)
This is the core course of the International Studies major. It is an introduction to key international issues and problems that will likely feature prominently in their courses at Middlebury and study abroad. Issues covered will differ from year to year, but they may include war, globalization, immigration, racism, imperialism, nationalism, world organizations, non-governmental organizations, the European Union, the rise of East Asia, politics and society in Latin America, and anti-Americanism. CMP (D. Rosenberg, T. Sasson)
INTL/PSCI 0250 International Diplomacy and Modern South Asia (Fall)
In this course we will examine current political and economic issues in the countries of South Asia - Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. We will first examine the background of the South Asian region in general (pre-colonial and colonial eras) and of South Asian countries after independence. We will look at specific interstate and intrastate issues, focusing on the combined quests for political stability and economic development. Students will look at topical issues from the perspective of an officer working in a U.S. Embassy or in a U.S. foreign policy agency. The course will combine rigorous academic understanding of the region with current policy issues. Readings will include both academic studies and contemporary policy/issues papers. SOC AAL (J. Lunstead)
INTL 0251 Identity and Conflict in South Asia (Spring)
In this course we will examine political development and conflict in South Asia through the concept of identity. South Asians take on a variety of identities -- ethnic, religious, linguistic, caste, national, etc. These identities often form the basis of political mobilization and both inter- and intrastate conflict. We will study the general concept of identity, including how identities are constructed and used, and then specific manifestations in South Asia. We will also examine the question of whether these identities were constructed during colonial or post-colonial times, or have an earlier basis. SOC AAL (J. Lunstead)
INTL 0343 Contemporary Israel: State and Society (Fall)
In this course we will examine Israeli society in a period of rapid and profound transformation. Following an introductory unit, our topics will include the rise and decline of Ashkenazi hegemony; recent waves of immigration and the advent of multiculturalism; struggles over the role of religion in society; the changing character of core institutions; the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; civil rights and the democratic character of the state. Course materials will include books, articles, and films. This course is equivalent to SOAN 0343. Ocassional evening screenings. 3 hrs. lect./scr. SOC AAL (T. Sasson)
INTL/ENVS 0380 Global Challenges of the 21st Century (Fall)
See program in Environmental Studies for course description. This course will count as an IS senior seminar. 3 hr. sem. SOC (J. Isham)
INTL 0436 Terrorism (Fall)
Terrorism, the act of violent resistance against real or perceived oppression, has taken on new dimensions in an age dominated by mass media and technology. Can we make reliable distinctions between terrorism, anarchism, guerrilla warfare, and random mass murder? What are the political, social, and cultural conditions that favor terrorism? What makes an individual a terrorist? How have governments coped with terrorist movements: What is “state terrorism?” Looking at terrorist movements across the globe, as well as the historical evolution of terrorism, this course will examine explanations for this disintegrative phenomenon given by social scientists, historians, writers, and filmmakers. Students interested in the possibility of receiving German credit for this course should contact Michael Geisler. This course is equivalent to GRMN 0436 and PSCI 0439. (Approval required) 3 hr. sem. (M. Geisler, K. Carmola)
INTL 0469 Fascism: Italy and Germany Compared (Spring)
Fascism was one of the major threats to Western democracy in the twentieth century and left a lasting legacy in world politics. In this course we will explore fascism in the two countries where it had its greatest development: Italy and Germany. In each, fascist political rule established a complex network of social, cultural, aesthetic, and ideological values. We will also address a variety of issues, including the attraction of fascism for leaders and the masses, the construction and reaction to enemies of the state, the creation of distinct aesthetic ideals in Germany and Italy, and the legacy of fascism today. This course is equivalent to HIST 0469 3 hrs. sem. HIS CMP EUR (R. Bennette, N. Chang)
INTL 0470 Marxism Today (Fall)
The Berlin Wall may have fallen and China and Russia embraced capitalism, yet in a world where economic exploitation, inequality and social marginalization have devastating effects on people’s lives, Marxist thought continues to have an urgent relevance across the world. In this course, we will explore some of the key texts of Marxist theory, focusing in particular on culture and geography. We will read texts by Marx and Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Luxemberg, Lukacs, Benjamin, Adorno and the Frankfurt School, Antonio Gramsci, Mao Tse Tung, Raymond Williams, Althusser, Lefebvre, David Harvey, Fredric Jameson, and Hardt and Negri. Some of the key concepts that we will explore are: ideology and discourse, commoditization and reification, territoriality and hypermobility, agency and structure, resistance and hegemony, materialism and alienation. This course is equivalent to ENAM 0470 and GEOG 0470. 3 hr. sem. (G. Herb, Y. Siddiqi)
INTL 0472 “The Religious Life”: Buddhist and Christian Monastic Traditions Compared (Spring)
Both Buddhism and Christianity include traditions of monasticism, of men and women leaving home for "the religious life." In this course, we will study and compare Buddhist monasticism in Asia and Christian monasticism in the Mediterranean and Europe from historical and religious perspectives. We will read primary sources, from the Life of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. Benedict to the verses attributed to the first Buddhist nuns and a Zen monastic code. We will examine monastic vocation, the role of gender, monastic-state relations, the integration of monasteries into society, and the adaptation of monasticism to different cultures. We will conclude with attention to contemporary manifestations of monastic culture, including Buddhist-Christian dialogue on monastic life. This course is equivalent to HIST 0472 and RELI 0472. (Approval required) 3 hr sem. HIS PHL CMP (L. Burnham, E. Morrison)
INTL 0502 Middle East Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring)
INTL 0706 Middle East Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Modern Hebrew Courses
HEBM 0101 Intoductory Modern Hebrew I (Fall)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)
HEBM 0103 Introductory Modern Hebrew III (Spring)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)
HEBM 0220 Modern Hebrew Culture in Translation (Spring)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)
HEBM 0221 Readings in Modern Hebrew (Fall)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)