GEO 374 THE MIDDLE EAST: PEOPLE AND PLACES

This course introduces students to the environmental, cultural, economic and geopolitical factors that have given the Middle East (Southwest Asia and North Africa) its distinct geographic sense of place. The overall aim of this course is to enable students to participate in debates about contemporary geopolitical issues that are currently (re)shaping the region. Using an inquiry-based learning approach, students will engage topics including the role of religion in the region, the legacy of colonialism, the relationship between petro-politics and authoritarianism, the causes and consequences of the Arab Spring, the historical roots and future direction of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as well as the human and environmental factors driving or exacerbating conflict and migration. Through the lens of critical geopolitics, this course will examine these issues through a variety of scales and perspectives, from global-scale patterns and processes to national politics, urban spaces and embodied experiences.