Academic Catalog

HIST 18: INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE EASTERN CIVILIZATION

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2022
Units: 4
Hours: 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter)
Advisory: Demonstrated proficiency in English by placement via multiple measures OR through an equivalent placement process OR completion of ESLL 125 & ESLL 249.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area IV: Social & Behavioral Sciences
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze and explain the role of Islam in the development of culture and politics in the Middle East.
  • Discuss and explain patterns and themes (general and discrete) within the Middle East.

Description

Civilization of the Middle East. History of the region, concentrating on the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. European colonization, culture, institutions and religion. Political, economic, and social development of the area.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Develop a chronological understanding of the scope of Middle Eastern civilization as a significant region of world history, as well as the particular nationalist origins of peoples, nations and cultures.
  2. Accumulate a broad factual knowledge of important public figures, documents, issues, movements that have shaped the civilization of the Middle East.
  3. Examine the significant historical and political questions in contemporary context.
  4. Evaluate the influence and impact of the economies of the Middle East on the region and the world.
  5. Explore the role of the diverse religions of the Middle East.
  6. Understand and appreciate the cultural and artistic heritages of the states and peoples of the Middle East.
  7. Interpret current developments in the Middle East and the importance of these developments to the United States.
  8. Effectively communicate in writing and orally the challenges and lasting legacies of the Middle East.
  9. Describe the application of the scientific method in conducting research in areas relative to history.

Course Content

The course content shall be flexible enough to accompany the particular themes and topics developed by the instructor. Themes include:

  1. The ancient Middle East
    1. Pre-Bedouins
    2. Bedouins and the establishment of Mecca
  2. The Prophet Mohammed and the rise and expansion of Islam
    1. Foundations of the faith
    2. Split of Shi'a/Shi'ite
    3. The caliphs and expansion
  3. Europe and the Middle East
    1. Commerce with the West
    2. The Crusades and other conflicts
  4. The rise of the Turkish Empire
    1. Seljuks
    2. Ottomans and the spread of empire
  5. The Middle East in the 19th century
    1. European imperialism
    2. The decline of the Ottoman Empire
    3. The Great Game
  6. The Suez Canal and the Straits
  7. World War I in the Middle East
    1. The Balfour Declaration and the Jewish homeland
    2. Versailles and the mandates
    3. The creation of the Republic of Turkey
  8. Power politics and oil between the wars
  9. The rise of monarchies
    1. Iran
    2. Iraq
    3. Saudi Arabia
  10. World War II in North Africa and the Middle East
  11. Founding the state of Israel
  12. The Palestinians
  13. Nassar and Egyptian/Arab nationalism
  14. European and American strategies and ambitions in the Middle East
  15. The rise of fundamentalism
  16. Oil, OPEC, and international politics
  17. Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Islamic radicalism
  18. The Middle East and the post-9/11 world

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. None when taught on campus.
2. When taught as an online distance learning section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous internet and email access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Written midterm examinations
Written final examination
Research papers and/or document analyses

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Cooperative learning exercises
Oral presentations
Electronic discussions/chat

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Gelvin, James. The Modern Middle East: A History. 2020.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Written examinations, including a final exam
  2. Research papers
  3. Written assignments, including text reviews, which reflect the Student Learning Outcomes for the course

Discipline(s)

History