25 courses with the subject ARB, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ARB 101Elementary Arabic I (Sections A & B)
Instructor Joubin Elementary Arabic I, the fall semester of a year-long intensive course in first year Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), is designed for students with no previous exposure to the language. From the first semester of the course, there is a focus on gaining a strong foundation in the communicative skills of listening and speaking, as well as reading and writing. While the concentration is on Classical Arabic, there will be exposure to dialect through proverbs and music. Student participation and group activities encouraging conversation are vital to the course. Attendance at two AT (drill) sessions each week is required. Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
Instructor Joubin In Elementary Arabic II, a continuation of Elementary Arabic I, we continue to develop the communicative skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students are further introduced to authentic texts from the Arab world. Presentations and group activities encouraging conversation are essential to the course. The course is conducted entirely in Arabic. Attendance at two AT (drill) sessions each week is required. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 101 at Davidson or passing placement exam. (Spring)
Instructor Joubin Intermediate Arabic 201, the fall semester of a year-long intensive intermediate course in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), is designed for students who have had one year of Arabic at the college level. Authentic supplementary reading material is introduced, with a focus on popular stories filled with wise sayings known throughout the Arab world. Discussion and presentations are centered on this material, which exposes students to important cultural elements of the Arab world. The course is conducted entirely in Arabic. Attendance at two AT (drill) sessions each week is required. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 102 or placement. (Fall)
Instructor Joubin Accelerated Persian for Arabic Speakers is a one semester course for students who have already completed ARB 101. Because the Persian and Arabic languages share the same alphabet, on the first day of class students will be introduced to the few additional letters present in Persian. By the next class period, we will begin to focus on sentence structure, verb conjugation, and vocabulary building. Elementary Persian books often state that one of the main challenges of Persian is vocabulary building. However, students of Arabic will not find this to be the case. Arabic and Persian share about sixty per cent similar vocabulary and thus our class will progress at a rapid speed due to the Arabic language background that all students will have. It is expected that both languages will complement the other. Satisfies a major requirement in the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies’ Arab Studies major Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Middle Eastern Studies| Satisfies an advanced Arabic course requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies minor requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Arabic 101 (Fall)
Instructor Joubin The objective of the course is to attain an interdisciplinary approach to the study of gender and sexuality in the Middle East. During the past few decades Middle East Gender studies has expanded rapidly, and this course will introduce students to the milestone monographs that established the field. From a focus on women as a category of analysis, to gender and masculinity studies, the field has expanded rapidly. This course examines gender as a category of analysis and focuses on productions of knowledge of sexual difference in Middle East society. We will examine the implication of modernity on men and women in the Middle East, following scholarship that does not adhere to the tradition versus modernity dichotomy, and we will pay particular attention to studies that examine the ambiguity of modernity. The intersection of nationalist and gendered discourse is among the themes this course will focus on. This course is conducted in English. Satisfies a major requirement in Center for Interdisciplinary Studies major in Arab Studies and in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies and in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Satisfies a requirement in Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric. Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in International Studies and in Middle East Studies. Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
Instructor Joubin ( Conducted in English .) The objective of the course is to attain an interdisciplinary approach to queer Middle East culture studies. Middle East queer studies, as poignantly argued by leading scholars in the field, is often locked into a pre-modern East and modern West binary lens whereby the East is viewed as captured by tradition while the West is seen as inherently progressive. To challenge this prevalent binary lens, we will begin with an examination of the homoerotic poetry of Abbasid poet Abu Nuwas and end with Joseph Massad’s analysis of the intersection of the Gay International, Orientalism, sexual rights, and the Arab world. Through an examination of the formative manuscripts in the field as well as a selection of literature, film, drama, and art, we will engage with the intricate sites of multifarious meanings and transformations in the growing field of Middle East queer studies. Satisfies a major and interdisciplinary minor requirement in Arab Studies. Satisfies a major requirement in Gender & Sexuality Studies. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
Instructor Joubin Arabic 295, a one-semester course in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), is designed for students who have had two years of college level Arabic courses or the equivalent. The course, which is conducted entirely in Arabic, enhances the students’ understanding of Arabic culture and grammar through video clips, film, proverbs, television serials, music, and literature. Discussion and presentations are centered on this material. Class meets for one hour, three times per week. Conducted in Arabic.
Instructor Joubin Advanced readings of novels by contemporary Arab authors such as: Ilyas Khouri, Naguib Mahfouz, Abdel Rahman al-Munif, Salwa Bakr, Ghassan Kanafani, Tawfiq Hakim, and Hanan al-Shaykh. Discussion topics include: modernity, civil war in Lebanon, gender relations, changing relations between Middle East and West, social transformations after independence, and the plight of the Palestinians. Presentations and compositions in Arabic are among the requirements. Conducted in Arabic. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Counts toward the Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Minor, the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (Middle East sections), and Communication Studies Interdisciplinary Minor. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirements. Prerequisites & Notes Arabic 202 or permission of instructor.
Instructor Joubin In this course, we will examine contemporary Syrian television drama dealing with gender constructions, marriage metaphors, notions of honor and shame, and social discourse. We will study different trends in Syrian drama such as old Damascene tales, which seek a return to the past. We will also study progressive trends. A large portion of this course will focus on reading newspaper and magazine articles written by critics in response to these serials. Students will also watch televised interviews of directors and writers of television drama. The purpose of this will be for students to grasp the nature of the impact of television drama on Syrian society. Presentations and compositions are among the requirements. Course is conducted entirely in Arabic. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Counts toward the Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Minor, the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (Middle East sections), and Communication Studies Interdisciplinary Minor. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or permission of instructor required.
ARB 326Politically Critical Parodies in Syria: Past and Present
Instructor Joubin By subtly deconstructing regime narratives, Syrian political parodies have played a vital role in undermining the Asad regime while operating within the framework of government co-optation. In this course, we will examine the televised theatrical productions of plays written by the late poet Muhammad al-Maghut - such as Day’at Tishrin (October Village) in 1974, al-Ghurba (Alienation) in 1975, and Kasak ya Watan (Cheers to the Homeland) in 1977 - which brought sarcastic theater to the focal point of Syrian entertainment. We will then examine the multi-sketch comedy Buq’at Daw’ , inaugurated in 2001, which openly discussed taboo topics such as state corruption, sectarianism, and the villainous secret police. Syrian citizens generally argue that the Asad regime uses politically critical programming as a safety valve to release frustrations, and scholars have drawn on this theory of tanfis. In this course, students will debate this concept. We will also discuss the role of political parodies during the uprising, and the role of the artist in general when it comes to revolution. This course is conducted entirely in Arabic. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or placement. (Fall)
ARB 327Mediating Conflict: Syrian Television Drama and Revolution
Instructor Khedher This course examines audio/visual, written and digital media in contemporary Arab societies and the way they shape the current socio-political landscape and Arab public opinion. It introduces students to the mosaic of media trends and debates and helps them explore the countless transformations and processes affecting the diverse Arab region. Students will read, watch, interrogate and discuss various news articles, and other online audiovisual material such as documentaries, talk shows, live broadcasts, short film, etc. The course is taught in Arabic. Satisfies a major requirement for the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies major in Arab Studies Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
ARB 328Gender & Sexuality in Syrian Television Drama
Instructor Joubin In this course, which is conducted entirely in Arabic, we will study how many Syrian screenwriters involved in pre-uprising television drama managed to question the very foundation of regime legitimacy. We will study how prior to the 2011, in order to achieve the goal of prompting critique and change, Syrian television drama used the lens of gender and sexuality as a major trope. Since the 2011 uprising, moreover, screenwriters have become more explicit and less reliant on gender metaphors for critique and political engagement. Those screenwriters outwardly embracing the regime narrative eschew politics in their gender constructions and instead focus on reform of societal norms. Throughout the course, we will use Youtube clips to examine debates among cultural producers on the direction of Syrian television drama since the uprising. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Satisfies a major requirement in Arab Studies through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies. Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Middle East Studies. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or permission of instructor.
Instructor Joubin ( Conducted in Arabic .)This class will begin with an examination of Egyptian drama from the 1990s through the Arab uprisings of 2011 to explore television’s role as a producer of national culture. Our study of Syrian television drama will begin with the early political parodies of the 1960s through 80s, which culminated in the production of the most esteemed dramas in the Arab world. Secular in approach and entirely of a male perspective, the main concern of these political parodies was an embattled, subordinate masculinity within the family, which served as a microcosm of the state. This course will culminate in a close viewing of the phenomena of dubbed Turkish miniseries in the Arab world. Finally, we will examine the rise of pan-Arab miniseries, whose escapist storylines serve as a distraction from current politics. Through press releases, on-line interviews, and internet research we will remain highly sensitive to questions of reception, audience, and impact. Students will continue to enhance and master key Arabic grammar concepts through practical application in compositions and presentations. The course is conducted entirely in Arabic. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor.
ARB 331Visual Novels and Gender Constructions in the Arab World (In Arabic)
Instructor Joubin This class will exam visual adaptations of important novels from the Arab world. Through discussions, readings, presentations, screenings of miniseries, weekly compositions, independent research, and group work students will learn about the historical and political context of each the novels as well as their visual adaptations. As these novels are adapted both nationally and transnationally we will examine issues related to identity, gender, and culture. The class is conducted entirely in Arabic. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Counts toward the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (Middle East sections), and the Communication Studies Interdisciplinary Minor. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or permission of instructor. (Spring)
Instructor Khedher This course is an introduction to North African Literature and culture. It aims to open a window towards some of the ethnic, gendered, linguistic, folkloric and religious diversity of the Maghreb (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) via their representations in Literature (fiction, short stories/folktales, poetry, and drama). The course will use colonial and post-independence diverse literary accounts originally written in English or translated from Arabic or French into English (course is conducted in English). Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement. Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement.
Instructor Khedher This course will examine the contemporary Middle East and North Africa through documentary and film. Students will gain a better understanding of the mosaics of history, culture(s) and politics of the region. We will explore an assortment of themes including: colonialism, religion, war, identity politics, sexuality and gender dynamics, border crossing and the recent popular uprisings (course is conducted in English). Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts Ways of Knowing requirement
ARB 335Advanced Arabic Content Course: Arab Media and its Language
Instructor Bader Eddin This course examines audio/visual, written, and digital media in contemporary Arab societies and the ways in which they shape the socio-political landscape and Arab public opinion, while introducing students to the vocabulary, structure, and content of the Arabic press and other news outlets. Through the study of news stories, documentaries, talk shows, live broadcasts, and other audiovisual materials, students will read, watch, summarize, analyze, interrogate, and discuss a wide range of current issues, gaining insight into the transformations and processes that continue to define this diverse and ever-changing region. For example, we will be introduced to the Arab Citizen Journalism, War journalism, framing narratives in news from different sources that shows its biased journalism. We will also see how a specific historic event in the past takes several shapes in different media outlets and different languages too. Practicing journalists will visit the class online to share their professional experiences, reflect on the role of the media, giving participants an opportunity to engage critically with both the practice and study of the language of journalism. By broadening and deepening their comprehension of the language used in Arabic newspapers and broadcast media, students will be asked at the end of the course to cover a news in Arabic happening at the campus recorded as video or written as final paper in order to strengthen the writing skills of the students. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic. Counts toward the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or permission of instructor.
ARB 336Arab Life and Politics via film (In translation)
Instructor Staff This course will examine the experience of everyday life in contemporary Arab cities in the Middle East and North Africa through the lens of film. Students will gain a better understanding of how current events, and local and global dynamics shape culture(s) in the Arab region. In this course, students will critically interpret issues related to sociopolitical categories such as gender/sexuality, nation, identity, class, war and revolution, and border movements. The course will provide students with the opportunity to improve their advanced Arabic-language skills while increasing their knowledge of culture and politics in the MENA region. No previous knowledge required. Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement. Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement.
ARB 340Gender and Politics in Contemporary Syrian Literature
Instructor Joubin This course will focus on the intersection of gender and politics in contemporary Syrian literature. Through an examination of the novels, short stories, autobiography, and poems of writers such as Hana Mina, Khayri al-Dhabhabi, Asima Darwish, Muhammad al-Maghut, and Khalid Khalifeh, students will be introduced to debates on the direction of society and politics in contemporary literature. Students will also be exposed to films and mini-series based on the literature and lives of several of the writers we will be studying. The goal of the course is for students to learn to comfortably read contemporary Syrian literature, and acquire the vocabulary necessary to discuss the key issues and themes relating to gender and politics. This course is taught entirely in Arabic. Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic. Satisfies a major requirement in Gender Studies. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. Counts toward the Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor, the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies interdisciplinary minor (Middle East sections), and Communication Studies interdisciplinary minor. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric requirements. Prerequisites & Notes Arabic 202 or permission of instructor.
Instructor Joubin This course will trace the development of postcolonial Syrian film from the 1960s until the present. We will begin with the political critiques of Muhammad al-Maghout and Durayd Lahham in the 1960s and 70s and end with films produced after the uprising in 2011. Topics include gender and family dynamics, political critique, the question of Palestine, and government co-optation of intellectuals. The course is taught entirely in Arabic. Satisfies a major requirement for Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Arab Studies major. Satisfies a minor requirement for Arab Studies. Satisfies the Liberal Arts distribution requirement. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 202 or permission of the instructor.
Instructor Bader Eddin While the start of Arab protests in 2010\11 fascinated external and internal observers for their timing, intensity, and creativity, the cultural contents of those revolutions have hardly been analyzed. For academics, scholars, and journalists protests in the Arab world were received as merely a political process that intended to bring down the political regime by the famous slogan “Al-shaab Yurid Isqat al-Nizam” [The people want to overthrow the regime]. A quick look at the literature on the Arab protests illustrates that approaching such political event through a cultural lens may lead to various interpretations with multiple challenges and complexities, such as closed fieldwork and limited data. While political and social scholars have endeavored to explain the surprising revolutions in 2011 and afterwards, only a few scholars have analyzed their cultural contents. In doing so, one may view a revolution not only as a political act, but also as a revolution in language itself. Indeed, Arab revolutions have been characterized by their innovative, creative, and outstanding performances to subvert authoritarian regimes. This revolution of language can be seen in the mobility of the revolutionary language in different countries. Through this process of language mobility, improvement, and transformations, new innovative layers were added to the new borrowed slogan, song, banner once they enter a new culture. Moreover, activism and revolutionary acts are not reduced to those who were active in the revolutionary field. However, art that includes paintings, music, films have been salient in contributing from outside and inside of the Arab revolution countries. Studying Culture and Art in their revolutionary milieu requires approaching them with a revolutionary set of methods and theories. This is due to the difficulties of reaching the fieldwork, and even the danger that a scholar might face if fieldwork is conducted. This course offers different approaches, methods, and theories to study the cultural forms of Arab revolutions and their subversive strategies to oppose authoritarian regimes in the MENA region. We will engage in case studies of Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, and Bahrain. The course consists of different case studies for the above-mentioned countries and includes examples of graffiti, slogans, banners, songs, demonstration performances, films, texts, and social media. In addition to the case studies that the course delves in, further materials online from different revolutions will be available to students who will then develop their own assignments and presentations during the course. While the central focus will be Syria during the course, we will always be making comparisons with the revolutions in the rest of the Arab world after 2010. Prerequisites & Notes ARB 201
Instructor Staff Syrian prison literature has developed into a substantial genre within Syrian literary circles, emerging as a defining feature of Syrian cultural production in the broader Arab region. This body of work encompasses writings not only by Syrians who have directly or indirectly experienced imprisonment, but also by Arab citizens from across the region who have endured incarceration in Syria and transformed their ordeals into testimonies, narratives, and artistic expressions, thereby enriching the corpus of Syrian prison literature. Scholars such as Wedeen, Ismail, Cook, Teleghani, and Bader Eddin have argued that the prison system, along with its pervasive use of violence, functioned as a crucial mechanism for the Assad regime to assert dominance over Syria and its people, shaping daily life as well as cultural production, and giving rise to the emergence and growth of prison literature from 1970 through the fall of Assad in December 2024. This course examines the place of the prison in Syrian culture through literature, film, songs, and other artistic forms, while also expanding beyond Syria to consider transnational, regional, and international perspectives on prison culture. By comparing and analyzing representations of incarceration across Arabic, English, French, and German sources, students will explore how imprisonment functions as a universal human practice with distinct cultural articulations. To deepen this engagement, the course will also host online conversations with novelists, artists, and journalists who will share their experiences and respond to student work, enabling participants to connect classroom knowledge with lived and creative perspectives beyond the academic setting. Satisfies Arab Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.
Instructor Joubin Advanced study under the direction of the faculty member, who approves the topic, determines meeting times, and decides the means of evaluating the students’ work. Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor. (Fall and Spring)
Instructor Joubin Advanced study under the direction of the faculty member, who approves the topic, determines meeting times, and decides the means of evaluating the students’ work. Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor needed.
