17 courses with the subject MEST, 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.
MEST 1710The U.S. and the Middle East3
Effective Date 08/01/2026 Over the past two centuries, the relationship between the US and the Middle East has been characterized by political, economic, military, and cultural collaborations as well as violence. In this first-year writing seminar, we will explore the history of American-Middle Eastern relationships on both the macro- and micro-levels, using sources such as political documents, memoirs, scholarly articles, photographs, and films.
MEST 2270Culture and Society of the Contemporary Arab Middle East3
Effective Date 08/01/2011 Introduces the cultural traits and patterns of contemporary Arab society based on scholarly research, recent field work, and personal experiences and observations in the Arab world. Taught in English; no knowledge of Arabic is required.
Effective Date 04/28/2023 The course will introduce students to the political history of Abbasid Baghdad from 762 to about 1300 CE. The Abbasids – monarchs of the Arab/Islamic Empire – reigned for 500 years, mostly from Baghdad, though many historians hold that their decision-making authority largely collapsed by the mid-10th century. The course will also introduce students to the study of early Arabic/Islamic historiography through the close study of primary texts.
MEST 2470Reflections of Exile: Jewish Languages and their Communities3
Effective Date 03/01/2009 Covers Jewish languages Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic, Ladino, and Hebrew from historical, linguistic, and literary perspectives. Explores the relations between communities and languages, the nature of diaspora, and the death and revival of languages. No prior knowledge of these languages is required. This course is cross-listed with ANTH 2470.
MEST 3131Macho Men and Submissive Women (?): Gender in Contemporary Hebrew Fiction3
Effective Date 09/28/2023 Examining representations of gender, this course will analyze novels written by major Jewish-Israeli authors, both women and men, in order to understand the contemporary struggle of Jewish-Israeli society with issues of gender.
MEST 3225Cultural Authenticity in a Modern Middle Eastern Society3
Effective Date 12/10/2020 The course offers students a first-hand regional experience in the Middle East through an exploration of multiple sites in Jordan. Throughout the program, students will be gaining knowledge about the multi-ethnic and pluralistic components that comprise the Jordanian society. In turn, participation in the course will develop students’ cultural competence, and thus contribute to their ability to become thoughtful global citizens. Requisites Students can’t enroll if previously taken MEST 3559 topic 29 Culture of the Middle East
MEST 3232No Foul- No Game: Sports, Nationality, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict3
Effective Date 01/01/2025 This course reviews key milestones of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout the lends of competitive sports in the MENA regions and in Israel in particular. The course examines sports’ role in reflecting socio-political divisions of religion, gender, class and representation struggles, while serving political interests as part of culture and identity building, as well as its utilization as a platform for ethno-nationalist violence.
MEST 3240Israel/Palestine Through Literature and Film3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This course will approach the history of modern Palestine/Israel through the lens of literature and film. We will study memoirs, short stories, documentaries, and narrative films in order to consider several broader historical trends and themes, including: the role of colonialism in the Middle East; links between religion, ethnicity, and nationalism; the relationship between history and memory; and the meaning of homeland. Requisites Students can’t enroll if previously taken HIME 3501 #3 Israel/Palestine Through Literature and Film
MEST 3270History and Culture of the Ancient Near East3
Effective Date 03/12/2025 The primary purpose of this course is to explore the history and culture of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine, with emphasis on its cultural legacy. Considerable attention will be given to primary sources (Kramer, Arnold and others) and archaeological contributions (with slide illustrations).
MEST 3282The Ottoman Empire: State, Society, Culture3
Effective Date 09/28/2023 In this course, we will examine the history of the Ottoman Empire through social, political and cultural changes and transformations. We will do this through concepts and phenomena such as state and empire formation, capitalism, class struggle, imperialism, colonialism, orientalism, nationalism, nation-building, patriarchy, and ethnic engineering. We will discuss each period and theme within a global framework.
Effective Date 01/01/2022 Introduction to peoples, languages, cultures and histories of the Middle East. Focuses on Israel/Palestine as a microcosm of important social processes-such as colonialism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism, and modernization-that affect the region as a whole. This course is cross-listed with ANTH 3470.
Prior coursework in anthropology, middle east studies, or linguistics, or permission of the instructor. Credits: 3
MEST 3490Dangerous in Danger: Refuge and Otherness in Times of Crisis3
Effective Date 09/23/2020 In this course, we will examine how the current refugee crisis may be seen as a radical event of a scope that reaches beyond Europe and the Middle East. We will be looking at previously-shaped images of nation, religion, migration, and integration, as well as asylum, refuge, and citizenship. Ultimately, we will be using our newly gained knowledge as a tool to understand cultural inclusion and societal exclusion both “far away” and “at home.” Requisites Students can’t enroll if previously taken MEST 3559 topic #11 Migration and Refugee Crisis
MEST 3491Native Translation: Palestinian Voices in Contemporary Israel3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This course provides a close look at Palestinian cultural and literary production within the State of Israel. Muslim and Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel. With the support of region-specific theory, and through a continuous engagement with (the English translation of) literature, music, film, spoken word, visual art, political speeches, and newspaper articles, you will develop a critical understanding of the multifaceted, contemporary manifestation of Palestinian voices in Israel.
MEST 3492The Afro-Arabs and Africans of the Middle East and North Africa3
Effective Date 08/01/2023 This course offers an in-depth historical, philological, and socio-cultural exploration into the representation of the Afro-Arab and the African as depicted across a wide range of Arabic and Islamicate chronicles, saints’ lives, and (mainly) folk epics, among sundry other genres. In the course of the semester, special attention will be given to significant moments in the history of Afro-Arab and Arab-African encounters.
