Gender-Identity and Modernity in the Middle East
| Module title | Gender-Identity and Modernity in the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARA2118 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Farangis Ghaderi (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 35 |
|---|
Module description
In this module you will explore interrelationships between gender, identity and modernity in the contemporary Middle East. You will learn to critically analyse the various debates, tensions and transformations that are linked to changing gender relations in the region. These debates are often framed within the parameters of modernisation, nationalism, feminism and Islamism. A critique of modernity in the context of the Middle East involves a close examination of the traditional vs. modern and authentic vs. western dichotomies, which are not only prevalent in academic writings, but also constitute forceful oppositions in the cultural, historical and political discourses within the region.
The course consists of lectures, class discussions/seminars and student presentations. No prior knowledge of the subject is required. The module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide you with an in-depth survey of the social, political, economic and cultural issues that affect gender relations in the contemporary Middle East and North Africa. We will investigate how gender is socially constructed and experienced, while at the same time exploring how states and regimes invoke gender on the level of politics. Weekly lectures and discussions will enable you to analyse how gender, identity and modernity shape – and are shaped by – diverse Middle Eastern and North African contexts. The course promotes politically active learning, primarily through engagement with current events and project-based assessment.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. identify and assess the changing social, cultural, economic and political contexts that shape gender roles and relations.
- 2. evaluate different theoretical and methodological approaches employed in the study of gender in the Middle East
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. analyse and assess academic texts and prevailing cultural notions critically
- 4. distinguish between a range of methodological approaches as well as variety of genres, i.e. anthropological and sociological texts, (auto)biographical writings and fiction
- 5. demonstrate an awareness and be sensitised to the various processes by which gender, i.e. femaleness and maleness, are socially and culturally constructed
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. engage in independent study and group work, including the presentation of material for group discussion
- 7. digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment
- 8. examine and review existing literature.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Studying Gender in the Middle East & North Africa
Representations: The Legacy of Orientalism & Colonialism
Islam, Patriarchy & ‘Tradition’
Gendered Nationalisms & Nation-building Projects
The 'Woman Question' & the State: Citizenship, Modernization & Reform
Intimate Politics: Social Relations & Identity Constructions
Exploring Middle East Masculinities
Gender, Sexuality & Power: From ‘Honour Crimes’ to Queer Politics
War & Conflict: Gendering Violence & Peace in the Middle East
Refugees, Migration & Diaspora
Women’s Movements in the Middle East: Historical Roots & Contemporary Routes
Secular & Religious Feminisms: Different Strategies, Common Aims?
Gendering New Media & the Public Sphere in the Middle East
‘The Uprisings will be Gendered’: Political Protest, Transition & Transformation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | 11 x 1 hour lectures; 11 x 1 hour tutorials |
| Guided Independent study | 44 | Weekly reading (4 hours per week) |
| Guided Independent study | 11 | Class/seminar prep (1 hour per week) |
| Guided Independent study | 43 | Project (23 hours researching/coordinating, 20 hours writing/preparing presentation) |
| Guided Independent study | 30 | Position paper (17 hours reading, 13 hours writing) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project proposal | 500 words | 1-8 | Written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position/reflection paper | 40 | 1,500 words | 1-8 | Written feedback Verbal feedback (if required) |
| Summative project (group or individual) | 60 | Written submission of 1750 words OR 15 minute presentation. Submissions will vary in format [e.g., film or exhibition review, op-ed article, short film, podcast, performance, video or photo essay, poetry, play script, sculpture or other material artefact, Instagram page, blog, etc.]. This list is not exhaustive. | 1-8 | Written feedback Verbal feedback (if required) |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position/reflection paper | Position/reflection paper (1500 words) | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Project | Written submission of 1750 words OR 15-minute pre-recorded presentation. | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Abdo, Nahla, Women in Israel: Race, Gender and Citizenship, 2011.
Abu-Lughod, Lila (ed.), Remaking Women: Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East, 1998.
Ahmed, Leila, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate, 1992.
Al-Ali, Nadje, Iraqi Women: Untold Stories from 1948 to the Present, 2007.
Al-Ali, Nadje & Nicola Pratt, Women & War in the Middle East, 2009.
Charrad, Mounira, Gender and Citizenship in the Middle East. Syracuse University Press, 2000.
Joseph, Suad (ed.) Intimate Selving in Arab Families: Gender, Self and Identity, 1999.
Kanaaneh, Rhoda, Birthing the Nation: Strategies of Palestinian Women in Israel, 2002.
Kandiyoti, Deniz (ed.), Women, Islam and the State, 1991.
Kandiyoti, Deniz (ed.) Gendering the Middle East: Emerging Perspectives, 1996.
Khalil, Andrea (ed.), Gender, Women and the Arab Spring, 2014.
Lewis, Reina, Rethinking Orientalism: Women, Travel and the Ottoman Harem, 2004.
Ouzgane, Lahoucine (ed.) Islamic Masculinities, 2006.
Singerman, Diane, Avenues of Participation: Family Politics, and Networks in Urban Quarters of Cairo, 1997.
Ye?eno?lu, Meyda, Colonial Fantasies: Towards a Feminist Reading of Orientalism, 1998.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Material will be posted on the Online Learning System and discussion lists will be created.
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Videos/films, TV programmes, online materials (news sites, websites/blogs, social media), images, music, memoirs.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2004 |
| Last revision date | 24/02/2023 |
