ARAB 150: Introduction to Arab Cultures

This course introduces students to the Arab world through the lens of culture. It covers two general meanings of the term “culture”: the domain of artistic production and the way of life of a society, encompassing practices, norms, beliefs, and sensibilities. The course begins with the 19th century and ends with the recent Arab uprisings providing thus an overview of the modern and contemporary cultural history of the region. Using various sources such as histories, ethnographies, novels, films, music, poetry, podcasts, and visual products the course investigates how culture is shaped, filters, reflects, and challenges wider transformations taking place in the Arab world. LA, BN.