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Anthropology of the Middle East

Module description

This module will explore the anthropology of the Middle East. It seeks to introduce you to current key issues, theoretical discussions, and debates in and about Middle Eastern societies, providing you with essential analytical tools and methods. As such, the module will consider a variety of cultural forms and life experiences in the Middle East. While the module keeps a broad scope, it remains grounded in specific ethnographic contexts. It will give a solid introduction and basis to anyone wanting to pursue research and studies about the region further. In addition, you will gain a foundational knowledge of anthropological theory and concepts as they relate the Middle East, and begin to question cultural assumptions and representations, thinking critically and analytically about key questions and problems in studying the worlds of other people and our own.

Module aims - intentions of the module

• To provide you with an overview of past and current anthropological approaches to Middle Eastern societies
• To draw from ethnographic analyses of particular Middle Eastern countries and cultures to identify common historical social, economic and political experiences
• To raise critical awareness of the “Middle East” as an idea, tracing some of the politics implicit in representations of its places and people

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. display an in-depth understanding of the diverse cultures societies, histories and institutions of the Middle East and their shared histories;
• 2. develop complex arguments regarding the methodological and substantive issues associated with the anthropological study of the Middle East;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. critically evaluate contemporary anthropological and related texts
• 4. display an in-depth understanding of the discipline's relation to, and difference from, other approaches and explanations offered in the social sciences;
• 5. appreciate key issues relevant to the contemporary world, and develop critical, comparative and cross-cultural insight;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. demonstrate transferable skills in formulating, researching and addressing focused questions;
• 7. prepare focused and comprehensive written presentations;
• 8. work independently and in collaboration with others;
• 9. demonstrate cross-cultural understanding, translation and comparison, which will be of advantage in many professional settings;
• 10. prepare and deliver considered oral arguments.

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:

• Ethnography of the Middle East, Politics of Representation 
• Orientalism and Ethnography
• Kinship and Social Organization 
• Anthropology of Religion 
• Gender and Feminism 
• Arts, Aesthetics, and Heritage  
• Nations, Ethnicities, and the State
• Cultural Production
• Youth and Popular Culture 
• Mass Displacements, Movement and Mobility 
• Emerging Trends

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

The key text for this module will be: Altorki, Soraya, ed. A Companion to the Anthropology of the Middle East . 1 edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

Silverstein, Paul, Susan Slyomovics, and Ted Swedenburg, eds. Anthropology of the Middle East and North Africa: Into the New Millennium . Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2013.

Bowen, Donna Lee, Evelyn A. Early, and Becky Schulthies, eds. Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East . 3 ^rd edition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014.

Key words search

Anthropology, Middle East, Identities, Globalisation,