HST 697A: Special Studies Colloquium"Nationalisms, State Creation, and the Search for Identity in the Middle East, Ca. 1800 to the Present"
Professor John Robertson
Tuesdays, 3:30-6:20
Spring 2008
This course will explore the rich historiography of the Modern Middle East (from the late 18th century) with a focus on its inherently transnational and comparative character. Themes will include the construction of - and threats to - transethnic and transectarian identities (such as Ottomanism, Iraqi nationalism, and Lebanese nationalism) and trans-nation-state movements (Arab nationalism); the comparative uses of religion in defining national identities; the impact of European-American intervention and hegemony in the history of modern Middle Eastern nation-state; and the impact of economic and cultural globalization on Middle Eastern politics and culture.
