Postgraduate Course: Diasporas of the Middle East (IMES11034)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course seeks to situate the Middle East minorities in the broader analytical, conceptual and theoretical debates of Diaspora Studies, fostering knowledge of communities by examining local cultures, histories, languages, politics and religions. Through extensive cases studies the programme traces how minority groups of the Middle East are organised and engaged politically outside their countries of origin, examining their transnational linkages and the effects of these connections on their ¿homelands¿ and ¿host states¿. The programme also looks at how communities are built and sustained in a diasporic space, examining issues of identity, representation, citizenship and belonging in a globalized world. Underlying the course are fundamental questions about being rooted and routed, belonging, displacement, community, citizenship and state and the effects of globalisation on identities. |
| Course description |
Case studies may include the 'classical diasporas' of Jews, Greeks and Armenians; more recent political diasporas such as Palestinians and Syrians; Muslim and Middle Eastern communities in the West, such as Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Iranians, as well as an examination of film and literature as vehicles of diaspora identity and contestation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- The main objectives of this course will be the understanding of the main historical events, processes and actors that have shaped and continue to shape political dynamics in the Middle East, with special reference to the minority communities. Students will gain a thorough knowledge of different approaches to Diaspora. The course aims to give students the chance to form an academically informed, independent and critical knowledge of the Middle East and its relations with 'the West' and to develop an in-depth understanding and knowledge of a range of diasporic case studies.
- The course aims also to develop further students' abilities to do secondary-source research and to present oral and written work clearly and effectively while also honing their analytical skills and improving their interactive capacities.
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Reading List
The reading list is organized by seminar, with a set of readings for each. At a minimum, all students should prepare the set readings* for a given class but they should also attempt to look at other readings whenever possible. Train yourself to read strategically so as to absorb the main points efficiently and effectively. Where appropriate give special attention to the introduction and conclusion in order to grasp fully the arguments being made.
Some of the required readings will be available on Learn. The bulk of the readings are available in the HUB and/or the main library. For a complete list of books on reserve, do a Course Reserve Search using the library¿s the online catalogue. Also, many of the journal articles are available electronically, via online services such as JSTOR and MUSE. If a reading is missing, either the library or the course organizer should be informed. If students wish additional guidance concerning appropriate readings, they should consult the course organizer.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | DotME |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Songul Mecit
Tel: (0131 6)50 4164
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Ersev Ersoy
Tel: (0131 6)50 4465
Email: |
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