HS 448 - Women and Gender in the Middle East

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: One HS 100-level course, one HS 300-level course. In the Western media, Middle Eastern women are routinely portrayed as oppressed, with Islam frequently cited as the most significant source of such oppression. But, what exactly is meant by the terms "Middle Eastern women" and "Islam"? And, precisely how and to what degree are women oppressed in the region? This course provides a nuanced, historical understanding of issues related to women and gender in the Middle East and North Africa, here defined as the Arab World, Turkey, and Iran. GT/IG