Module ARAB1021: INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE EASTERN CULTURES

Department: MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES (ARABIC)

ARAB1021: INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE EASTERN CULTURES

Prerequisites

• T900 students only: B or above in a foreign European language at A level (or equivalent).

Corequisites

• Modern European Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: Arabic Language 1B (ARAB1012). Others: see Chairman/woman of the Board of Studies of MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide a general introduction to the cultures of the modern Middle East and prepare students for further critical study of the region and its cultures.

Content

• Students are introduced to a number of different aspects of Middle Eastern culture from a historical, religious, literary and cultural viewpoint.
• Among the subject areas discussed are the following: geography and peoples of the Middle East.
• Islam, and Islamic civilisation.
• the arts of Islam.
• the Middle East and the West.
• Orientalism.
• languages and literatures of the Middle East.
• contemporary issues in the Middle East.

Learning Outcomes

• Acquire a basic understanding of some of the main features of Middle Eastern culture.
• Be able to relate developments and issues in the contemporary Middle East to their religious, historical and cultural context.
• Develop a basic understanding of some aspects of the relationship between Middle Eastern and European cultures.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module will use a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials, with audio-visual aids (e.g. PowerPoint presentations) where appropriate.
• lectures provide a method for the communication of basic information relevant to the module, and for the structuring of the relevant subject matter.
• seminars and tutorials provide an opportunity for students to make presentations, for further discussion of the subject matter, and for increased interaction between student and tutor.
• summative essays enable students to demonstrate capacity for independent learning and increase research skills.
• the end-of-year written examination assesses students' overall grasp of the material presented in the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

None

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University