Dr. E. Fleischmann, HM 453
Class Meeting: T/TH 1:30-2:45, HM 122
Phone: x93046
Office hours: TH 3:00-4:30 and by appointment
e-mail: Ellen.Fleischmann@notes.udayton.edu

This course studies the history of the evolving role and status of women in Middle Eastern societies. We will learn about the specific, historical dimensions of gendered society in the Middle East through focusing on topics such as: religion, law, the family, work, the state, military conflicts, nationalism, feminism, women's education, literature, colonialism, and Middle Eastern women and the West. We will read and hear voices from the region in autobiographies, literature and film.

Students will learn:

• the broad outlines of major historical changes and trends in the Middle East, and how they have contributed to the construction of gendered societies and experiences;
• to situate the subject within the broader field of women’s history, and within the history of the Middle East;
• to explain, analyze, and interpret how the different facets that influence gender in Middle Eastern societies have had an impact both individually and collectively on women’s and men’s lives, and how they have shaped Middle Eastern politics and society
• to explain and analyze the specific, historical dimensions of gendered society in the Middle East;
• and to make the connection between understanding the history of women and gender in the Middle East, and understanding historical relations between Westerners and people of other Third World societies.

Basic expectations:

This course will consist of a combination of discussion of the assigned reading, with lecturing by me to fill in gaps in knowledge. Because there is no pre-requisite, I do not expect you to know a lot about Middle East history; what I do expect is that you will do the reading and engage in the class in a serious and committed manner. Reading the assignments, class participation and discussion are crucial components of the course. The reading for this course is considerable. You will be graded on all of these. I expect you to do all of the reading BEFORE the class in which it is due. I will take note of whether or not you achieve this (see below). Please note assignment due dates and in-class activities on the class schedule, which is subject to change. Check the schedule frequently. You are responsible for keeping track of the schedule and assignments. Consider this document and your other on-line links as crucial to your success in this course. BOOKMARK THESE LINKS and check the up-dates frequently.

I. Participation and attendance - 50 points

Participation means participation: a) that you come to class prepared to discuss (or write about) the assigned readings; b) engage in discussion on class content (whatever format it consists of: lecture, discussion, audiovisual); and c) raise substantive questions and answer questions of mine or other students. If you never or rarely speak up; never or rarely ask questions; are never or rarely able to answer any questions; minimally participate in group activities; and/or clearly have not done the assigned reading, your grade will automatically be 35 (assuming you have a good attendance record).

Participation includes in-class writing. Part of your participation grade will also be evaluated on informal in-class writing assignments. These could be responses to questions about a film we have seen, or something we have been discussing in class, or something in the text. They are not be scheduled in advance so you need to be prepared before class, as you might be writing a short response paper. I will keep these and use them to evaluate your overall participation grade at the end of the semester.

Finally, participation requires attendance (obviously). Students are expected to regularly attend class, and will get credit for class attendance as part of the participation grade. If you miss a lot of class, your participation grade will suffer, regardless of the quality of your participation. Warning: if you miss more than 3 classes FOR ANY REASON, you will be docked 2 points for each absence on your participation grade. If you are more than 5 minutes late, you have "missed" class. If you are more than 5 minutes late for an in-class writing assignment that has already begun, you will receive a grade of 0 on the assignment. I will not repeat announcements for people who are late to class, and I take notice of people who are regularly late, meaning their participation grade will be reduced.

These consist of two 5-7 page papers on:  two of the three books (your choice of which two) that are the focus of the three case studies (see schedule), and a book of your choosing from a list supplied by me. Details on these will be provided in the course of the semester.

III. Tests- 200 points

There will be three tests on the three thematic parts of the course (see schedule). The first two tests are each worth 50 points. The final test is worth 100 points. They will cover the reading, class lectures/activities, and discussions. The one on part three will be taken during the final exam period. Details will be provided.

Grading scheme:

460-500 = A
450-460 = A-
430-449 = B+
421-429 = B
400-420 = B-
380-399 = C+
375-379 = C
350-374 = C-
300-349 = D
0-299 = F

Much of the reading material will be on reserve (at the circulation desk in Roesch Library.). To the best of my ability, I will try to have shorter readings on e-reserve also. Additionally, some readings will be on-line, linked to the schedule. It is your job to track of the readings. Check the schedule for this information. The following books have been ordered at UD Bookstore, and will also be put on reserve, except for Inventing Home:

Guity Nashat and Judith Tucker, eds. Women in the Middle East and North Africa. (basic text)
Margot Badran. Feminists, Islam, and Nation.
Miriam Cooke and Margot Badran, eds. Opening the Gates: a Century of Arab Feminist Writing.
Fatima Bezirgan and Elizabeth Fernea, eds. Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak.
Akram Khater. Inventing Home.
Judith Tucker. In the House of the Law.
Qasim Amin and Samiha Sidhom Peterson (translator). The Liberation of Women and The New Woman:Two Documents in the History of Egyptian Feminism. NOTE: as of Jan. 4th, this book was not in the bookstore. You might look for it on-line. (Publisher is American University of Cairo Press.) It will be put on reserve.

**Another book you may wish to look for (and it can be found on-line, used) is Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam. We will be reading significant chunks of it (which will be on reserve, as will the whole book), so you might want to buy it on your own.