History 354 Women and Gender in the Middle East
REVIEW FOR TEST #2
Apr.8, 2003

The test will cover everything from Part Two (Feb. 18th through March 27th): all the readings (including Akram Khater's book, Inventing Home), class lectures, debates, and discussions, and the video, "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt."

II. Format

• There will be five questions, worth four points each  (20 points)
• There will be 15 objective questions-- fill in the blanks, multiple choice, true/false--worth two points each (30 points).
• TOTAL POINTS ON EXAM: 50

a) Short answers

You will write short answers, in sentences, to questions. The task is to write as fully and completely as you can. Some questions may require a simple sentence or two; others a little bit more. The more specific the answer, the better.

SAMPLE QUESTION: The following are sample questions, one with a possible answer to the question:

Question: Why were women desirable workers in the silk factories in 19th century Lebanon?
Answer: There were numerous reasons why women were desirable workers in the silk factories in 19th century Lebanon: 1) the supply of male labor was limited due to peasant men's reluctance to do factory work; 2) women could be paid less than men; and 3) they worked harder than men.

[note: in this case, there are alternative answers--for example, that, because of women being lower in the social structure in Mount Lebanon, they were a more submissive labor force.]

Another possible question (without the answer): Why was Umm Kulthum important?

The answers will be evaluated according to their accuracy, specificity, comprehensiveness, and clarity.

There were no government-sponsored schools for women in the Middle East before the twentieth century. _________

Answer ????