Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENA)
This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.wofford.edu.
The program in Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENA) offers students an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Middle East and North Africa. This is an area studies approach to non-western cultures and peoples. Drawing on courses in Art History, English, Government, History, and Religion, the program encourages students to learn about the history, culture, politics and languages of the Middle East and North Africa. It culminates in an independent capstone project designed to integrate learning from diverse areas of study.
The program in Middle Eastern and North African Studies is not a major. With the exception of MENA 354 Middle Eastern & North African Studies: An Area Studies Seminar, courses applied toward requirements for this program may also be counted toward requirements that will satisfy other programs, majors, or minors.
Program Requirements
Students are required to take MENA 354 Middle Eastern & North African Studies: An Area Studies Seminar and four additional courses. Within the electives, a maximum of 6 credit hours (or two courses) may be taken in any one discipline.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | 3 | |
| Middle Eastern & North African Studies: An Area Studies Seminar | ||
| Electives 1 | 12 to 16 | |
| Select four courses from the following: | ||
| Beginning Active Arabic | ||
| Beginning Active Arabic | ||
| Intermediate Active Arabic | ||
| Intermediate Active Arabic | ||
| Advanced Arabic | ||
| Advanced Arabic | ||
| Islamic Art | ||
| Economics of Immigration | ||
| Race, Gender, and Empire | ||
| Global Digital Cultures | ||
| Modern Middle East | ||
| Iran: Its History, Culture & Politics | ||
| Middle East Politics | ||
| African Politics | ||
| Revolutions & Regime Change | ||
| Peace & Conflict | ||
| Middle Eastern Film | ||
| Special Topics in Middle Eastern & North African Studies | ||
| Middle Eastern & North African Studies Senior Capstone | ||
| The Hebrew Bible | ||
| Archeology of Religion | ||
| Introduction to Islam | ||
| Ethnography of Religion in the Middle East & North Africa | ||
| Gods of the Biblical World: Polytheism, Magic, and Israelite Religion | ||
| Death & Sacrifice in the Ancient World | ||
| Angels & Demons: Intermediary Celestial Beings in Historical Perspective | ||
| The Bible & Human Migration | ||
| Sex & Bodies in the Hebrew Bible | ||
| Israel's Poetry and Wisdom Literature | ||
| Archeology and the Bible | ||
| Christian & Islamic Theology in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Political Islam | ||
| Premodern Islam | ||
| Contemporary Islam | ||
| Ritualized Space in the Middle East | ||
| Islam in the Media | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Total Hours | 15-19 | |
| 1 | A maximum of two courses may be taken in any one discipline. Students may also take special or advanced topics courses in other disciplines as approved by the Program Coordinator. |
MENA 260. Peace & Conflict. 3 Hours.
Using the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Lebanese Civil War as case studies, participants will view the conflicts through literature and conflict management texts to understand them within a broader framework. Students will apply a comprehensive approach to understanding conflict and constructing peace through combining the central concepts and findings of modern peace building and conflict management research.
MENA 280. Selected Topics in Middle Eastern & North African Studies. 1 to 4 Hours.
Selected topics in Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the introductory or intermediate level.
MENA 301. Middle Eastern Film. 3 Hours.
An introduction to the diverse cultures of the Middle East through the viewing a series of films that portray aspects such as ideas, customs, and social behaviors of various countries within the Arab world. Successful completion of this course satisfies the Cultures and Peoples requirements for graduation.
MENA 354. Middle Eastern & North African Studies: An Area Studies Seminar. 3 Hours.
The area studies approach makes sure the political, geographical, historical, anthropological and religious influences of the Middle East/North African region will be explored throughout the course. The religion of Islam will be explored through its engagement in particular places and spaces. Students will differentiate between how the politics and cultural context of one place directly influence the way Islam is practiced in, for example, the Gulf as opposed to Turkey. Successful completion of this course satisfies the Cultures and Peoples requirements for graduation.
MENA 380. Special Topics in Middle Eastern & North African Studies. 1 to 4 Hours.
Seminars on selected topics in Middle Eastern and/or North African Studies offered on an occasional basis.
MENA 448. Middle Eastern & North African Studies Senior Capstone. 3 Hours.
The Senior Capstone is designed to help students focus and integrate their knowledge of the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region. Each student will complete an independent research project focusing on a specific problem or region from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Prerequisite: MENA 354 with a minimum grade of C.