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Population and Geography of the Middle East

GEA 3635, U01.  Spring 2008

 


Class Location: GC 287A   Time: 2:00-3:15 p.m.  T,Th

Instructor:  Benjamin Smith   Email: bsmith@fiu.edu

Office: DM 437B Office Phone: 348-2074

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-1:45, 3:30-4:45, or by appointment

Teaching Homepage Which You Must Check Frequently: http://www.fiu.edu/~bsmith/teaching.htm

 

 

There is More to the Middle East than the Headlines

 

This is going to be the theme of this course.   I also imagine, since you are going to devote an entire semester to studying the region, you have that inkling, too.    You are probably thinking that there is more to life for the 300-400 million people (depending on what countries are included) who call this region home than 1) gender oppression and 2) violence.    If this is what you are thinking, you are, of course, right.

 

In this course, while we will address issues that grab headlines – Israel/Palestine conflict, the state of Iraq, etc. – the majority of this course will focus on the more mundane, extremely diverse, day to day living that goes on in the region.    People work – we will talk about that.  People watch TV – we will cover that.    There are environmental issues – not just political and religious ones.  Yes, the issues the challenges the region faces are real and severe, but that is not the whole story.

 

We will also do all this from a geographic prospective.   On the one hand this means a grab bag approach – environment, politics, economics and culture are all fair game.   On the other hand, this also mean paying attention to geographic perspectives such as how humans interact with the natural and built environment, how ideas and people diffused through the region over time, and how the region came to be defined as it.

 

 

The Goals of the Course

 

1.      Develop an understanding of the diversity of the Middle East.   The “Middle East,” no matter how you define it, is a diverse place – with people of different ethnicity, religion, economic situation, history, and most certainly, opinion.   Therefore, one of the goals of this course is to introduce you to this diversity – thus you must be prepared to learn about many people, places and movements.

 

2.      Understand how the Middle East is very much a part of, not an exception to, global processes.  There are many thinkers out there who swear up and down there is something called globalization and the Middle East is not part of it.   In this course, you will learn how things such as development, trade, migration, and pop culture impact the region, just like they impact other regions.

 

3.      Be able to critically examine what you hear about the Middle East.  This course is not about you indoctrinating you to any particular perspective on the Middle East.   What it is about is for you to try to understand some of the many perspectives that exist on the region, so that you can critically evaluate what you hear.    This is about becoming an active and open, not a passive and closed, consumer of information. 

 

 

Required Texts

 

Middle East Patterns: Places, People and Politics, 4th Edition. By Colbert Held.  Westview Press.   ISBN: 0813341701

 

The State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution. By Dan Smith. University of California Press. ISBN: 978-0-520-24868-7

 

Supplemental Readings (details soon)

 

 

Important Dates

 

Tuesday, February 5 –Exam One

Thursday, February 21 – Paper Proposal Due

Thursday, March 6 – Exam Two

Tuesday, March 11 – Last Day to Drop Course with DR grade

Tuesday, March 18 & Thursday, March 20 – Spring Break (No Class)

Thursday, April 3 – Paper  Due

Sometime Between April 21-26 – Final Exam (PLEASE NOTE: THE EXAM TIME WILL BE POSTED ON THE TEACHING HOMEPAGE ONCE IT IS KNOWN)

 

Grading

 

There will be 500 total points available in this class, broken down as follows:

 

100 points: Paper

  25 points: Paper Proposal

  50 points: Attendance and Participation 

100 points: Exam 1

100 points: Exam 2

125 points: Final Exam  

500 points Total  

      

The grading scale is A = 100-93%, A- = 92.9-90%, B+ = 89.9-87%, B = 86.9-83%, B- =82.9%-80%, C+ = 79.9-77%,  C = 76.9-73%,  C- = 72.9-70%, D+ = 69.9-67%, D = 66.9-63%, D- = 62-60% F = 59-0%, which translates to, in points:

 


A :  500 thru 465 points

A-: 464 thru 450 points

B+: 449 thru 435 points

B:   434 thru 415 points

B-:  414 thru 400 points

C+: 399 thru 385 points

C:   384 thru 365 points

C-:  364 thru 350 points

D+: 349 thru 335 points

D:   334 thru 315 points

D-:  314 thru 300 points

F:   299 thru 0 points         


     

Exams

 

Each exam will be a combination of multiple choice, matching, map identification, and short answers/miniature essays, drawn from lectures, readings, videos, etc. – basically anything covered in class or assigned in reading.

 

The first two exams are non-cumulative, meaning they cover material not previously tested.   The Final Exam, however, is slightly different – mostly, it is an exam over new material covered since the second exam; but it also will have one 10 point essay which summarizes the course, and an expanded map section that requires you to label all the countries in the region – which should be easy by that point in the semester.  So the Final Exam is basically the same as the other exams, just with one comprehensive question and a few more map items.

 

Exam 1:   100 pts

Exam 2:   100 pts.

Final:       125 pts

 

 

Paper & Paper Proposal

 

While more specifics will be given soon, there will be a 10 page research paper which will be worth 100 points.   This paper will help gauge your ability to apply concepts learned during the course of the semester to independently conducted research.   It will be due on Thursday, April 3 at the beginning class, and must be submitted in both physical form (typed and stapled) and electronically via turnitin.com.    You will lose 10 points for every day it is late.

 

Additionally, to help make sure everyone is on the right track with their paper, there will be a short paper proposal worth 25 points, due at the beginning of class on Thursday, February 21.    Instructions for this will also be given soon.

 

 

Attendance and Participation Points, Reading & Classroom Etiquette

 

There will be oodles – oodles I say! – of information covered in this course.  You need to be in class to learn it all. This is especially true because lectures, while drawing on the readings, will expand upon them as well.   You will not do well on the tests unless you come to class.

 

Similarly, if you do not do the readings, you will not do well on the tests.   This is especially true on essays questions based on more conceptual readings – though we will cover the readings in class, you will not understand them fully unless you read and then re-read them. 

 

I also want to get to know who you are, so as corny as it sounds, I would like you to bring with you some sort of name card to sit in front of you while you are in class – including your first and last name, written in letters big enough for me to see from the front of class.   This way I can start to put names to faces. 

 

To reward you for reading and attendance, I will have various easy point opportunities throughout the semester.   Sometimes they will be announced tasks – like bringing three questions to class about the reading for discussion.  Other times, they will be unannounced – like having a quick individual quiz about the reading that asks a few, really simple questions.  If the reading is particularly theoretical, I will put you into groups during class so you and your classmates can hash it out together.  These are meant to be low stress, and providing everyone makes a good faith effort (and attends), these points should be easy to get.  Even easier to get are the points where I simply mark down everyone who is there and brought there name cards with them.

 

However, these points can also be taken away, at the instructor’s discretion, in extreme circumstances, due to regularly bad behavior.   Reasons for losing points include being aggressive, rude or dismissive towards your fellow students or the instructor.    Though people may express opinions different than your own in this class, you are free to disagree – providing you do so in calm, courteous manner.  This is especially important because we will be covering some sensitive, divisive subjects during this class.  Points can also be taken away if a student shows lack of engagement by talking to other students while the instructor, guest or another student is speaking, repeatedly reading the newspaper, using their cell phone or mp3 player, doing homework for other classes, or using their notebook computer for IM’s (not note-taking).  However, I doubt it will come to this.  So basically, respect everyone, and this should be a great semester.  If points are taken, the student will be notified as to why.   

 

Attendance quizzes and activities will contribute a maximum of 50 points to your final grade.   There will likely be more than 50 points made available during the semester, meaning if you miss a class or have an off day, you will still be able to receive full attendance credit.

 

 

Teaching Website, On-Line Articles, and Updates

At the top of this document, you will find the address for my teaching homepage, which is http://www.fiu.edu/~bsmith/teaching.htm .  There will be a copy of the syllabus there, as well as the course schedule and instructions for the paper and paper proposal.  Additionally, I will post study guides for the exams there and there only – meaning I will not be handing out copies of the study guides in class.    In addition, I will keep a blog (which will be accessible from the teaching page) for this class on which I will post announcements (such as the unlikely event of a class cancellation), answer questions and link to articles which are related to the class that I come across.   Thus, if you have a question about the structure of the class (due dates, test structure, etc.), check the website and the blog, because the answer will probably be there. 

 

 

Office Hours & Making Contact

 

My office hours are posted at the top of this document.  If you are having trouble at all, I strongly encourage you to stop by or call during office hours, or make an appointment to do so.   My job is to make sure you learn the material, not just to assign grades.

 

I will also try my best to answer questions via e-mail, but realize that apart from teaching this class, I am also teaching a second course, doing research, and administrative work, thus the quickest, best way to get an answer is to stop by or call me during office hours.  Please do not call outside of office hours, and just email instead – games of phone tag usually don’t end well.   If you e-mail me, please put “GEA 3635” or “Geography of the M.E.” in the subject line – so I know what class you are in.   Also, pretty please put your name in the email, so I know who I am replying to.

 

 

Earning the Grade You Want & (A Small Amount of) Extra Credit

 

If you are doing poorly in the class, the time to ask how you can do better is not right before, and especially not right after, the Final.  If you do badly on the first or second test PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come to office hours or make an appointment to see me as soon as possible after that test, and I will help you devise strategies to study more effectively.

 

However, there will be an opportunity to receive 12 points of extra credit in the course by attending lectures affiliated with the Middle East Studies Center.  Each lecture will be worth two points each.  If you attend all the lectures, this will add 2% onto your final grade.    There will be no other extra credit opportunities.  The lectures are:

 

1.      "Thinking Security: A Comparative Analysis of Israeli and Arab Approaches." Efraim Kam, The Institute for National Security Studies, Israel.  Thurs Mon., January 28. 10:30 AM. GC 243

2.      Israel and Iran: Forever Enemies?" Trita Parsi. National Iranian-American Council. Thurs., February 7. 6:30 PM. GC 243

3.      "Modernism, Islamism and Post Islamism." Farhang Rajaee. Carleton University, Canada. Thurs., March 6, 6:30PM. International Pavilion, MARC

4.      “People and the Problem of Law and Space in Turkey.” Anna Secor.  University of Kentucky.  Wed., March 12.  Time and place TBA.  NOTE: This is by a geographer.  If you only attend one lecture, make it this.

5.      "Terrorism and Sacred Violence." Scott Atran.  University of Michigan.  Thurs., March 27. 6:30PM. GC 243

6.      "Pakistan in Global Politics: A Critical Assessment" Ambassador Ahmad Kamal. Mon., April 07, 2008.  6:30 PM. GC 243

 

 

Academic Integrity, Cheating and Plagiarism:

 

Cheating and plagiarism are done by pathetic and desperate people – don’t be one of them.    If you plagiarize on your research assignment, or cheat on an exam – you will receive at minimum a zero on that assignment, which instantly drops your score for the course by about two full letter grades.    If you find yourself in a desperate situation while taking a test or up against a deadline – turn in the best work you can do at the time.  Getting an F usually means you will get some points – getting caught cheating means you get zero.  Furthermore, depending on the severity of the case, I can choose to pursue harsher penalties, including assigning an F0 for the course or pursuing your expulsion.

 

It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the FIU student handbook’s sections on cheating and plagiarism.  Also, if you need to know more about how to not plagiarize, please check out the following websites.

 

1) “Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It (Indiana University)” at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/plagiarism.html

2) “Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words (Purdue University)” at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html

 

Absences & Make-Up

 

Excused absences include serious illness; illness of a spouse or dependent; death of an immediate family member; University-sponsored trips; and major religious holy days.  It is your responsibility to inform me of the absence in advance of class by e-mail (and within 2 weeks of the start of class if it is a university trip or holy day), but no later than two class sessions after the missed class.  In order to have an absence excused, you must provide original documentation which I can keep.   If this is done, and I determine the absence to be excused, I will do my best make sure you make up what you missed.

 

Make-up exams will only be given in extreme circumstances.  The make-up exam will not be the same one given to those who took the test on the established date, and will be given during the final examination period, during which time you will take both the make-up exam and the final.    To sit a make-up exam, you must 1) provide documentation to me in class within two class periods of the missed exam addressing why your absence qualifies as excused 2) have that documentation accepted by me 3) email me asking to be given a make-up exam and 4) receive back an email from me confirming a make-up exam will be given.

 

Your choices to attend or not attend have consequences – just like they would at work.    I take my responsibilities and role as a teacher seriously; I hope you hold your role and responsibility as a student in equal respect.



 

HERE’S TO A GOOD SEMESTER AND BEST OF LUCK!