Instructor: Elias Tuma, Department of Economics, College of Letters and Science
Description: The course will introduce students to various aspects of the Middle East society, with special focus on war in Iraq, Sudan, and Israel/Palestine. The discussion will include an overview of theories of war, war and resources, causes and consequences of war in each of the three wars. These case studies will attempt to illustrate the prewar power distribution between the United States and Iraq, internal differences of ethnicity, religion, and demography in Sudan, and territorial ambitions in historical perspective in Palestine/Israel. There will be a search for common features of these wars, a discussion of costs and benefits in human and material capital, and an attempt to find solutions by the students from their standpoint.
Format: Each class session will begin with a discussion of current affairs, for about 15 minutes, to encourage students to keep up with current events in the news. A discussion of the assigned topic will follow. Students will be expected to participate in the discussion; the lecture approach will be avoided to the extent possible. Students will also be expected to write a term paper, (10 pages), on a topic approved by the instructor, and give a 10-minute presentation of the topic of the paper. Grading: The grade will be divided as follows: 15% for attendance and participation in the discussion, 15% for the presentation, and 70% for the term paper. Papers will be due on the last day of class. Helpful references and criteria for comparison and contrast will be posted in due course.
About the Instructor: I am a Professor Emeritus of Economics, have taught and published extensively on the Middle East, and have until recently published a monthly commentary, (Another Viewpoint), mainly on the political economy of the region, with special emphasis on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I have conducted several freshman seminars in the past, as well as 190 courses for upper division which were conducted as seminars.