Harvard Courses Related to Central Eurasia

Below is a list of courses related to Central Eurasia offered at Harvard during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 academic years. it is divided into non-language and language courses.

Courses Offered Outside of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Kennedy School of Government Business School Divinity School Extension School Tiles on display in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

Non-Language Courses in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Culture and Society Arts and Literature Economics Government History - Central Eurasia Potentially Relevant History - East Asia Potentially Revelent History - Near East / Islamic World Potentially Relevant History - Russia / Soviet Union

Language Courses Uzbek Turkish Other Altaic Languages Persian Central Asian Iranian Languages Armenian Indo-European Arabic Chinese Russian Extension School Languages

Non-Language Courses

Culture and Society

Foreign Cultures 70. Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies
Catalog Number: 1065
Ali S. Asani
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 3
Offers an introductory survey of the fundamental concepts of the Islamic faith and devotional practices of Muslim societies around the world. Focuses on developing an understanding of the diversity of Muslim religious worldviews and the manner in which they have been shaped by the political, social and cultural contexts in which Muslims live in various parts of the world, particularly in the modern period. Briefly considers the contemporary situation of Muslims as a religious and racial minority in Europe and the US.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Foreign Cultures 72. Russian Culture from Revolution to Perestroika
Catalog Number: 5581
Svetlana Boym
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 14
Explores 20th-century Russian culture through literature, art, and film. Topics include art and revolution, utopian imagination and the authoritarian state, the rewriting of history through literature and film, art of the fantastic and the literature of exile, postcommunism and postmodernism, the search for national identity, and resistance to nationalism. Proceeds from revolutionary avant-garde art and artistic experimentation of the 1920s to the declaration of Socialist Realism and the experience of Stalinism, from dissident art of the 1960s to the culture of the Cold War, perestroika, and beyond. Works by Malevich, Eisenstein, Vertov, Mayakovsky, Babel, Bulgakov, Mandel’shtam, Nabokov, Kundera, and Brodsky.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Anthropology 1120. Comparative Analysis of Ancient Civilizations]
Catalog Number: 7474
C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An analysis of the similarities and differences in the emergence of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Central Asia, and the Indus Valley. Economic, political, and religious systems are compared as are technology and demography.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Anthropology 1630 (formerly Anthropology 132). Anthropology of Religion ]
Catalog Number: 9598
Smita Lahiri
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
From its inception as a discipline addressing non-Western cultures, anthropology has examined the religious beliefs and practices of people who are “not us.” Yet the cross-cultural study of phenomena such as “ritual,” “sacrifice,” and the “sacred” also renders absolute distinctions between “us” and “them” untenable. At a time when religion is in resurgence from the Americas to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, we survey the contribution of anthropology to understanding its complexity and resilience.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

*Anthropology 1675. Global Islam
Catalog Number: 9136 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Jocelyne Cesari (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
The course will analyze the emergence, development, and increasing influence of contemporary forms of Islamic engagement and thinking such as the Muslim Brothers, Al Qaeda, or Sufi orders that are not limited to a particular country or ethnic/cultural group. The capacity of either conflict or peace carried by these movements at the international level will also be discussed.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3880. [Back to top.]

Anthropology 1690 (formerly Anthropology 178). Consuming Passions: Cultures of Materialism in Asia
Catalog Number: 1201
Smita Lahiri
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
How do objects tell the story of people’s lives? How do historical relations of exchange constitute inter-community boundaries and communal identities? What can we read into the explosion of new consumer desires, opportunities and fantasies currently seen in the Asia-Pacific region? Anthropological ideas about “material culture” used to work through contemporary formations of national, gender, sexual, and ethnic identity, primarily but not exclusively in South and Southeast Asia. [Back to top.]

Anthropology 1698. Shamanism and Modernity - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5369
Manduhai Buyandelgeriyn
Half course (fall term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
The course uses an ethnographic perspective to explore shamanism and similar inspirational practices known as spirit possession and mediumship in different world cultures. Shamanisms have evolved and transformed throughout colonial interventions, modernity projects, Buddhist and Christian influences, socialism, and market economies. Students will examine these practices and their meanings in specific contexts. The readings include studies from East and South-East Asia, Mongolia, Siberia, the Americas, Africa, and migrant communities in the U.S. [Back to top.]

Anthropology 1746. Imperialism and Islamism: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7889 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Engseng Ho
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Does Islam have a transnational past, and what relations did European empires have to that past? We develop answers to these questions, reading case studies and original source material. These provide perspectives on the current conflict between the U.S. and its Islamist opponents, and enable critical engagement with current debates on the nature of global Islamist politics and on the U.S. as an imperial power. [Back to top.]

[Anthropology 1760 (formerly Anthropology 153). Nationalism and Bureaucracy ]
Catalog Number: 0291 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Michael Herzfeld
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores the ideological and practical foundations and effects of nationalism. Particular attention focused on how nationalism is reproduced by bureaucrats in daily practice, and how rituals of national identity are organized and invested with meaning. Cases include systems of taxation, historic conservation, health care, and immigration. This comparative course covers several different countries and systems, and is designed to highlight the contribution of ethnography to the analysis of national bureaucracies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Anthropology 2690. Middle East Ethnography: Discourse, Politics, and Culture - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8056 Enrollment: Limited to 18.
Steven C. Caton
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5:30. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
The discursive construction of culture and its complex politics are examined in a wide range of ethnographies that have been writen recently on countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Jordan, Israel/Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, and Yemen. Among the theoretical topics to be considered are orientalism, colonialism and post-colonialism, nationalism, self, gender, and tribalism.
Prerequisite: Anthropology 1600 for undergraduate students; Anthropology 2650a and Anthropology 2650b for graduate students. [Back to top.]

*Anthropology 2810r. Research Seminar on the Middle East and Islamic Frontiers
Catalog Number: 1690
Engseng Ho
Half course (spring term). Tu., 5:30–7:30 pm. EXAM GROUP: 18
Seminar for doctoral students exploring ways of integrating social scientific, humanistic, and transregional approaches in their writing projects. Shared regional knowledge will provide a platform for advanced theoretical and methodological explorations. [Back to top.]

Anthropology 2865. Islamic Eurasia and the Anthropology of Post-Socialism - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7323
John S. Schoeberlein
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Exploring the emerging fields of Islam in the former Soviet sphere and the anthropology of post-Socialism, focusing on issues of social transformation under the "transition" from Comunism, and changing identities and cultural forms.
Note: Open to advanced undergraduate students with permission of instructor. [Back to top.]

*Anthropology 3111 (formerly *Anthropology 3024). Asiatic Archaeology and Ethnography
Catalog Number: 5398
Rowan K. Flad 5059 (on leave 2006-07), C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky 2387 (on leave spring term), and Lawrence E. Stager 1468 [Back to top.]

*Anthropology 3130 (formerly *Anthropology 3029). Archaeology and Ethnography of the Near and Middle East
Catalog Number: 3787
Ofer Bar-Yosef 1887 (on leave spring term) and C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky 2387 (on leave spring term) [Back to top.]

[East Asian Buddhist Studies 116a. Buddhism in China: I-VII Century]
Catalog Number: 9937
Robert M. Gimello (University of Arizona)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of the history of Buddhist thought and practice in East Asia from its advent in Han China to the emergence of distinctly East Asian traditions of Buddhist thought and practice in the early Tang, with attention also to the early transmission of Buddhism to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3521. [Back to top.]

[East Asian Buddhist Studies 116b. Buddhism in China: VIII-XVI Century]
Catalog Number: 9214
Robert M. Gimello (University of Arizona)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of the history of Buddhist thought and practice in mid-Tang through Ming China, with attention also to developments during the same period in Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3526. [Back to top.]

*Folklore and Mythology 97 (formerly *Folklore and Mythology 97a). Fieldwork and Ethnography in Folklore
Catalog Number: 3789 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Deborah D. Foster
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4.
Introduces concentrators to the study of traditions—their performance, collection, representation and interpretation. Both ethnographic and theoretical readings serve as the material for class discussion and the foundation for experimental fieldwork projects.
Note: Required of all, and limited to, concentrators. [Back to top.]

[Folklore and Mythology 102. Folklore, Nation-Building, and Nationalism] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6044
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores the role folk tradition plays in shaping national, and nationalist, discourses in various colonial and post-colonial situations (e.g. Norway, Ireland, Greece, sub-Saharan Africa). The course examines learned society’s valorization of folk traditions in elite cultural monuments (e.g., Peer Gynt; Ballet Folklorico) and in public display venues (e.g., Olympic ceremonies; Old Sturbridge Village; Rumsiskes). Also considered: political manipulation of folklore under National Socialism and Communism; culture and tourism; authenticity; and intellectual property.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Early Iranian Civilizations 102. Old Iranian Religion/Zoroastrianism
Catalog Number: 5408
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (spring term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduction to and readings in Mazdaism/Zoroastrianism (on the basis of translated texts).
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3663a. [Back to top.]

Early Iranian Civilizations 103. Manicheism
Catalog Number: 2604
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduction to and readings in Iranian Manicheism (on the basis of translated texts).
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3580. [Back to top.]

Islamic Civilizations 124. Central Asian Culture and Society
Catalog Number: 3927
John S. Schoeberlein
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Explores the diversity and continuity in contemporary Central Asian culture and society and their historical roots. Course readings draw on diverse sources from travelers’ and ethnographic accounts to indigenous traditions and Western analyses. Topics include principles of social order and cultural values stemming from nomadic traditions, Islamic civilizations, nationalist movements and the Soviet system. Particular attention is devoted to post-Soviet developments and the challenges of social transformation and potential conflict facing the region.
Note: Primarily for advanced undergraduates and graduate students; some background in the Near East and/or the former Soviet Union is desirable. [Back to top.]

Islamic Civilizations 145. Introduction to Islamic Philosophy and Theology
Catalog Number: 0292
Khaled El-Rouayheb
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5 and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
An introductory survey of the development of Islamic theology and philosophy. We will examine and discuss some of the central problems that were much debated through the centuries, such as: the relationship between philosophy and faith; whether humans possess free will; how to understand apparently anthropomorphic expressions in Scripture; whether acts are good because God commands them or God commands them because they are good; and proofs for the existence of God.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3602. [Back to top.]

[Islamic Civilizations 160. The Meanings of Islam in Central Asia]
Catalog Number: 8678
John S. Schoeberlein
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the changing role of Islam in Central Asia through history from a multidisciplinary perspective. Considers the diversity and multi-dimensionality of Islam as it influences social, cultural, political and religious life. Themes include: Islam and social order; Islam under Russian and Communist rule; Sufism, modernist Islam, "fundamentalism" and other forms of belief and practice; and the dynamic new role of Islam in the region following independence in 1991.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Intended primarily for advanced undergraduates and graduate students; some background in Islam and/or the former Soviet Bloc desirable. [Back to top.]

Arabic 149. Women and Gender in Classical Islamic Societies - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3812
Nadia Cheikh
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
This course investigates the history of women and gender relations in early Islamic societies. It examines theoretical underpinnings of gender construction and analyzes ways Muslim culture defined women’s place and gender relations in classical Islam as well as ways women themselves complied to or resist these definitions. Emphasis is placed on examining women’s roles, images and experiences in social, political, economic and legal contexts.
Note: Knowledge of Arabic not required; open to all interested undergraduates. [Back to top.]

Religion 1076. Religion and Politics in Current “Fundamentalist” Movements
Catalog Number: 8243 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3 and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
A comparative investigation of ultra-conservative movements within four different religious traditions: Jewish “Settler” theology, the Chabad, and the Lubavot; Roman Catholic dissenting Marian groups and Opus Dei; Protestant TV Evangelists, “Christian Zionism”, and Megachurches; and Islamic radicalism (Hamas) and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2511. [Back to top.]

[Religion 1085. Women, Religion, and Theory: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9239 Enrollment: Limited
Leila N. Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar will explore commonalities and differences in feminist issues, strategies, and methodologies across a number of religious traditions as they find expression in a variety of works, including those of some key feminist scholars. We will read texts on women and religion, as well as relevant texts in feminist and post-colonial theory.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2687. [Back to top.]

[Religion 1700. Introduction to Buddhism, in Theory and Practice]
Catalog Number: 3486
Janet Gyatso (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
A study of the main ideas, practices, and classic texts of Buddhist tradition. The class will consider some of the principal religious, social, and philosophical questions in Buddhist history, as well as the hermeneutics of its modern academic study. It will survey early Buddhism and developments in Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantric Buddhism across Asia. These developments exemplify distinctive Buddhist modes of personal cultivation, community life, and literary practice.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3558. [Back to top.]

[Religion 1703. Theravada Buddhist Traditions] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6151
Donald K. Swearer (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 9, and an hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 11
The Theravåda Buddhist traditions of South and Southeast Asia are often contrasted with Mahåyåna and Tantrayåna expressions of Buddhism in Central and East Asia as doctrinally and ritually narrow and conservative. This course contests this characterization by uncovering the richness and diversity of Theravåda thought and practice against the historical and contemporary backdrop of Sri Lanka and mainland Southeast Asia.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3573.[Back to top.]

[Religion 1705. Buddhism in Tibet]
Catalog Number: 7192
Janet Gyatso (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Distinctive traditions of Tibetan Buddhism in their historical contexts. Topics include: practices and theories on the ethics of compassion, visionary meditations; tantric yoga and physiologies; medical traditions; death and reincarnation practices; magic and state rituals; the creation of sacred landscape; religious authority and discipline; and cultures of writing, learning and painting. Throughout the course we will consider the relation of these religious practices to the historical development of Tibetan cultures, Buddhist institutions, and state formations.
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3563.[Back to top.]

Religion 1802 (formerly Religion 1555). Introduction to Islamic Mysticism: The Sufi Tradition
Catalog Number: 3830
Ali S. Asani
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Introductory survey of Sufism, focusing on its fundamental concepts, ritual practices, institutions, and its impact on literary and sociopolitical life in different regions of the Islamic world.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3620.
Prerequisite: An introductory course in Islam or equivalent helpful but not essential.[Back to top.]

Religion 1806. The Vocabulary of Islam - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 1701
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 15
Provides students with knowledge of a broad range of key concepts, technical terms, seminal questions, and cultural motifs internal to the Islamic tradition. These constitute a vocabulary related to Quran and exegesis, Hadith, law, theology, political thought, philosophy, Sufism, ritual, literature, art, and architecture, that has permeated Islamic discourses, practices, and identities down to the modern period, and that is central to an informed understanding and further study of Islam as religion and civilizational complex.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3978. Not open to auditors.[Back to top.]

[Religion 1810. Representations of the Prophet Muhammad through History: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 0074
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the different ways in which Muhammad and his prophethood have been remembered, constructed, understood, and represented in Islamic and non-Islamic discourses from the earliest period of Islam to the present day, including: Muhammad in the Quran and exegesis, in Hadith, in epic biography, in theology, in philosophy, in Sufism, in devotional and popular literatures, in medieval and early modern Europe, in modern Orientalism, in modern Muslim discourses, in theatre, film, fiction, and in art.
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3972.
Prerequisite: At least one previous course on Islam.[Back to top.]

[Religion 1815. Mosques in Muslim History]
Catalog Number: 3325
Baber Johansen (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The course will provide an introduction into the Koranic foundation of basic aspects of the Muslim culture. It will treat the multi-dimensional functions that different types of mosques have performed for urban and rural communities over the centuries. It will discuss the changes in these functions in different regions and historical periods and will, in the last two sessions, be dedicated to the situation of mosques in the European and American diaspora.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3610.[Back to top.]

Religion 1825 (formerly Religion 1590). Issues in Feminism and Islam: A Historical Overview
Catalog Number: 9891
Leila N. Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). F., 12–3. EXAM GROUP: 5, 6, 7
We explore some of the major issues and debates in relation to feminism and women in Islam in historical overview from a post-colonial perspective. Thus, as we explore these issues and debates, we will also be examining the methods, tools and assumptions forming the grounds of our studies, including in particular issues of Orientalism, colonialism and feminism in the construction of the religions/cultures of Others. Subsequent topics include an examination of some contemporary feminist readings of early Islam and exploration of women in Sufism and lived religion.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3604.[Back to top.]

Religion 1826. Explorations in the Colonial and Post-Colonial History of the Veil: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 0779
Leila N. Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3897.[Back to top.]

[Religion 1841. Progressive Islam: Seminar] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7771
Leila N. Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3878. [Back to top.]

Religion 1842. Religion, Gender, Identity: Readings in Arab and Muslim Autobiography: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 4518
Leila N. Ahmed (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
We will read autobiographical works mainly by contemporary Arab and/or Muslim writers, paying particular attention to issues of identity, religion, and gender, and exploring how these are at play in the text and in authorial constructions of self.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3616.[Back to top.]

Religion 1890. Islam, Secularism and Human Rights: From Egypt to North America: Conference Course - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8103 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Jocelyne Cesari (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
This course will examine major approaches to Human Rights and Secularism that have emerged in the Muslim world, beginning with the 19th century. It will analyze the key historical and cultural moments that have shaped these approaches, from colonialism to 9/11. It will analyze the Muslim presence in America and Europe as a turning point in the encounter between secularism and Islam.[Back to top.]

[Religion 2840. Ibn Taymiyyah and His Times: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 0075 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An engagement with the pre-modern Islamic intellectual tradition, and its relationship to modern Islam, through the life, thought, and legacy of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328 CE), who is said to have “dominated the history of Islam in the twentieth century.”
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3973.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Arts and Literature

Foreign Cultures 79. Historical and Musical Paths on the Silk Road - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5576
Mark C. Elliott and Richard K. Wolf
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F)., at 11, and two weekly sections to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Globalization may seem quintessentially modern, but in fact it is nothing new. To demonstrate the deep interconnectedness of the historical cultures of Eurasia, this course takes students on a journey along the Silk Road, from ancient times to the present. We will use an integrated interdisciplinary approach to study the ebb and flow of people, ideas, goods, techniques, and artistic styles along the trade routes of Central, South, and East Asia, with a special focus on musical traditions. In addition to learning about particular histories and historic links among societies, we also consider the formation of critical theories of relatedness.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2007–08. No knowledge of Asian languages or music is required. One weekly section is a music section and the other is a discussion section. [Back to top.]

Foreign Cultures 82. Modern Arabic Narratives: Self, Society, and Culture
Catalog Number: 2619
William E. Granara
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
A historical overview of cultural and social issues in contemporary Arab society as reflected in modern fiction. Attention will be given to the development of the novel and short story as literary media that treat themes such as the conflict between tradition and modernity, anti-colonialism, nationalism, civil war, poverty, alienation, religion and politics, and changing gender roles. Readings will include works of Tayeb Salih, Naguib Mahfouz, Muhammad Choukri, as well as prominent women authors, such as Hanan Shaykh and Sahar Khalifeh.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2007–08. No knowledge of Arabic required. [Back to top.]

[Literature and Arts B-35. The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent: Art, Architecture, and Ceremonial at the Ottoman Court]
Catalog Number: 1678
Gülru Necipoglu-Kafadar
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 14
“Golden Age” of Ottoman-Islamic visual culture in the 16th century, considered within its ceremonial and historical contexts, focusing on architecture, miniature painting, and decorative arts. Stresses the transformation of Byzantine Constantinople into Ottoman Istanbul, formation of an imperial architectural style, and artistic contacts with contemporary European and Islamic courts. Considers art and architecture of Safavid Iran and Mughal India as a comparative backdrop. Discusses the role of centralized court ateliers in propagating canons of taste, the emphasis on decorative arts in a culture that rejected monumental sculpture and painting, and representations of the East by European artists in the Orientalist mode.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Literature and Arts B-46. Art in the Wake of the Mongol Conquests: Genghis Khan and His Successors
Catalog Number: 6029
David J. Roxburgh
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Genghis Khan’s legacy entailed the destruction of social and cultural order. Paradoxically, his empire forged a dynamic relationship between nomadic and sedentary societies; his successors fostered a climate of intense activity in art and architecture, producing complex fusions of artistic traditions between the Middle East and China. Key works of art and architecture are studied as a process of cultural assimilation, as constructions of an evolving political structure and social order in the aftermath of the Mongol conquests (ca.1256–1506). Themes include patronage, production, art as political and ideological tool, tensions between nomadic and sedentary sources of prestige and legitimation.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Humanities 18 (formerly Religion 1801). For the Love of God and His Prophet: Religion, Literature, and the Arts in Muslim Cultures]
Catalog Number: 0110
Ali S. Asani
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The course surveys the literary and artistic dimensions of the devotional life of the world’s Muslim communities, focusing on the role of literature and the arts (poetry, music, architecture, calligraphy, etc.) as expressions of piety and socio-political critique. An important aim of the course is to explore the relationships between religion, literature, and the arts in a variety of historical and cultural contexts in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the West.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. No prior knowledge of Islam required. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3627. [Back to top.]

[*Freshman Seminar 36w. Tribal Memories: Myth, Epic, and History]
Catalog Number: 7842 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5.
Investigates the oral traditions of the ancient Iranians in perspective of those of the Indians, Greeks, and Norsemen. Studies each culture’s beliefs concerning the history of the world from its creation. Relationship among history, myth, and epic in ancient oral traditions. How can myths and traditions provide historical information? Compares and contrasts the historical figure of Zarathustra in the "historical" traditions of the Middle East with Zarathustra as a Western scholarly myth.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Open to Freshmen only. [Back to top.]

Chinese Literature 185. Nation and Narration in Contemporary Literature and Film - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6695
Haiyan Lee
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
This course explores the nation as it is constructed, deconstructed, and continuously contested in novels, short stories, films, and other media from the second half of the twentieth century in mainland China and Taiwan. Our goal is three-fold: 1) gaining in-depth knowledge of sinophone literature and culture from the mid-twentieth century to the new millenium; 2) becoming familiar with the theoretical literature on nationalism; and 3) developing the skills of close reading and analysis. [Back to top.]

Chinese Literature 228. Asian Modernities: An Introduction to Critical and Cultural Theories
Catalog Number: 7357
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
We look at the place of theory and criticism in the study of ‘Asia’ in the academy today. We engage in topics such as the construction of ‘literature’, literary traditions, and national cultures in a comparative context; articulations of internationalism and cosmopolitanism as counter-discourses; recent debates on nationalism and modernity, cultural studies, gender studies, translation and travel, and the proliferation of ‘post-’ studies (postmodern, post-colonial, post-ethnic) as they pertain to our research and writing.
Note: Graduate seminar; qualified undergraduates require permission of instructor. Knowledge of one Asian literary or cultural tradition helpful. [Back to top.]

Comparative Literature 263. Journey, Exile, and Displacement in Modern Arabic Literature - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3125
William E. Granara
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
The course examines narratives of journey, exile, and displacement in modern Arabic literature that trespass geographical, political and linguistic boundaries, and create new literary spaces that define and reshape modern Arab identities. Theoretical readings will include Prattt, Said, Rushdie and Kaplan.
Note: Arabic helpful but not required. Undergraduates welcome. [Back to top.]

*History of Art and Architecture 123y. Monuments of Medieval Islamic Architecture (7th–13th Century)
Catalog Number: 8101 Enrollment: Limited to 14.
Gülru Necipoglu-Kafadar
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
A contextual study of major monuments focusing on architectural, decorative, and epigraphic programs. Questions of interpretation, meaning and uses of the past addressed by focusing on selected buildings including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem; the Great Mosques of Damascus, Baghdad, Samarra, Cordoba, Cairo, Isfahan, Kairouan, Konya, Marrakesh, and Delhi; funerary architecture and palaces. Cross-cultural dialogues in frontier regions of the Islamic world, such as Spain, Sicily, Anatolia and India considered. [Back to top.]

[*History of Art and Architecture 124z. Architecture and Dynastic Legitimacy: The Early Modern Islamic Empires (1450-1650)]
Catalog Number: 4604 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Gülru Necipoglu-Kafadar
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
In the 16th century, three great regional empires partitioned the central zone of Islam from the Balkans to Bengal. The Mediterranean-based Ottomans, the Safavids in Iran, and the Mughals in India formed separate cultural domains with distinctive architectural and decorative idioms originating from a shared Timurid heritage. The building types each empire emphasized are studied as an index of differing imperial ideologies and theories of dynastic legitimacy. [Back to top.]

*History of Art and Architecture 224e. From Saracenic to Islamic: Exhibiting Islamic Art - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5611 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
David J. Roxburgh
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Examines the history of exhibitions, temporary and permanent, from the 1800s until now. Case studies (installations/institutions) are studied in detail. Wider themes include the genealogy of the museum and critical reception in print media. [Back to top.]

[*History of Art and Architecture 224m. Drawing in the Pre-Modern Islamic World]
Catalog Number: 8731 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
David J. Roxburgh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Focuses on drawings from Iran, India and Turkey, ca. 1300-1700. Topics include drawing as a design medium, its growth into an independent art, correspondences between drawing and writing, and artists Muhammadi and Riza Abbasi.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[History of Art and Architecture 282y. The Visual Culture of Relics in East Asia]
Catalog Number: 2349 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Eugene Wang
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The course examines medieval monastic sites with relic enshrinements in China, Japan, and Korea; seeks to unpack conceptions of body and numinous space invested in the formal disposition of relics, reliquaries, and the related artifacts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Music 190r. Topics in World Music: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 1312
Richard K. Wolf
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Music in Islamic Contexts: South and West Asia. Explores what it means for musical cultures to share Islam as a common context by examining South and West Asian musical cultures and issues pertaining to the Muslim world as a whole.
Note: For music concentrators or permission of instructor. [Back to top.]

Jewish Studies 139. Jewish Literature in the Islamic World, 650–1300 - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 0589
Raymond P. Scheindlin (Jewish Theological Seminary)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 15
Jewish scholarship and literature flourished during the period when the western world was dominated by Arabic and Islamic culture. We will see Jewish literary culture and religious sensibility responding to the Arabo-Islamic environment by studying the respective roles of Hebrew and Arabic among Jews; the concept of literature; the impact of Islamic humanism, pietism and mysticism; and of Arabic poetry. Readings from Saadiah, Samuel the Nagid, Ibn Gabirol, Ibn Paquda, Judah Halevi, Maimonides, Abraham Maimuni.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3674. [Back to top.]

[Arabic 158. Modern Arabic Literature: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 5145
William E. Granara
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2007-08: Autobiography and the Novel.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Arabic helpful but not required. [Back to top.]

[Arabic 159. Memory and Memorialization in Modern Arabic Literature and History: Seminar] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8890
Dana Sajdi
Half course (spring term). W., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9
Treats the historical and literary texts to examine the motives, methods, and politics of memory construction in different periods of Arabo-Islamic history. It deals with various genres from the chronicle, to the diary, to biography, to poetry, to the novel to illuminate not only aspects of individual and collective identities and aspirations, but also power struggles implied in acts of memory.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Arabic helpful but not required.
Prerequisite: Some introductory knowledge of the history and culture of the Modern Middle East preferable. [Back to top.]

Arabic 211. Readings in Contemporary Arabic and Islamic Thought: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2230
Nadia Cheikh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course studies texts by major Arab intellectuals on a variety of topics pertaining to issues and problems relevant to the contemporary Arabic and Islamic world. Students are expected to engage in debates, give oral presentations, and write short reaction papers. Emphasis on communication skills in both the oral and written forms. Readings include selections from the writings of Muhammad Abid al-Jabiri, Radwan al-Sayyid, Sadiq Jalal al-Adhm, Jalal Amin, Hisham Djait, and Abdallah al-Arawi.
Note: Conducted in Arabic: advanced proficiency in Arabic required; open to upper level undergraduates. [Back to top.]

[Arabic 230a. Hadith I: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4223 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the Hadith literature, its historical development, its content, and its religious and cultural significance in Islam, through readings from the major Hadith collections, ‘ulum al-hadith works, biographical dictionaries, and modern scholarship.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3974.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

[Arabic 230b. Hadith II: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4362 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings from the debate, conducted both in the Western academy and in Muslim discourses, from the 19th century to today, over the authenticity and reliability of the Hadith corpus, and of the early Muslim historical tradition at large.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3975.
Prerequisite: Arabic 230a and advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Arabic 231a. Qur’an I: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8707 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (fall term). M., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
An introduction to the text of the Quran and the historical development of Quranic exegesis, through a reading of tafsir and ‘ulum al-quran works dating from early Islam to the modern period.
Note: Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3976.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Arabic 231b. Qur’an II: Seminar
Catalog Number: 0619 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
M. Shahab Ahmed
Half course (spring term). M., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Continuation of Arabic 231a.
Note: Not open to auditors. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3977.
Prerequisite: Arabic 231a and advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Arabic 241ar (formerly Arabic 241a). Modern Arabic Literature and Culture
Catalog Number: 3309
Khaled Al-Masri
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This constitutes the final year of Modern Arabic track. Representative readings from contemporary literature and culture will form bases of discussions on major themes in contemporary Arab society.
Note: Conducted in Arabic. Not open to auditors.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Arabic 241br (formerly Arabic 241b). Modern Arabic Literature and Culture
Catalog Number: 6399
Khaled Al-Masri
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
A continuation of Arabic 241ar.
Note: Conducted in Arabic. Not open to auditors. [Back to top.]

Arabic 242. Selected Topics in Modern Arabic Literature and Literary Criticism: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1913
William E. Granara
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2006-07: To be announced.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic. [Back to top.]

Armenian Studies 100. Armenian Epic
Catalog Number: 2576
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Reading in translation of The Wild Men of Sasun, with analysis of native historical and mythological sources, and thematic comparison to epic poetry of the neighboring Iranians (Ossetic Narts, Persian Shah-nameh, Kurdish epic songs), Turks (Dede Korkut), and Greeks (Digenes Akrites). [Back to top.]

Armenian Studies 105. Survey of 19th and 20th Century Armenian Poetry: From Romantics to Revolutionaries
Catalog Number: 3496
James R. Russell
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of the great innovators and visionaries: Bedros Tourian, Misak Medzarents, Yeghia Demirjibashian, Daniel Varouzhan, Siamanto, Vahan Teryan, Yeghishe Charents, and their English, Russian, and French colleagues and translators. The course spans the fateful epoch from the mid-19th century to the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
Note: Knowledge of Armenian preferred but not required. [Back to top.]

[Persian 140br. Selected Readings in Classical Persian Literature]
Catalog Number: 0258
Dalia Yasharpour
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A continuation of Persian 140ar.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Persian 150r. Readings in Persian Historians, Geographers and Biographers
Catalog Number: 6538
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged. [Back to top.]

Economics

*Economics 980a. Political Economics - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2341
Andrei Shleifer
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2:30–4:30. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17, 18
Discusses several research areas in political economy, including the origins of the state, comparative political systems, theories of economic reform, fiscal problems in democracies, rule of law, privatization, and regulation. [Back to top.]

*Economics 980f. Economics of Social Problems - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7655
Lawrence F. Katz
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
This course applies the tools of economics to understand key US social problems and to evaluate alternative market and government policies to address them. Issues to be studied include poverty and inequality; economics of the family; crime; neighborhood effects; low-wage labor markets; immigration; discrimination; homelessness; charitable behavior and welfare reform and other antipoverty strategies. [Back to top.]

*Economics 980g. Topics in Economic Development - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3368
Michael R. Kremer and Matthias Schündeln
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Recent research on economic development. Social service delivery in health and education. Industrial sector. Goal is to enable students to identify research topics in economic development, learn how to define and analyze a problem. Emphasis on modeling and econometric techniques. Topics include returns to human capital, incentives on education, school choice, health service contracting, R&D. Firm related: business environment and firm responses, industry dynamics, effect of trade, FDI on productivity, wages. [Back to top.]

*Economics 980h. The Industrial Organization of Health Care - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9901
Richard G. Frank (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
The seminar will apply economic theory and review empirical analyses of markets in health care. Four specific areas will be examined: 1) physician behavior and markets for physician services; 2) the role of non-profit hospitals; 3) price competition in the prescription drug market; and 4) markets for health insurance. [Back to top.]

Economics 1018. Cultural Economics - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 1775
Paola Giuliano (International Monetary Fund)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 2:30–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Explores the importance of culture on economic outcomes, focusing on how heterogeneity of preferences affects economic choices and where those differences come from. Theoretical topics include group identity, social interactions and networks, evolutionary selection, the importance of the family. Empirical applications include international investment, savings, occupational choices, ethical norms, economic development, fertility decisions.
Prerequisite: Economics 1010a or 1011a, and Economics 1123. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1330. One Way or Many]
Catalog Number: 7955
Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Law School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Is the world gradually converging toward the same set of economic practices and institutions, following the lead of the North Atlantic industrial democracies? Or can democratic market economies take institutional forms radically different from those now established in the US and Western Europe? International financial instability has lent new urgency to the controversy over alternatives. The course considers these themes by exploring their variations in major post-communist or developing societies, as well as in North Atlantic countries.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as PED-259 and the Law School as 44160-31. Meets at the Law School. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1340. Globalization and History]
Catalog Number: 4025 Enrollment: Limited to 80.
Jeffrey G. Williamson
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Globalization after 1492: first globalization boom 1800-1914, autarkic retreat 1914-1950, second globalization boom since 1950. Uses history to explore sources and impact of world market integration, emerging global capital markets, and mass migrations. Does going global foster growth? Who gains and who loses? Why doesn’t more capital flow to poor countries? Why don’t more poor people migrate? Who votes for protection? Who votes for migration restriction?
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Concentrators may not take pass/fail.
Prerequisite: Social Analysis 10 or permission of the instructor. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1375. Gender Issues in Economic Development]
Catalog Number: 7348
Erica M. Field
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines a range of economic issues related to gender in developing countries, with a focus on empirical methods and applied theory. We will analyze regional trends in women’s education, labor force participation, wealth and political representation, and examine their theoretical and empirical relationship to economic growth and development. Specific topics include intra-household resource allocation; marriage markets and family structure; public policy and gender equity; and the implication of biological and psychological gender theories for economic behavior.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08.
Prerequisite: Economics 1010/1011. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1386. Health, Education, and Development]
Catalog Number: 6436
Erica M. Field
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Advanced course addresses health and education issues in developing countries from the standpoint of economics, with a focus on modeling techniques and econometric methods. General topics include demographic transition, household models of production, and the role of health and educational inputs. Specific topics include: the return to education in developing countries, structural problems in delivery, education finance, health inequality, technology adoption and behavior, AIDS, and the impact of disease.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08.
Prerequisite: Economics 1010a (or 1011a) and 1123 (or 1126). [Back to top.]

Economics 1393. Poverty and Development
Catalog Number: 6516
Beatriz Armendariz
Half course (fall term). M., W., 1–2:30 and a one-hour weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Studies the relationship between economic growth, poverty, and income distribution. Discusses how globalization affects poverty and inequality. Studies the main theories of economic growth and the main potential sources of economic development, from physical capital accumulation, to education, to technology, to the role of government. Discusses various global issues such as public global health (e.g., the impact of malaria and AIDS on Africa), corruption and institutions, natural resources, the environment, international donor institutions, and population growth.
Prerequisite: Economics 1010a (or 1011a) and 1010b (or 1011b). [Back to top.]

Economics 2328. The Emergence of Modern Economic Growth: A Comparative and Historical Analysis - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9475
James Robinson
Half course (fall term). M., W., 2:30–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Overview and analysis of comparative economic development during the last half millennia. Examines the emergence of modern economic growth in Europe after 1500, and the forces that led to the great divergence in prosperity in the 19th century. Also considered: colonialism, communism, fascism, and revolution. [Back to top.]

Economics 2333. Historical Perspectives on Current Economic Issues
Catalog Number: 6800
Claudia Goldin
Half course (spring term). M., W., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
Comparative economic history emphasizing the sources of economic growth. Subjects include labor systems, population change, migration, technology, industrialization, market integration, education, government, inequality, and the Great Depression. Each topic is motivated by a current concern.
Note: Satisfies the graduate distribution requirement. Open to undergraduates on a limited basis with permission of instructor. [Back to top.]

[Economics 2335. The Industrial Sector in Developing Countries]
Catalog Number: 3876
Matthias Schündeln
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Microeconomics of industrial sector development, focusing on the specific institutional environment of developing countries. Topics include role of financial markets, labor markets, and new technologies in explaining individual firm behavior, productivity, market structure, industry dynamics.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Economics 2350. Workshop in Religion, Political Economy, and Society]
Catalog Number: 0815
Robert J. Barro and members of the Department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5, 6
Topics on the interplay between religion and the social sciences.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1471. Economics of Crime]
Catalog Number: 6848 Enrollment: Limited to 100.
Jeffrey A. Miron
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Presents the economic model of crime and assesses the evidence that evaluates this model. Specific topics include the roles of guns, drugs, abortion, the death penalty, and criminal justice policies in determining crime.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08.
Prerequisite: Social Analysis 10 and Statistics 100 (or equivalent). [Back to top.]

*Economics 2490. The Economics of National Security Seminar
Catalog Number: 9061
Martin Feldstein
Half course (spring term). Tu., 6:30–9 pm. EXAM GROUP: 18
Considers a range of issues relating to national security, including bioterrorism, the market for nuclear weapons, the defense industry, the dependence on imported oil, intelligence, sanctions, etc.
Note: Speakers will be both experts with experience in this field and economists doing research on these issues. Seminar participants will be economics department faculty and selected graduate students. [Back to top.]

[Economics 1661. Environmental and Resource Economics and Policy]
Catalog Number: 2115
Robert N. Stavins (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Provides a survey, from the perspective of economics, of environmental and natural resource policy. Combines lectures on conceptual and methodological topics with examinations of public policy issues. Topics include principles of environmental and resource economics, nonrenewable resources (minerals and energy), renewable resources (water, forests, land, fisheries), air pollution (stationary and mobile sources, acid rain, and global climate change), water pollution (point and nonpoint sources), waste management, and sustainable development and political aspects of environmental policy.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as ENR-201.
Prerequisite: Social Analysis 10 or permission of instructor. [Back to top.]

Government

*Government 90gs. Civil Society in Asia
Catalog Number: 7546 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Susan J. Pharr
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
This seminar explores the concept of civil society with a focus on Asia. It looks at the Western origins of the idea of civil society, public space, and social capital; debates over their applicability outside the West; the relation between civil society and democracy; the forms civil society takes under conditions of repression; and how civil societies arise in the first place. Special attention to China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and India. [Back to top.]

*Government 90pn. The Chinese Revolution in Comparative Perspective - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8639 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Elizabeth J. Perry
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
The course will cover general theories of revolutionary change as well as specific studies of revolutionary movements in China, from the 19th century Taiping rebels to the present. We will examine the causes and consequences of these movements for Chinese politics, and consider their similarities and differences to revolutionary uprisings elswhere around the world.
Note: Preference given to Government concentrators. [Back to top.]

*Government 90tm. Contemporary Arab Political and Social Thought - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5418 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Emad Shahin (The American University in Cairo)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This course focuses on the development of political and social thought in the Arab world since the end of the nineteenth century. It examines the various attempts at achieving reform or an "Arab awakening," and the social and political contexts that gave rise to several competing ideologies. Discussions will cover the Islamic ideology, early reform movements, intellectual encounters with the West, Islamic modernism, regional nationalism, Arab nationalism, radical ideologies, and Islamic revival. [Back to top.]

*Government 2044. Hegel and Marx - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6799 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Michael E. Rosen
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
We will look at some of the key themes in the political thought of both authors, not neglecting the wider intellectual context within which their political thinking is located. [Back to top.]

Government 1100. Political Economy of Development
Catalog Number: 7687
Robert H. Bates
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Comparative analysis of political economy of development drawing on case studies from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. [Back to top.]

Government 1206. Contemporary Political Islam
Catalog Number: 0371
Emad Shahin (The American University in Cairo)
Half course (fall term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This course provides students with an understanding of the phenomenon of political Islam and its impact on today’s politics. It analyzes the Islamic order and the model(s) that inspires modern Islamist activists; examines the ideas of main ideologues of contemporary Islamic movements; and presents case studies of mainstream and radical Islamic groups. The course concludes with a critical analysis of the future of political Islam and its relations with the West. [Back to top.]

*Government 1209. Post-Communist Islam - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5816 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Thomas Simons
Half course (spring term). Tu., at 2; W., at 4. EXAM GROUP: 16
Examines the contemporary situations of Muslims in the post-Soviet space and Eastern Europe. After sessions on Islam as a religion and in history and on Muslims in the Russian Empire and under Communism, focuses on post-Soviet developments in the four main Eurasian areas where Muslims live, in Russia and in independent new states. Ends with sessions on Chechnya and on Muslims in the Balkans. Main theme: the interplay of socio-economic development, religion, and politics. [Back to top.]

Government 1218. Globalization, Development, and the Middle East - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3963
Emad Shahin (The American University in Cairo)
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This course focuses on globalization, development, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It investigates globalization and the politics and strategies of development in the MENA . The topics that the course covers include: the impact of the global economy on MENA countries; the mismanagement of the region’s resources; types of political regimes; problems associated with state-led growth, privatization, and corruption; the limits of liberalization; and, regional integration vs. globalization. The assigned readings analyze specific case studies. [Back to top.]

[Government 1235. Genocide]
Catalog Number: 8404
Jens Meierhenrich
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This lecture course examines the theory and history of genocide. It compares and contrasts the dynamics of genocide in Turkey, Germany, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sudan to shed light on the origins of "final solutions" and their disastrous effects. By examining possible and impossible solutions to this problem of "radical evil," the course further assesses the conditions for, and limitations to, achieving justice in domestic politics and international affairs.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Government 1243. Russian Politics in Transition
Catalog Number: 1982
Dmitry P. Gorenburg
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
An examination of politics in the Russian Federation since the collapse of Soviet communism, focusing on the factors promoting and impeding the development of a stable democratic regime. Topics include the general dynamics of political and economic transformation, leadership, institution building, political culture, regionalism and federalism, electoral and party politics, state-society relations and interest groups, and Russian nationalism and neo-imperialism. [Back to top.]

[Government 1280. Government and Politics of China]
Catalog Number: 1643
Elizabeth J. Perry
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
General introduction to the politics of contemporary China. Basic objectives are to provide a working knowledge of Chinese political programs and practices, and to encourage a critical evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of China’s socialist experiment.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Government 2213. Comparative Politics of Post-Socialism]
Catalog Number: 6876
Timothy J. Colton and Grzegorz Ekiert
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A research seminar designed to define an agenda for the comparative analysis of political developments among post-socialist systems. Emphasis placed on the formation of research proposals, methods of analysis, theory-building, and the presentation of comparative empirical research.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Government 2214. Government and Politics in the Post-Soviet States]
Catalog Number: 0922
Timothy J. Colton and Yoshiko M. Herrera
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The collapse of the Soviet Union was followed by the formation of 15 independent states that manifest remarkable variation in political regimes, institutions, and policies. The course examines this variation and ways of explaining it.
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. [Back to top.]

Government 2218. Topics in Russian Politics
Catalog Number: 0872
Timothy J. Colton
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A research seminar on selected problems in the politics and government of post-Soviet Russia. Intended for students with some prior study of the subject. [Back to top.]

Government 2221. Comparative Politics and the Middle East - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7459
Emad Shahin (The American University in Cairo)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This course aims at equipping graduate students with the theoretical and empirical skills necessary to link the discipline of comparative politics to the Middle East as an area study. [Back to top.]

Government 1815. Religion and International Politics - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9821
Rachel M. McCleary
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Students are introduced to major topics on religion and politics across societies. At the same time, students learn about social-science theories of religion. We look at the explanatory value of these theories for the interplay between religion and politics: institutions and structures, political parties, civil society and social movements, violence, and economic development. What influence does religion have on politics within and across societies? What effects do political factors have on religion? [Back to top.]

[Government 1982. Chinese Foreign Policy, 1949–2000]
Catalog Number: 8908
Alastair Iain Johnston
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the descriptive history of China’s international relations with special focus on different theoretical explanations for changes in foreign policy behavior (e.g. polarity, history, ideology, leadership, bureaucracy, among others).
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. No prior background in China or international relations theory required. [Back to top.]

[Government 2785. Religion in Global Politics]
Catalog Number: 4773
Samuel P. Huntington and David Little (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The historical and contemporary roles of religious beliefs and religious organizations with respect to war and peace, civil conflict, national identities, legitimacy of governments, human rights, democracy, conflict management, conceptions of world order. Case studies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Open to qualified undergraduates. Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as ISP-432 and with the Divinity School as 2816. Meets at FAS. [Back to top.]

History - Central Eurasia

*History 90g. Major Themes in Comparative History
Catalog Number: 0119
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
A general introduction to theories of imperialism, nationalism, and post-colonialism. Case studies to include Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Will combine the study of theory with examination of particular anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements. [Back to top.]

[*History 1966. Oil, Energy, and the Environment: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 6450 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Alison F. Frank
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Considers the political, economic, environmental, social, and cultural interaction of human society with oil in the nineteenth and, primarily, twentieth centuries. Analyzes the extent to which oil is a global good, held accountable for war, poverty, and prosperity—and the ways in which oil industries are locally, regionally, and nationally colored. Major themes include the influence of oil on social structure, economic development, the physical environment, natural landscapes, national and regional identity, and gender relations.
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09. [Back to top.]

Potentially Relevant History - East Asia

[Chinese History 252. The Conquest Dynasties]
Catalog Number: 6854
Mark C. Elliott and Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the history of northern "alien" regimes in comparative perspective. Attention is given to historiographical as well as theoretical issues of conquest, colonialism, law, identity, language, and gender.
Note: Expected to be given in 2008–09.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of modern Chinese and/or Japanese required. Reading knowledge of classical Chinese recommended, but not required. [Back to top.]

[History 1827. Nationalism and Ethnicity in China]
Catalog Number: 8688
Henrietta Harrison
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Will examine how changes in social and political conditions have altered Chinese identity since the eighteenth century. Topics include traditional models of identity, the creation of ethnic minorities, ideas of race and nationhood, the interaction between nationalism and communism, and the changing nature of Chinese nationalism in the 1980s and 90s.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

[Chinese History 118. History of Relations between China and Inner Asia]
Catalog Number: 6134
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The interaction between sedentary and nomadic civilizations is one of the great themes of human history. This course focuses on the classic case of relations between China and Inner Asia from ancient times to the 20th century. Approaching the problem from historical and theoretical perspectives, the course addresses the political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of the storied Great Wall frontier.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. Some knowledge of Chinese is recommended but not required. Open to undergraduates and graduates, with differing requirements. [Back to top.]

Potentially Revelent History - Near East / Islamic World

[Historical Study A-40. The Middle East and Europe since the Crusades: Relations and Perceptions]
Catalog Number: 5423
Cemal Kafadar
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
Nine centuries of interaction between two neighboring world civilizations centered around the Mediterranean basin. Examines the transformation of the terms of coexistence and competition over time from an asymmetry in favor of the Islamic world to one favoring Europe in terms of power and prestige. Surveys major events and broad patterns of human activity (wars, migrations, conversions, trade, cultural exchange); compares institutions and worldviews; studies the ways in which the two civilizations perceived and imagined each other. Focus on common roots and mutual influences. Analysis of (mis)perceptions as historically constructed cultural categories and of their legacy in the modern world.
Note: Expected to be given in 2007–08. [Back to top.]

Historical Study A-67. Gendered Communities: Women, Islam, and Nationalism in the Middle East and North Africa
Catalog Number: 0352
Afsaneh Najmabadi
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1:30–3, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
This course will focus on how concepts of woman and gender have defined meanings of religious and national communities in the Islamic Middle East and North Africa. It will survey changes in these concepts historically through reading a variety of sources—religious texts and commentaries, literary and political writings, books of advice, women’s writings, and films—and will look at how contemporary thinkers and activists ground themselves differently in this historical heritage to constitute contesting positions regarding gender and national politics today. [Back to top.]

History 1874. The Middle East During the First Wave of Modern Globalization, 1870-1925: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 2291
E. Roger Owen
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Examines the place of the Middle East during the first wave of modern globalization including the role of formal and informal empire, government and greater economic integration. Explores different ways of writing such a history using case studies designed to illustrate different aspects of the various processes involved. [Back to top.]

History 1877a. History of the Near East, 600-1055
Catalog Number: 1770
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A survey of the history of the Near East and North Africa from the rise of Islam in the 7th century to the Turkish ascendance in the mid-11th century. Includes Muhammad and his community, Arab conquests, Umayyads and Abbasids, sectarian movements, minority communities, government and religious institutions, relations with Byzantium and the Latin West. [Back to top.]

History 1877b. History of the Near East, 1055-1517: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 3026
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5.
Surveys history of the Near East from the coming of the steppe peoples to the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. Includes Seljuks, Crusades, Mongols, and the fall of the Abbasid caliphate, Mamluks, the development of Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade, and the Timurids and their successors.
Prerequisite: History 1877a helpful, but not required. [Back to top.]

History 1878a. Ottoman State and Society I (1300–1550)
Catalog Number: 5471
Cemal Kafadar
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Surveys the emergence of the Ottoman state from a frontier principality into a world empire in its sociopolitical and cultural contexts. Topics include pre-Ottoman Anatolia; frontier society; methods of conquest; centralization of power; classical institutions of the land regime and of the central administration; urbanization; religion and literature. Relations with Byzantium, other Islamic states, and Europe are examined. [Back to top.]

History 1878b. Ottoman State and Society II (1550-1920)
Catalog Number: 6470
Cemal Kafadar
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
Surveys the transformations of the classical Ottoman order in the Middle East and southeastern Europe until the demise of the state. Topics include decentralization; social disturbances; the impact of the new world economy and new trade routes; reforms; changing relations with Europe; nationalist movements; the ‘Eastern Question.’ Ethnic structure, rural society, urban popular culture, guilds, gender and family life are also examined. The importance of this era for understanding today’s Middle East is stressed. [Back to top.]

History 2886. Topics in Islamic History: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3470
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic to be announced. [Back to top.]

History 2887b. Debates in the Political and Ideological History of the Middle East: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4102
E. Roger Owen
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Major questions and debates in modern Arab political and ideological writings including Orientalism, Arab and local nationalism, religious revival, power and authority, and the difficulties of establishing democratic institutions. [Back to top.]

History 1958. Islam and Ethnicity: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 4023 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Terry D. Martin
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Examines the relationship between Islamic religious identity and ethnic identity in the Russian, Ottoman, and Indian empires and their successor states. Inquires into what extent Islam can substitute for, reinforce, or undermine ethnic identity based on theoretical and historical works. [Back to top.]

Potentially Relevant History - Russia / Soviet Union

*Freshman Seminar 49t. Russia as a Multiethnic Empire
Catalog Number: 7988 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Sean M. Pollock
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4.
Studies Russia as a multiethnic empire and considers the consequences of doing so for the idea of Russia and of Russianness. Moves discussion away from the Russian heartland and into the borderlands. Readings include theoretical literature on empire, nation, frontier, borderland, and identity formation; primary texts including diaries, travelogues, maps, prose fiction, and poetry; and selections from such literary giants as Gogol, Pushkin, and Tolstoy, for insight into the peculiarities of the Russian imperial experience.
Note: No previous knowledge of Russian history or literature is required; all readings will be in English. [Back to top.]

History 1526. Imperial Russian History
Catalog Number: 9133
Elena I. Campbell
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Provides an overview of Russian Imperial History from the late 17th century to the Revolutions of 1917. We will explore the Russian Imperial past through examining the nature and evolution of autocratic power, politics of reform and revolution, imperial ideologies and practices, social structure and everyday experiences, as well as intellectual and cultural life.
Prerequisite: No Russian language is required. [Back to top.]

History 1527. The Russian Empire and its Nationalities: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 5167 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Elena I. Campbell
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Multiethnicity was a crucial factor in Imperial Russian history. How was the multiethnic empire held together, and what was the role of the “nationalities question” in its disintegration? How was cultural diversity articulated and manifested in politics? What were the Imperial approaches to different nationalities? We shall explore these questions through examining the issues of identity, nationality policies, and ideologies. Particular attention will be given to the development of the nationalistic discourse in Imperial Russia.
Prerequisite: No Russian language is required. [Back to top.]

History 1528. History and Memory: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 4097
Elena I. Campbell
Half course (spring term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Will focus on the problem of collective memory from the perspective of its social, political, and cultural functions and its institutional and cultural expressions. We will explore the process by which societies construct and make sense of their past through examination of different forms of commemoration (celebrations, monuments, museums, archives). Special attention will be given to Russia: October Revolution as a memory project, the cult of WWII, the remembrance of Stalinist repressions.
Prerequisite: No Russian language is required. [Back to top.]

History 1531. History of the Soviet Union, 1917-1991
Catalog Number: 4501
Terry D. Martin
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines the history of the Soviet Union from the Russian Revolution to Gorbachev’s failed reforms. Focus on the period 1928-53 when industrialization, nationalization and political terror created a distinct Soviet society and culture. Readings include novels, short stories, memoirs, Soviet propaganda, high policy deliberations, letters, journalism, songs, jokes, etc. [Back to top.]

History 2526. Imperial Russian History: Historiography Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 0558
Elena I. Campbell
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Will familiarize students with the historiographical traditions and trends in the field of Imperial Russian history. The focus will be on approaches, major issues, and debates in historical writing.
Prerequisite: No Russian language is required. [Back to top.]

History 2531. The Soviet Union: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7969
Terry D. Martin
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Introduction to archival and primary sources, as well as major historiographical debates. Primary focus on major research paper.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Russian. [Back to top.]

History 2532. The Soviet Union: Proseminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2405
Terry D. Martin
Half course (fall term). W., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9
Introduction to major debates in the historiography of the Soviet Union. [Back to top.]

Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
1730 Cambridge Street Rm S-320
Cambridge, MA 02138
centasiafas.harvard.edu
617-496-2643 | 617-495-8319 (fax)