The aim of this course is for students to understand how networks of US imperialism and global capitalism have produced new landscapes of power and intervention - as manifested in urban space - in the contemporary Middle East. Through the readings and coursework, students will analyze how new urban spaces in the region have been produced, what are the primary forces driving these new spaces, and who are the primary actors behind these projects. During the course, students will learn critical geographic theories and apply them to a series of case studies in the Middle East and North Africa. Through the dual lenses of political economy and critical urban theory, the course will explore urban and economic development, war and international aid, political ecology and the environment, tourism, and social change in the region. Site-specific case studies from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and Qatar will be examined.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU BA; AS HUM; AS SD I; FA HUM; AR HUM; FA CPSC
