Admission requirements
This class is intended (in order of preference) for:
Students of the BA Middle Eastern Studies/track Modern Middle East who have successfully completed the propedeutic exam;
Premaster students for the MA Middle Eastern Studies;
Students of the BA Middle Eastern Studies/other tracks
Students from other programmes. Please contact the coordinator of studies, Eli van Duijnen, to find out whether you can be admitted to this class.
Description
What relevance do historical events have, unless they impact on the everyday lives of people? This course is based on the premise that the study of Middle East history is incomplete when the human perspective is overlooked. The course centres on individual memory of historical events in the Middle East region through employment of the method of oral history. Students are trained to use two research methods to get a grip on the relevance of individual memory for a case study into a particular historical episode. The first, oral history, is the chosen method of primary source collection through which memories are collected. The second method is one of primary source analysis: constructivist grounded theory. After a series of introductory sessions through which students become acquainted with said research methods, students start their own research projects. Together with the course convener, students chose a historical development in one of four localities in the region (Arabic, Turkish, Persian and Hebrew speaking). In the first part of the research phase, students become acquainted with the way particular historical developments are narrated by traditional historians (Phase I). Students answer the questions: What happened, why did it happen and what was the social-political impact of these events? Second, students themselves engage in an oral history project through which they aim to uncover the human experiences of historical events through the use of grounded theory (Phase II). They ask the question: How did the event under study impact on the lives of the narrators (interviewees)? Students write transcripts of their interviews and work together in groups to compare and combine respondents’ individual life stories. They use grounded theory to identify important themes in the transcripts, and to combine these themes into a comprehensive analysis of the interviews. Last, by combining the first and second phase, and in the final stage of their project, students write a research paper reflecting a deeper, inclusive understanding of particular historical developments. They will have moved their awareness of these events beyond knowledge and understanding to include empathic human connection.
Students who have knowledge of regional languages are encouraged to use these in their projects. Students who do not have this knowledge are advised to choose a topic that allows for interviews in a non-regional language (English, Dutch or other).
Course objectives
After completion of this course, students:
have gained a deeper understanding of a specific historical episode in recent Middle East history through case study research;
can combine historiographic methods into a limited but comprehensive analysis of a historical event;
have gained experience with Oral History as a research method;
have developed their interviewing and empathic listening skills;
are familiar with the basics of Grounded Theory as a method of analysis and are able to apply this method in research;
have gained experience in working in a research team;
have developed their skills to present their research both orally and in written work;
last but certainly not least: have reflected on their role and positionality as a researcher vis-à-vis their research.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Assessment method
Assessment
Group presentations: 30%
Term paper (individual): 70%
Students are required to upload on Brightspace (pass/fail):
A recording of the interview they conducted (sound only)
A transcript of the interview
A signed release form (appendix C) can either be uploaded on Brightspace or sent by email to the lecturer
Fieldnotes (see assignments in the schedule)
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. In order to establish the final mark, determined by the weighted average, students first need to obtain a pass for their practical work.
Resit
A resit is available only to students whose final mark was insufficient (5.49 or lower). They rewrite their term paper which will count for 100%.
Inspection and feedback
Students will receive feedback on their presentations, which they will use to write their term paper.
Reading list
Donald A. Ritchie. 2014. Doing Oral History. Vol. Third edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kathy Charmaz. 2006. Constructing Grounded Theory. A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. London, Sage Publications.
Selected readings (t.b.a.)
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
Please note that the additional course information is an integral part of this course description.