Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Middle Eastern Studies (research) or another relevant Research MA. Students from other (regular MA) programmes are kindly referred to the course description of the [regular MA course](
Description
Literary and cinematic creations from across the MENA offer a nuanced, compelling introduction to the region and its history – much more than the headlines that dominate the news. This course will compare and analyze perceptions of nationhood that appear in the literary canons of the post 1948 Israel-Palestine as well as those of independent Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Lebanon. We will take our analysis one step further, by focusing on the complicated and fascinating perspective of gender roles. In our readings and discussions, we will examine which gendered bodies are permitted to narrate the national movement, and how; how the conflict is experienced through different gender perspective; how masculinity and femininity are established within the borders of national imagination; and what that means for queer identities. The course is intended to serve as an introduction to the rich cultural corpus of the modern MENA, as well as the methods of comparative literature and gender-focused reading. All readings will be made available in English.
Course objectives
Students will become familiarized with canonical literary and cinematic works from the MENA and their formative role in the creating national-cultural consiousnesses.
Students will receive tools to perform a gender-focused literary and cinematic anaylsis, through familiartization with pivotal thoeritical texts accompanying our primary sources.
Students will be able to contextualize the ongoing transformative trends regarding gender in the current cultural and political climate of the MENA.
Students will identify intersections between ethnic identity, national identity and gender and how those can both amplify or undermine one another.
Students will develop an understanding of the role of power and positionality in the knowledge production in and of the region. Middle East.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
The deadline(s) in MyTimetable is/are set for administrative purposes only. The actual date(s) will be communicated by the lecturer(s) in Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Attendance and participation are obligatory for seminars. Students are required to attend all sessions. The convenors need to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (i.e. due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, family issues, problems with residence permits, the Dutch railways in winter, etc.). In these cases it is up to the discretion of the convener(s) of the course whether or not the missed class will have to be made up with an extra assignment. The maximum of such absences during a semester is two. Being absent without notification can result in a lower grade or exclusion from the term end exams and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Academic integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of academic integrity and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation.
Students must submit their assignment(s) to Brightspace through Turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.
ChatGPT: What is possible and what is allowed? Dos and Don'ts.
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| weekly preparation of responses to questions posted about the readings, to be presented by call in the classroom | 25% |
| Class presentation of research topic | 25% |
| Final reseracrh assignment | 50% |
Students must complete the assignment(s) on time Late submissions will result in a deduction of marks for the assignment as follows: 1-24 hs late = -0.5; 24-48 hs late = -1.0; 48-72 hs late = -1.5; 72-96 hs late = -2.0. Submissions more than 96 hs late, including weekends, will receive a failing grade of 1,0 for the assignment.
In order to pass the course, students must obtain an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher.
The course is an integrated whole. All assessment parts must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Resit
Only if the total weighted average is insufficient (5.49 or lower) and the insufficient grade is the result of an insufficient final assignment, a resit of that assignment is possible (50%). In that case the convener of the course may assign a (new) topic and give a new deadline.
A resit of the other partial assessments is not possible.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
A definitive reading list will be made available at the beginning of the course.
For the Research MA students additional readings will be determined by the convener at a later stage taking into account the students’ fields of interest. Extra sessions will be used to discuss the additional literature.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
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