Women and Politics in the Middle East
790:359/685:359
Spring 2014
Thursdays 9:15am-12:15pm
Instructor: Sarah Weirich
Classroom: Thompson 206
Office: Hickman Hall Room 610
Office Hours: Mondays 11am-1pm and by appointment
Email: Weirich.sm@gmail.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this new Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies course, students will explore the ways
in which the social, political and cultural construction of sexual difference influences the nature
and practice of political life in the Middle East. The course will examine both theoretically and
empirically the ways in which power is gendered and how gender has served as a basis for
political organization, the distribution of power, and the boundaries of public life.
Many themes will be examined in the course to understand the political and economic context of
struggles around gender issues; mobilization of women’s movements; the interaction of religion,
law, and their interpretation; the gendered nature of the state; the path dependence and
institutional nature of women’s movements and struggles; the gendered aspects of revolution,
Westernization, secularism, globalization, and socialism in the Middle East. Although the focus
of the course will be on the “political” in the context of political science, it will also draw heavily
from the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, women’s studies, and political economy. The
focus of the course is on the geographic area of North Africa and the Middle East. Intentionally,
the course includes a balance between empirical knowledge of particular cases and theoretical
debates on gender and politics. Students will be expected to master both theoretical and
empirical dimensions of the course.
This course will combine both lecture and discussion formats. Because of the nature of many of
the topics that I teach, students find that my classes quite often include passionate, even heated,
discussions of the material. I encourage these sorts of conversations and debates, as I believe that
they provide excellent opportunities for refining one’s thinking and values. The first rule in all of
my courses, is: “Read more. Write more. Think more. Be more.” I am thoroughly convinced
that political science courses are ideal opportunities to satisfy all four parts of that rule.
REQUIREMENTS:
You are required to attend all lectures, and read the materials according to the schedule (see below).
All absences require a written explanation in order to be considered to be an excused absence.
Attendance is recorded and each unexcused absence will cost you a small fraction of one point. I
will examine your progress by instituting and/or monitoring:
Participation – 30%
Simulation – 45%
Take home final exam—25%
PARTICIPATION – Reaction Papers & Class Discussion (30%)
To facilitate discussion, students are required to write 2 informal papers based on the readings. I
will allow you to choose which 2 readings you want to write on. These should be done as you go
and will be counted against if you if you turn them all in the last day of class.
These “reaction papers” are designed to get you thinking and to give you an opportunity to
reflect on the issues raised by the course. They should be approximately one page double spaced
(300 words). These posts are not intended as summaries; they are exercises in critical thinking
and an opportunity to digest and synthesize course material--to formulate questions, suggest
alternative interpretations and shape our discussion. They will be graded on a pass/fail
(satisfactory/unsatisfactory) basis and will count towards your participation grade. In general,
while I expect you to adhere to some basic standards of grammar, spelling and presentation,
these posts are more intended to give you an opportunity to reflect critically on the issues raised
in lecture and in the course readings than they are to be formal writing assignments. Papers are
due by 8 am the day of class. You should post your reactions in the “Drop Box” section of Sakai,
where each of you has their own folder.
SIMULATION (45%)
The simulation component of the course will engage students in a debate in which certain topics
are presented and students will represent various groups and positions in the Middle East:
Islamist feminist, Islamic feminist, secular women’s rights groups, anti-women’s rights groups,
etc.
Students will be placed in groups and required to devise “action plans” responding to “significant
domestic events” (i.e. the veil, the role of women leaders, the issue of abortion, divorce,
polygamy etc.). In group-written action plans, students will explain potential courses of action
and justify their initial responses to each event. The simulation puts concepts and ideas into
practice through first-person learning.
A paper of at least 5 pages plus bibliography and notes must be prepared prior to the simulation
that details the point of view of the group regarding the resolution of the debate. During the
simulation the group will deliver the position paper and debate other groups regarding their
positions. The written format of the presentation will be delivered to me the same day of the
conference after a shorter oral presentation is completed by one or two students on behalf of the
group.
TAKE HOME FINAL EXAM (25%)
It will test your comprehension of topics treated from the entire course, but will mainly focus on
topics from the midterm through the end of the semester. Exams will be distributed one and a
half weeks before the due date. The final also will contain two sets of essay questions, and you
will select one from each set, for a total of two essays.
Communication and E-mail policy
I encourage you to contact me concerning questions or problems you may have in relation to the
course by coming to office hours. Office hours provide an extra occasion to discuss the contents
of the course and questions you may have about the material. Office hours are also an
opportunity to talk broadly about historical or philosophical ideas you may wish to explore
further or things which may be outside the confines of the class. I enjoy visitors and office hours
are boring if no one comes, so you'll be doing me a favor. Note: Unless your question requires
only a quick (mostly yes or no) answer or you are notifying me of technical problems with Sakai,
email should be avoided. If you cannot make it to office hours, we can schedule another time to
meet. Also, I do not respond to e-mail after 5 pm in the evening or on Saturday or Sunday, so
please try and plan accordingly.
Participation and Classroom Conduct
Participation is a significant part of your grade in this class. You are expected to come to class
prepared to contribute actively to classroom discussions and activities. This will not only
enhance your own learning experience but the experience of your fellow students. Good
participation entails not only speaking and sharing your thoughts on a regular basis, but also
being considerate and respecting the views of others. To earn high points in the participation part
of the final grade, students will have demonstrated their awareness of the different functions of
classroom comments by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Varying their discussion strategies,
Considering what they say before they say it,
Taking intellectual risks, and
Always respecting the feelings of peers by not interrupting classmates while speaking and
acknowledging interesting ideas.
Any successful learning experience requires mutual respect on the part of the student and the
instructor. Neither instructor nor student should be subject to others’ behavior that is rude,
disruptive, intimidating, or demeaning. The instructor has primary responsibility for and control
over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic integrity.
Instructor responsibilities:




Start and end class on time.
Treat all students with courtesy and respect.
Be open to constructive input from students in the course.
Ensure that opportunities to participate are enjoyed equally by all students in the course.
Student responsibilities:

Come to class on time, and refrain from packing up belongings before class ends.



Turn off all electronic devices that might create a disruption in class.
Be quiet and give full respectful attention while either instructor or another student is
speaking.
When speaking, use courteous, respectful language and keep comments and questions
relevant to the topic at hand.
I expect you to fulfill your responsibilities to me and to your fellow students. By the same token,
if I am not meeting my responsibilities to you I expect you to let me know. In short, let's make
our classroom a comfortable space for real intellectual dialogue, where everyone has the
opportunity to contribute.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic integrity is required of all students. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism and
violations of academic integrity do not excuse guilt of committing these offenses. If parts of
someone else’s work are used directly (paraphrased or quoted) without acknowledgement, this
constitutes plagiarism. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is or how to identify your sources,
ask the course instructor or consult a style manual. Plagiarism is cheating, to the detriment of
both the university and fellow students. Cases of minor plagiarism will normally result in a major
reduction in the assignment grade. More severe cases will result in a grade of F, and will be
reported to the Faculty with a recommendation for the strongest possible disciplinary action. To
avoid committing any offenses, intentional or not, see the academic integrity code:
http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/integrity.
SAS CORE LEARNING GOALS MET BY THIS COURSE
i.
Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions, method, evidence,
arguments, and theory in social and historical analysis.
k.
Explain the development of some aspect of a society or culture over time, including the
history of ideas or history of science.
m.
Understand different theories about human culture, social identity, economic entities,
political systems, and other forms of social organization.
n.
Apply concepts about human and social behaviour to particular questions or situations.
EVALUATION RUBRIC:
I will use this rubric in assessing your performance. It sets the most basic criteria of assessment,
but it should give you the basic idea of what is expected of you.
Essays and other
written work
A
Argument
and analysis
Makes clear and
compelling argument.
Solid reasoning. Offers
insightful analysis
B
Makes clear
argument, based on
plausible readings.
Some effort to
sustain argument
throughout the
analysis.
C
D/F
Attempts to offer a
cogent argument and
analysis, but argument
and analysis are based
on faulty reasoning.
Fails to make a cogent
argument or to offer
sound analysis.
Writing and
grammar
Writes well, making
appropriate word
choices and avoiding
grammar and spelling
mistakes.
Writes well, but may
include a handful of
grammar, spelling, or
word choice
mistakes.
Makes multiple
errors, but still writes
in a clearly intelligible
manner.
Makes multiple errors
that interfere
substantially with
comprehension.
Organization
and structure
Presents clear,
navigable structure with
introduction, body, and
conclusion. Provides
reader with a "road
map" of essay.
Offers clear
organization with
some road map for
reader.
Makes some effort to
structure the paper,
but organization is
problematic or
difficult to follow.
Structures the paper in
a way that is
disorganized and
difficult or impossible
to follow.
Mastery and
use of
readings
Uses multiple readings
and demonstrates
mastery of facts and
arguments made in
readings.
References multiple
readings and
demonstrates a good
degree of
understanding.
Makes minimal use of
readings and/or fails
to demonstrate
adequate mastery of
readings.
Fails to use readings
Conceptual analysis
Knows the analytical
concepts, provides their
definition(s), and
applies them precisely
and systemically in the
analysis of specific
problems.
Knows most of the
concepts. Makes
minor definitional
errors.
Makes some headway
toward knowing and
applying the relevant
concepts.
Fails to know and
apply basic concepts.
Empirical analysis
Marshals appropriate
evidence to describe,
understand, and explain
political problems.
Marshals appropriate
evidence to describe,
understand, and
explain political
problems, with small
errors.
Attempts to provide
and explain evidence
but with substantial
omissions or errors in
interpretation.
Fails to provide
relevant evidence.
Theoretical analysis
Explains the relevance
and applicability of a
wide range of
theoretical analyses to
specific political
problems.
Is able to apply
successfully some of
the course’s
theoretical analyses
to selected political
problems.
Has difficulty
connecting theoretical
analyses to the
political problems.
Fails to connect the
course’s theoretical
analyses to analyzed
political problems.
“Political literacy”
Exhibits a nuanced
understanding of the
relationship between the
analytical tools learned
in class and “real life”
global/comparative
political problems.
Demonstrates a
general
understanding of the
relevance of political
scientific theories for
the analysis of the
global political
world.
Has difficulty
connecting the
theories to actual
issues of
global/comparative
politics.
Fails to connect the
theories to actual
issues of
global/comparative
politics.
Participation Analysis
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Leila Ahmed. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of Modern Debate. New
Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0-300-05583-8.
All other readings/films I will post online.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED:
Abu-Lughod, Lila, Remaking Women: Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East. Princeton,
New Jersey: Princeton University press, 1998.
Gole, Nilufer. The Forbidden Modern: Civilization and Veiling. University of Michigan Press,
1996.
Joseph, Suad (ed.), Gender and Citizenship in the Middle East. Syracuse University Press, 2000.
Kandiyoti, Deniz, Women, Islam, and the State, Temple University Press, 1991.
Lazreg, Marnia, The Eloquence of Silence: Algerian Women in Question. Routledge, 1994.
Mahmood, Sabah, Politics of piety: The Islamic revival and the feminist subject, Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 2005.
Mir-Hosseini, Ziba, Islam and Gender: The Religious Debate in Contemporary Iran, Princeton
University Press, 1999.
Moghadam, Valentine, Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East, 2nd
Edition, Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2003.
Puar, Jasbir, Terrorist Assemblages: homonationalism in queer times. Durham & London: Duke
University Press, 2007.
Singerman, Diane, Avenues of Participation: Family Politics, and Networks in Urban Quarters
of Cairo. Cairo: AUC Press, 1997.
Yamani, May (ed.), Feminism and Islam: Legal and Literary Perspectives. New York University
Press, 1996.
Yeğenoğlu, Meyda, Colonial Fantasies: Towards a Feminist Reading of Orientalism,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Each student is expected to read the assigned material before arriving in class.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Session 1 (January 23): Introductions and the Course Objectives
Introduction & review syllabus.
“How Not to Study Gender in the Middle East,” May 2012.
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/4775/how-not-to-study-gender-in-the-middle-east.
Session 2 (January 30): Feminism and Orientalism
Alloula, Malek. 1986. The Colonial Harem. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press,
pp. 3-35.
Yeğenoğlu, Meyda. 1998. Colonial Fantasies: Towards a Feminist Reading of Orientalism
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
FILM: Hollywood Harems (1999, 24 min)
Session 3 (February 6): Problems in the Study of Middle Eastern Women
Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Muslim Women really need saving?” American Anthropologist 104(3)
2002): 783-790.
Chandra Talpade Mohanty. “Under Western Eyes” (1991)
Spivak article
FEMEN article
Session 3 (February 13, but due to snow moved to February 20): Patriarchy & Gender
Contracts
Deniz Kandiyoti. 1988. “Bargaining with Patriarchy,” Gender and Society 2: 274-290.
Deniz Kandiyoti. 1991. “Islam & Patriarchy: A Comparative Perspective.” In Women in Middle
Eastern History: Shifting Boundaries in Sex and Gender, Nikkie R. Keddie and Beth Baron, eds.,
Yale University Press, pp. 23-42.
Additional Readings
Lerner, Gerda. 1986. The Creation of Patriarchy. New York: Oxford University Press. Intro and
chapter on veiling.
Sharabi, Hisham. Neo-Patriarchy. Chapter 9.
Fatima Mernissi. Beyond the Veil.
Suad Joseph. 1993. P. 453.
Session 4 (February 27): Colonialism, Nationalism and the Mobilization of Women
*Read ahead! This is a big reading week.
Leila Ahmed. 1992. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of Modern Debate. New
Haven and London: Yale University Press, chapter 9, pp. 169-188.
Samira Haj. 1992. “Palestinian Women and Patriarchal Relations,” Signs 17:4: 761-778.
Marnia Lazreg. 1990. “Gender and Politics in Algeria: Unraveling the Religious Paradigm,”
Signs 15:4: 755:780.
FILM: Battle of Algiers
Session 5 (March 6): The Case of Egypt
Badran, Margot. Feminism in Islam. Chapters 9 & 10.
Nadje Sadig Al-Ali. Secularism, Gender and the State: Contextualizing the Egyptian Women’s
Movement. 2000. Selections.
FILM: Caramel (2007, 94min)
Session 6 (March 13): Sharia Law & Gender Politics
** READ AHEAD: BIG READING WEEK
Ziba Mir-Hosseini. 2006. “Muslim Women’s Quest for Equality: Between Islamic Law and
Feminism,” Critical Inquiry, Volume 32, No. 4, pp. 629-645.
Shahla Haeri. “Temporary Marriage and the State in Iran: An Islamic Discourse on Female
Sexuality.” Social Research 59 (Spring 1992): 201-223.
Annie Bunting, “‘Authentic Sharia’ as Cause and Cure for Women’s Human Rights Violations in
Northern Nigeria,” Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World (2011): 152-170.
Fatima Sadiqi & Moha Ennaji, “The Feminization of Public Space: Women’s Activism, the
Family Law, and Social Change in Morocco,” Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies (Spring
2006): 86-114.
Ziba Mir-Hosseini and Vanja Hamzić, “Introduction” in Control and Sexuality: The Revival of
Zina Laws in Muslim Contexts, Women Living Under Muslim Laws. 2010.
FILM: Divorce Iranian Style
Spring Break!
Session 7 (March 27): Gender, Politics, Veiling, and Re-Veiling
Nilufer Gole. The Forbidden Modern: Civilization and Veiling. University of Michigan Press,
1996. Selections.
Jenny White, Islamist Mobilization in Turkey: A Study in Vernacular Politics, University of
Washington Press, 2002. Chapter 7: “Islamist Elitism and Women’s Choices,” pp. 212-241.
Saba Mahmood, The Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2005, 79-117, 189-199.
FILM: A Veiled Revolution
Session 8 (April 3): Women’s Political Participation & Civil Society
Michael Ross “Oil, Islam and Women” APSR (February 2008): 107-123.
Lisa Blaydes and Safinaz El Tarouty, “Women’s Electoral Participation in Egypt: The
Implications of Gender for Voter Recruitment and Mobilization,” The Middle East Journal, Vol.
63, No. 3, (Summer 2009): 3 64-380.
Amal Sabbagh, “The Arab States: Enhancing Women’s Political Participation” in Women in
Parliament: Beyond Numbers.
Lisa Blaydes, “The Political Economy of Women's Support for Fundamentalist Islam.” 2007.
Session 9 (April 10): Islamist Feminists? Public Discourse & Civil Society
Janet Afary. “The War Against Feminism in the Name of the Almighty: Making Sense of
Gender and Muslim Fundamentalism.” Women Living Under Muslim Laws, Dossier 21,
(September 1998): 7-31.
Moghadam, Valentine (2000) “Islamic Feminism and its Discontents: Notes on a Debate”
FILM:
Session 10 (April 17): Violence, Islam and Gender
*There are a few additional readings for this week that are short uploaded on Sakai.
Julie Rajan, Women Suicide Bombers: Narratives of Violence, Routledge, 2012. Selections.
Al-Qaeda’s Al-Shamikha Woman’s Magazine (translated).
FILM:
Session 11 (April 24): Irhal! The 2010/2011 Arab Revolutions & Women
Nadje Al-Ali, “Gendering the Arab Spring,” Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies.
Valentine Moghadam, “Democratic Transitions: Women and the Arab Spring,” Modernizing
Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East, 3rd Edition. Lynne Rienner Publishers,
2013.
FILM:
Session 12 (May 1): Simulation & Debate!
Final Exam will be passed out.
Final Exam Date TBA
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change.