Courses for Spring 2021
MELC courses offered prior to Fall 2024 were listed under NELC.
| Title | Instructors | Location | Time | Description | Cross listings | Fulfills | Registration notes | Syllabus | Syllabus URL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANEL 441-401 | 1st Year Akkadian II | Joshua A. Jeffers | W 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | Introduction to the grammar of the Akkadian language with emphasis on developing skills in the cuneiform writing system and reading of selected texts. Prerequisite: If course requirement not met, instructor permission required. | ANEL641401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=ANEL441401 | ||||
| ANEL 641-401 | 1st Year Akkadian II | Joshua A. Jeffers | W 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | A continuation of 1st Year Akkadian I, this class builds on the lessons of that class on the grammar of the Akkadian language with emphasis on developing skills in the cuneiform writing system and reading of selected texts. To take this class without first having taken 1st Year Akkadian I requires permission of the instructor. | ANEL441401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=ANEL641401 | ||||
| ANEL 664-401 | Coptic | David P Silverman | MW 02:00 PM-03:30 PM | The course will be an introduction to the writing, grammar, and literature of Coptic. | RELS616401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=ANEL664401 | ||||
| ARAB 032-401 | Elementary Arabic II | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed Mohamad-Hassan Zakaria |
MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This course is a continuation of first semester Elementary Arabic, and builds on the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the standard means of communication in the Arab World. Evaluation is done by the more traditional testing methods (vocabulary tests, dictations, grammar and translation exercises). We anticipate that by the end of this course, students will range in proficiency from Novice High to Intermediate Low on the ACTFL scale. | ARAB632401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 032-402 | Elementary Arabic II | Mohamad-Hassan Zakaria Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed |
MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This course is a continuation of first semester Elementary Arabic, and builds on the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the standard means of communication in the Arab World. Evaluation is done by the more traditional testing methods (vocabulary tests, dictations, grammar and translation exercises). We anticipate that by the end of this course, students will range in proficiency from Novice High to Intermediate Low on the ACTFL scale. | ARAB632402 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 032-403 | Elementary Arabic II | MBArek Sryfi | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM T 12:00 PM-01:30 PM |
This course is a continuation of first semester Elementary Arabic, and builds on the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the standard means of communication in the Arab World. Evaluation is done by the more traditional testing methods (vocabulary tests, dictations, grammar and translation exercises). We anticipate that by the end of this course, students will range in proficiency from Novice High to Intermediate Low on the ACTFL scale. | ARAB632403 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | |||||
| ARAB 034-401 | Intermediate Arabic Iv | MBArek Sryfi | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This is the continuation of the first semester Intermediate Arabic. This course is also proficiency-based, implying that all activities within the course are aimed at placing you, the learner, in the context of the native-speaking environment. Evaluation is done by the more traditional testing methods (vocabulary tests, grammar and translation exercises). We anticipate that students will achieve Intermediate High according to the ACTFL scale. | ARAB634401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 034-402 | Intermediate Arabic Iv | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM T 12:00 PM-01:30 PM |
This is the continuation of the first semester Intermediate Arabic. This course is also proficiency-based, implying that all activities within the course are aimed at placing you, the learner, in the context of the native-speaking environment. Evaluation is done by the more traditional testing methods (vocabulary tests, grammar and translation exercises). We anticipate that students will achieve Intermediate High according to the ACTFL scale. | ARAB634402 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 036-401 | Adv Intermed Arabic Vi | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed | MW 10:00 AM-11:00 AM T 09:00 AM-10:30 AM |
This course is a continuation of first semester Advanced Intermediate Arabic. Emphasis continues to be on all four language skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading, & Writing. The readings for the class are chosen from actual texts from both medieval and modern Arabic in a variety of fields and subjects. Students will be expected to give classroom presentations and to write short essays in Arabic. Evaluation will be both Achievement- and proficiency- based. | ARAB636401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 533-301 | Rdgs in Islamic Law | Joseph E. Lowry | W 10:30 AM-01:00 PM | This advanced readings course provides students with the opportunity to study Arabic-language Islamic legal texts from all periods, including the Qur'an, Hadith, premodern and Ottoman-period texts, and modern positive legislation and constitutions to the extent that they are related to or invoke Islamic law. | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=ARAB533301 | |||||
| ARAB 632-401 | Elementary Arabic II | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed Mohamad-Hassan Zakaria |
MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 031/631. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB032401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 632-402 | Elementary Arabic II | Mohamad-Hassan Zakaria Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed |
MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 031/631. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB032402 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 632-403 | Elementary Arabic II | MBArek Sryfi | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM T 12:00 PM-01:30 PM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 031/631. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB032403 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 634-401 | Intermediate Arabic Iv | MBArek Sryfi | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM T 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 033/633. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB034401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 634-402 | Intermediate Arabic Iv | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM T 12:00 PM-01:30 PM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 033/633. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB034402 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| ARAB 636-401 | Adv Intermed Arabic Vi | Emad El-Din Rushdie Ahmed | MW 10:00 AM-11:00 AM T 09:00 AM-10:30 AM |
This course is a continuation of ARAB 035/635. For the second semester: completion of the first semester or permission of the instructor. | ARAB036401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| HEBR 051-401 | Elem Modern Hebrew I | Ibrahim Miari | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
An introduction to the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew. This course assumes no previous knowledge of Hebrew. A grade of B- or higher is needed to continue in the language. | HEBR651401, JWST051401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR051401 | ||||
| HEBR 052-401 | Elem Modern Hebrew II | Ibrahim Miari | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM TR 11:00 AM-12:00 PM |
A continuation of first semester Elementary Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR652401, JWST052401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR052401 | ||||
| HEBR 053-401 | Intrm Modern Hebrew III | Liora Tamir | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
Development of the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew on an intermediate level. Open to all students who have completed two semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR653401, JWST053401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR053401 | ||||
| HEBR 054-401 | Intrm Modern Hebrew IV | Joseph L Benatov | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM TR 11:00 AM-12:00 PM |
This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Hence, one of the main goals of the course is to prepare the students for the proficiency exam in Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR654401, JWST054401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR054401 | ||||
| HEBR 059-401 | Modern Israeli Culture | Joseph L Benatov | TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM | In this course students are introduced to the vibrant world of contemporary Israeli culture by reading some of the best plays, poems, short stories and journalism published in Israel today. They also watch and analyze some of Israel's most popular films, TV programs, and videos. Themes include Jewish-Arab relations, the founding of the State, family ties and inter generational conflict, war and society, and the recent dynamic changes in Israel society. Students must have taken four semesters of Hebrew at Penn or permission of instructor. Since the content of this course may change from year to year, students may take it more than once (but only once for credit). | HEBR552401, JWST059401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR059401 | |||
| HEBR 152-401 | Elem Biblical Hebrew II | Michael A. Carasik | MW 02:00 PM-03:30 PM | A continued introduction to the grammar of Biblical Hebrew, focusing on the verbal system, with an emphasis on developing language skills in handling Biblical texts. A suitable entry point for students who have had some Modern Hebrew. Prerequisite: If course requirement not met, permission of instructor required. | HEBR452401, JWST172401, JWST472401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR152401 | ||||
| HEBR 154-401 | Intermed Bibl Hebrew II | Michael A. Carasik | MW 03:30 PM-05:00 PM | This course is a continuation of the fall semester's Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I. No one will be admitted into the course who has not taken the fall semester. It will continue to focus on using the grammar and vocabulary learned at the introductory level to enable students to read biblical texts independently and take advanced Bible exegesis courses. We will concentrate this semester on various selections of Biblical poetry, including Exodus 15 and Job 28. We will also continue to translate English prose into Biblical Hebrew. | HEBR454401, JWST174401, JWST474401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR154401 | ||||
| HEBR 452-401 | Elem Biblical Hebrew II | Michael A. Carasik | MW 02:00 PM-03:30 PM | A continued introduction to the grammar of Biblical Hebrew, focusing on the verbal system, with an emphasis on developing language skills in handling Biblical texts. A suitable entry point for students who have had some Modern Hebrew. Prerequisite: If course requirement not met, permission of instructor required. | HEBR152401, JWST172401, JWST472401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR452401 | ||||
| HEBR 454-401 | Intermed Bibl Hebrew II | Michael A. Carasik | MW 03:30 PM-05:00 PM | This course is a continuation of the fall semester's Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I. No one will be admitted into the course who has not taken the fall semester. It will continue to focus on using the grammar and vocabulary learned at the introductory level to enable students to read biblical texts independently and take advanced Bible exegesis courses. We will concentrate this semester on various selections of Biblical poetry, including Exodus 15 and Job 28. We will also continue to translate English prose into Biblical Hebrew. | HEBR154401, JWST174401, JWST474401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR454401 | ||||
| HEBR 552-401 | Modern Israeli Culture | Joseph L Benatov | TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM | After four semesters of language study, it's time to enter the vibrant world of contemporary Israeli culture. In this course students read some of the best plays, poems, short stories, and journalism published in Israel today. They also watch and analyze some of Israel's most popular films, TV programs, and videos. Themes include Jewish-Arab relations, the founding of the State, family ties and intergenerational conflict, war and society, and the recent dynamic changes in Israel society. HEBR 054 or permission of instructor. Since the content of this course may change from year to year, students may take it more than once (but only once for credit). | HEBR059401, JWST059401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR552401 | |||
| HEBR 651-401 | Elem Modern Hebrew I | Ibrahim Miari | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
An introduction to the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in Modern Hebrew. This course assumes no previous knowledge of Hebrew. | HEBR051401, JWST051401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR651401 | ||||
| HEBR 652-401 | Elem Modern Hebrew II | Ibrahim Miari | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM TR 11:00 AM-12:00 PM |
A continuation of HEBR 051, First Year Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR052401, JWST052401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR652401 | ||||
| HEBR 653-401 | Intrm Modern Hebrew III | Liora Tamir | MW 12:00 PM-01:00 PM TR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
Development of the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in Modern Hebrew on an intermediate level. Open to all students who have completed two semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR053401, JWST053401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR653401 | ||||
| HEBR 654-401 | Intrm Modern Hebrew IV | Joseph L Benatov | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM TR 11:00 AM-12:00 PM |
This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Hence, one of the main goals of the course is to prepare the students for the proficiency exam in Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. | HEBR054401, JWST054401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=HEBR654401 | ||||
| NELC 051-401 | Jews & Judaism in Antqty | Simcha Gross | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | A broad introduction to the history of Jewish civilization from its Biblical beginnings to the Middle Ages, with the main focus on the formative period of classical rabbinic Judaism and on the symbiotic relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. | RELS120401, HIST139401, JWST156401, NELC451401 | History & Tradition Sector | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC051401 | |||
| NELC 054-401 | Music in Troubled Places | James Sykes | R 01:30 PM-03:30 PM | In this class, we go beyond the headlines to discuss the history and cultures of peoples who have had to endure terrible suffering, particularly through ethnic conflict and civil war. We will focus on a curious phenomenon: populations typically defined as separate from one another (e.g., Israelis and Palestinians) often have a history of shared or related cultural practices, of which music is a prime example. We will survey a number of current and recent conflict zones and use music as a way to deepen our understanding of the identities and relationships between the peoples involved including through a consideration of my own fieldwork in Sri Lanka. Querying the very definitions of music, trouble, and place, the course then broadens out to consider how musicians have been affected by and/or responded to important global problems like slavery, sexual violence, climate change and other ecological disasters, like Hurricane Katrina. Regions to be considered in our lectures and/or readings include: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria (including Kurdish musics), Israel-Palestine, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Myanmar/Burma, Uganda, Sierra Leone, North and South Korea, the Marshall Islands, Cambodia, Mexico, and the United States. | MUSC053401, ANTH053401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC054401 | |||
| NELC 061-401 | Lit Legacy of Anc Egypt | Jennifer Houser Wegner | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | This course surveys the literature of Ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period, focusing upon theme, structure, and style, as well as historical and social context. A wide range of literary genres are treated, including epics; tales, such as the "world's oldest fairy tale;" poetry, including love poems, songs, and hymns; religious texts, including the "Cannibal Hymn"; magical spells; biographies; didactic literature; drama; royal and other monumental inscriptions; and letters, including personal letters, model letters, and letters to the dead. Issues such as literacy, oral tradition, and the question poetry vs. prose are also discussed. No prior knowledge of Egyptian is required. | NELC463401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC061401 | ||||
| NELC 062-401 | Land of the Pharaohs | Josef W Wegner | TR 03:00 PM-04:30 PM | This course provides an introduction to the society, culture and history of ancient Egypt. The objective of the course is to provide an understanding of the characteristics of the civilization of ancient Egypt and how that ancient society succeeded as one of the most successful and long-lived civilizations in world history. | AFRC062401 | History & Tradition Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
Course Online: Synchronous Format Objects-Based Learning Course |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC062401 | |||
| NELC 088-401 | Oil Flds To Soccer Flds | Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet | T 09:00 AM-10:30 AM | How did the Middle East become modern? This seemingly simple question requires a complex appraisal of civic society. Life changed in spectacular ways for the denizens of the Middle East in the span of a century. Oil -- once considered a scarce natural commodity -- was discovered and exported in substantial quantities that altered the economic landscape of the region and the world. Movie theaters, sewage systems, and public housing projects changed the urban backdrop of Middle Eastern cities and towns. Soccer, swimming, and volleyball became some of the new-fangled sports embraced by Middle Eastern communities. This course will traverse these fascinating and fraught cultural transformations of the Middle East in the twentieth century. Although inclusive of the military battles and conflicts that have affected the region, this class will move beyond the cliches of war to show the range of issues and ideas with which intellectuals and communities grappled. The cultural politics and economic value of oil as well as the formation of a vibrant literary life will be among the topics covered. By considering illustrative cultural moments that shed light on the political history of the period, this course will develop a nuanced framework to approach the history of the U.S. involvement in the region, the Iran-Iraq war, the Arab/Israeli conflict, and the current crises in the Persian Gulf. | HIST088401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| NELC 102-401 | Intro To Middle East | Paul M. Cobb | R 09:00 AM-10:30 AM | This is the second half of the Near East sequence. This course surveys Islamic civilization from circa 600 (the rise of Islam) to the start of the modern era and concentrates on political, social, and cultural trends. Although the emphasis will be on Middle Eastern societies, we will occasionally consider developments in other parts of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and Spain, where Islamic civilization was or has been influential. Our goal is to understand the shared features that have distinguished Islamic civilization as well as the varieties of experience that have endowed it with so much diversity. | HIST023401 | History & Tradition Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | ||||
| NELC 118-401 | Iran Cinema:Gend/Pol/Rel | Mahyar Entezari | This seminar explores Iranian culture, society, history and politics through the medium of film. We will examine a variety of cinematic works that represent the social, political, economic and cultural circumstances of contemporary Iran, as well as the diaspora. Along the way, we will discuss issues pertaining to gender, religion, nationalism, ethnicity, and the role of cinema in Iranian society and beyond. Discussions topics will also include the place of the Iranian diaspora in cinema, as well as the transnational production, distribution, and consumption of Iranian cinema. Films will include those by internationally acclaimed filmmakers, such as Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Asghar Farhadi, Bahman Ghobadi, Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Dariush Mehrjui, Tahmineh Milani, Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi and others. All films will be subtitled in English. No prior knowledge is required. | CIMS118401, GSWS118401, NELC618401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC118401 | ||||
| NELC 136-401 | Introduction To Islam | Seyed Alireza Noori | MW 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | This course is an introduction to Islam as a religion as it exists in societies of the past as well as the present. It explores the many ways in which Muslims have interpreted and put into practice the prophetic message of Muhammad through historical and social analyses of varying theological, philosophical, legal, political, mystical and literary writings, as well as through visual art and music. The aim of the course is to develop a framework for explaining the sources and symbols through which specific experiences and understandings have been signified as Islamic, both by Muslims and by other peoples with whom they have come into contact, with particular emphasis given to issues of gender, religious violence and changes in beliefs and behaviors which have special relevance for contemporary society. | RELS143401, SAST139401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | |||||
| NELC 137-401 | Arb/Isr Con Lit & Film | Eve M. Troutt Powell | MW 11:00 AM-12:00 PM | This course will explore the origins, the history and, most importantly, the literary and cinematic art of the struggle that has endured for a century over the region that some call the Holy Land, some call Eretz Israel and others call Palestine. We will also consider religious motivations and interpretations that have inspired many involved in this conflict as well as the political consequences of world wars that contributed so greatly to the reconfiguration of the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and after the revelations of the Holocaust in Western Europe. While we will rely on a textbook for historical grounding. the most significant material we will use to learn this history will be films, novels, and short stories. Can the arts lead us to a different understanding of the lives lived through what seems like unending crisis? | HIST166401, CIMS166401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC137401 | ||||
| NELC 137-402 | Arb/Isr Con Lit & Film | Dahlia El Zein | F 11:00 AM-12:00 PM | This course will explore the origins, the history and, most importantly, the literary and cinematic art of the struggle that has endured for a century over the region that some call the Holy Land, some call Eretz Israel and others call Palestine. We will also consider religious motivations and interpretations that have inspired many involved in this conflict as well as the political consequences of world wars that contributed so greatly to the reconfiguration of the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and after the revelations of the Holocaust in Western Europe. While we will rely on a textbook for historical grounding. the most significant material we will use to learn this history will be films, novels, and short stories. Can the arts lead us to a different understanding of the lives lived through what seems like unending crisis? | HIST166402, CIMS166402 | Course Online: Synchronous Format Registration also required for Lecture (see below) |
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| NELC 137-403 | Arb/Isr Con Lit & Film | CANCELED | This course will explore the origins, the history and, most importantly, the literary and cinematic art of the struggle that has endured for a century over the region that some call the Holy Land, some call Eretz Israel and others call Palestine. We will also consider religious motivations and interpretations that have inspired many involved in this conflict as well as the political consequences of world wars that contributed so greatly to the reconfiguration of the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and after the revelations of the Holocaust in Western Europe. While we will rely on a textbook for historical grounding. the most significant material we will use to learn this history will be films, novels, and short stories. Can the arts lead us to a different understanding of the lives lived through what seems like unending crisis? | HIST166403, CIMS166403 | Course Online: Synchronous Format Registration also required for Lecture (see below) |
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| NELC 137-404 | Arb/Isr Con Lit & Film | Dahlia El Zein | R 04:30 PM-05:30 PM | This course will explore the origins, the history and, most importantly, the literary and cinematic art of the struggle that has endured for a century over the region that some call the Holy Land, some call Eretz Israel and others call Palestine. We will also consider religious motivations and interpretations that have inspired many involved in this conflict as well as the political consequences of world wars that contributed so greatly to the reconfiguration of the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and after the revelations of the Holocaust in Western Europe. While we will rely on a textbook for historical grounding. the most significant material we will use to learn this history will be films, novels, and short stories. Can the arts lead us to a different understanding of the lives lived through what seems like unending crisis? | HIST166404, CIMS166404 | Course Online: Synchronous Format Registration also required for Lecture (see below) |
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| NELC 159-401 | Mod Heb Lit & Film Trans: Image of the City | Nili R Gold | MW 02:00 PM-03:30 PM | Like James Joyce's Dublin, Carl Sandburg's Chicago, or even Woody Allen's Paris, cities have long been the object of yearning and the subject of art. In the time of a pandemic, the idea of the city is associated with new challenges and emotions. This course examines how cities are forged in cinema, literature and scholarship as well as the role of their architecture. While we focus on Israeli cities like Jerusalem, Tiberias, or Tel Aviv, we'll compare their artistic portrayals to those of American, German, and Iraqi cities, among others. The psychological and physical bond between writers or directors and their respective places is metabolized in their poetry, prose, and films, and so artistic representations of cities often reflect the inner world, personal relations, or social and national conflicts. | JWST154401, COML282401, CIMS159401 | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC159401 | |||
| NELC 180-401 | Narrative Across Culture | Ania Loomba | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | The purpose of this course is to present a variety of narrative genres and to discuss and illustrate the modes whereby they can be analyzed. We will be looking at shorter types of narrative: short stories, novellas, and fables, and also some extracts from longer works such as autobiographies. While some works will come from the Anglo-American tradition, a larger number will be selected from European and non-Western cultural traditions and from earlier time-periods. The course will thus offer ample opportunity for the exploration of the translation of cultural values in a comparative perspective. | SAST124401, THAR105401, COML125401, ENGL103401 | Arts & Letters Sector Cross Cultural Analysis |
Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC180401 | |||
| NELC 181-401 | Introduction To Folklore | Dan Ben-Amos | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | The purpose of the course is to introduce you to the subjects of the discipline of Folklore, their occurrence in social life and the scholarly analysis of their use in culture. As a discipline folklore explores the manifestations of expressive forms in both traditional and moderns societies, in small-scale groups where people interact with each face-to-face, and in large-scale, often industrial societies, in which the themes, symbols, and forms that permeate traditional life, occupy new positions, or occur in different occasions in everyday life. For some of you the distinction between low and high culture, or artistic and popular art will be helpful in placing folklore forms in modern societies. For others, these distinction will not be helpful. In traditional societies, and within social groups that define themselves ethnically, professionally, or culturally, within modern heterogeneous societies, and traditional societies in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia, folklore plays a more prominent role in society, than it appears to plan in literati cultures on the same continents. Consequently the study of folklore and the analysis of its forms are appropriate in traditional as well as modern societies and any society that is in a transitional phase. | COML101401, FOLK101401, RELS108401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Synchronous Format Humanities & Social Science Sector |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC181401 | |||
| NELC 187-401 | Material Past Dig World | Jason Herrmann | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | The material remains of the human past -objects and spaces- provide tangible evidence of past people's lives. Today's information technologies improve our ability to document, study, and present these materials. But what does it mean to deal with material evidence in a virtual context? In this class, students will learn basic digital methods for studying the past while working with objects, including those in the collections of the Penn Museum. This class will teach relational database design and 3D object modeling. As we learn about acquiring and managing data, we will gain valuable experience in the evaluation and use of digital tools. The digital humanities are a platform both for learning the basic digital literacy students need to succeed in today's world and for discussing the human consequences of these new technologies and data. We will discuss information technology's impact on the study and presentation of the past, including topics such as public participation in archaeological projects, educational technologies in museum galleries, and the issues raised by digitizing and disseminating historic texts and objects. Finally, we will touch on technology's role in the preservation of the past in today's turbulent world. No prior technical experience is required, but we hope students will share an enthusiasm for the past. | ANTH127401, CLST127401, ARTH127401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC187401 | ||||
| NELC 216-401 | Intro To Persian Poetry | Fatemeh Shams Esmaeili | R 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | This course introduces some of the major genres and themes of the millennium-old Persian poetic tradition from ancient to modern Iran. Epic and romance, love and mysticism, wine and drunkenness, wisdom and madness, body and mind, sin and temptation are some of the key themes that will be explored through a close reading of poems in this course.The course suits undergraduate students of all disciplines, as it requires no prior knowledge of or familiarity with the Persian language or the canon of Persian literature. All teaching materials are available in English translation. Students are expected to attend seminars and take part in discussions | COML215401, HIST226401, NELC516401, GSWS214401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC216401 | |||
| NELC 231-401 | Modern Arabic Literature: Modern Arabic Poetry | Huda Fakhreddine | T 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | This course is a study of modern Arabic literary forms in the context of the major political and social changes which shaped Arab history in the first half of the twentieth century. The aim of the course is to introduce students to key samples of modern Arabic literature which trace major social and political developments in Arab society. Each time the class will be offered with a focus on one of the literary genres which emerged or flourished in the twentieth century: the free verse poem, the prose-poem, drama, the novel, and the short story. We will study each of these emergent genres against the socio-political backdrop which informed it. All readings will be in English translations. The class will also draw attention to the politics of translation as a reading and representational lens. | COML246401, NELC631401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC231401 | |||
| NELC 235-301 | Food in Islamic Mid East | Heather Sharkey | M 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | In the tenth century, a scholar named Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq produced an Arabic manuscript called Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Cooking). This volume, which c ompiled and discussed the recipes of eighth- and ninth-century Islamic rulers (caliphs) and their courts in Iraq, represents the oldest known surviving cookbook of the Arab-Islamic world. Many more such cookbooks followed; in their day they represented an important literary genre among cultured elites. As one food historian recently noted, there are more cookbooks in Arabic from before 1400 than in the rest of the worlds languages put together. Ibn Sayyars cookbook can help us to think about the historical and cultural d ynamics of food. In this class, we will focus on the Middle East across the sweep of the Islamic era, into the modern period, and until the present day, although many of the readings will consider the study of food in other places (including the contemporary United States) for comparative insights. The class will use the historical study of food and foodways as a lens for examining subject s that relate to a wide array of fields and interests. These subjects include economics, agricultural and environmental studies, anthropology, literature, religion, and public health. With regard to the modern era, the course will pay close attention to the consequences of food for shaping memories and identities including religious, ethnic, national, and gender-b ased identities particularly among people who have dispersed or otherwise mig rated. It will also focus considerably on the politics of food, that is, on the place of food in power relations.Among the questions we will debate are these: How does food reflect, shape, or inform history? By approaching the study of Middle Eastern cultures through food, what new or different things can we see? What is the field of food studies, and what can it offer to scholars? What is food writing as a literary form, and what methodological and conceptual ch allenges face those who undertake it? | Course Online: Synchronous Format Benjamin Franklin Seminars |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC235301 | |||||
| NELC 239-401 | Migration & Middle East | Heather Sharkey | T 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | This reading-and discussion-intensive seminar examines the phenomenon of migration into, out of, within, and across the Middle East and North Africa. We will focus on the period from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will emphasize the cultural (rather than economic) consequences of migration. Along the way we will trace connections between the Middle East and other regions-- notably the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. Readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, anthropology, sociology, medical research, literature, political science, geography, and human rights advocacy. As students develop final projects on topics of their choice, we will spend time throughout the semester discussing tactics for research and writing. | SAST269401, NELC539401, ASAM239401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC239401 | ||||
| NELC 250-401 | The Book of Exodus | Isabel Cranz | TR 04:30 PM-06:00 PM | This course introduces students to one specific Book of the Hebrew Bible. "The Bible in Translation" involves an in-depth reading of a biblical source against the background of contemporary scholarship. Depending on the book under discussion, this may also involve a contextual reading with other biblical books and the textual sources of the ancient Near East. Although no prerequisites are required, this class is a perfect follow-up course to "Intro to the Bible." | COML380401, RELS224401, JWST255401, NELC550401 | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC250401 | ||||
| NELC 254-401 | Jewish Humor | Dan Ben-Amos | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | In modern American popular culture Jewish humor is considered by Jews and non-Jews as a recognizable and distinct form of humor. Focusing upon folk-humor, in this course we will examine the history of this perception, and study different manifestation of Jewish humor as a particular case study of ethnic in general. Specific topics for analysis will be: humor in the Hebrew Bible, Jewish humor in Europe and in America, JAP and JAM jokes, Jewish tricksters and pranksters, Jewish humor in the Holocaust and Jewish humor in Israel. The term paper will be collecting project of Jewish jokes. | FOLK296401, COML259401, JWST102401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC254401 | |||
| NELC 257-401 | Women in the Bible | Isabel Cranz | TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | The Hebrew Bible stands as the basis of the three most influential monotheistic religions. In recent years these religions have come under attack for promoting misogyny and advancing a patriarchal worldview. The extent to which the allegations of misogyny and promulgation of a patriarchal power structure can be traced back to the Bible will be investigated in this course. This is done by investigating the role women play in the narratives and legal materials found in the Bible. Utilizing modern biblical criticism, we analyze stories such as the expulsion from Eden, the matriarchs, and the rape of Dinah. We also examine the status of women as sisters, wives and mothers while taking into consideration the contributions women made to prophecy and leadership. Finally, a more abstract conceptualization of the feminine in poetry and wisdom writings will be explored. The study of biblical women will not only allow for a renewed appreciation of the feminine in the Bible, it will also lead to an improved understanding of male characters against which the women of the Bible are often cast. | RELS257401, GSWS258401, JWST254401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Asynchronous Format Benjamin Franklin Seminars |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC257401 | |||
| NELC 275-401 | Early Mesopotamia | Stephen J. Tinney | R 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | The fourth millennium BCE saw the rise of cities and the birth of writing in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). This class traces the history of Mesopotamia from about 3000 BCE to about 1600 BCE (the end of the Old Babylonian Period), examining political history and changes in social organization as well as developments in religion, literature and art. | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | ||||||
| NELC 281-401 | Anth & the Modern World | Brian J Spooner | M 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | This course relates anthropological models and methods to current problems in the Modern World. The overall objective is to show how the research findings and analytical concepts of anthropology may be used to illuminate and explain events as they have unfolded in the recent news and in the course of the semester. Each edition of the course will focus on a particular country or region that has been in the news. | ANTH100401, ANTH654401, NELC681401, SAST161401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC281401 | |||
| NELC 282-401 | Who Belongs? Minorities and Nation-Building in the Middle East | Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet | T 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | This seminar offers an introduction to Muslim political thought. Chrnologically the course ranges from the medieval period to the present. Particular attention will be given in the later part of the coruse to the renaissance of Muslim potical thought in recent years and to the development of politicial Islam, including the work of such thinkers as Said Qutb and Hasan Turabi. We will also study the roots of this renaissance in classical philosophy of the medieval period (Al Farabi, Al Ghazali, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Tufayl) and the liberal age. | HIST232401 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | |||||
| NELC 286-401 | Living World in Archaeological Science | Chantel E. White Katherine M Moore Janet M Monge |
TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | By focusing on the scientific analysis of archaeological remains, this course will explore life and death in the past. It takes place in the new Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM) and is team taught in three modules: human skeletal analysis, analysis of animal remains, and analysis of plant remains. Each module will combine laboratory and classroom exercises to give students hands-on experience with archaeological materials. We will examine how organic materials provide key information about past environments, human behavior, and cultural change through discussions of topics such as health and disease, inequality, and food. | ANTH267401, ANTH567401, CLST568401, CLST268401, NELC586401 | Contact Dept Or Instructor For Classrm Info Course Online: Synchronous Format Objects-Based Learning Course |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC286401 | ||||
| NELC 306-401 | Gunpowder, Art, & Diplomacy: Islamic Empires in the Early Modern World | Oscar Aguirre Mandujano | TR 03:00 PM-04:30 PM | In the sixteenth century, the political landscape of the Middle East, Central Asia, and India changed with the expansion and consolidation of new Islamic empires. Gunpowder had transformed the modes of warfare. Diplomacy followed new rules and forms of legitimation. The widespread use of Persian, Arabic and Turkish languages across the region allowed for an interconnected world of scholars, merchants, and diplomats. And each imperial court, those of the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Mughals, found innovative and original forms of expression in art and literature. The expansion of these Islamic empires, each of them military giants and behemoths of bureaucracy, marked a new phase in world history. The course is divided in four sections. The first section introduces the student to major debates about the so-called gunpowder empires of the Islamic world as well as to comparative approaches to study them. The second section focuses on the transformations of modes of warfare and military organization. The third section considers the cultural history and artistic production of the imperial courts of the Ottomans, the Mughals, and the Safavids. The fourth and final section investigates the social histories of these empires, their subjects, and the configuration of a world both connected and divided by commerce, expansion, and diplomacy. | HIST306401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC306401 | |||
| NELC 359-401 | Sem Modern Hebrew Lit: Giants of Hebrew Lit | Nili R Gold | MW 03:30 PM-05:00 PM | This course introduces students to selections from the best literary works written in Hebrew over the last hundred years in a relaxed seminar environment. The goal of the course is to develop skills in critical reading of literature in general, and to examine how Hebrew authors grapple with crucial questions of human existence and national identity. Topics include: Hebrew classics and their modern "descendents," autobiography in poetry and fiction, the conflict between literary generations, and others. Because the content of this course changes from year to year, students may take it for credit more than once. This course is conducted in Hebrew and all readings are in Hebrew. Grading is based primarily on participation and students' literary understanding. | JWST359401, NELC659401, COML359401, JWST659401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC359401 | |||
| NELC 385-401 | Eastern Christianities | Reyhan Durmaz | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | The history of Christianity is often told from the perspective of its spread westward from Israel to Rome. Yet, in the first millenium, there were more Christians living in the East, in places as far away as Persia, Yemen, India, China, and Mongolia, than in the West. Spread across the Asian continent, these Christians were actively involved in local and imperial politics, composed theological literature, and were deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of their host societies. This course traces the spread of Christianity eastward, paying particular attention to its regional developments, its negotiations with local political powers, and its contact with other religions, including Buddhism, Manichaeism, and Islam. Readings will cover a broad range of sources, including selections from classical Syriac literature, Mesopotamian magic bowls, the so-called "Jesus Sutras," and the Quran. | RELS235401, SAST245401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC385401 | ||||
| NELC 402-401 | Beginning Hindi-Urdu II | Josh Pien | MTWR 12:00 PM-01:00 PM | This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediat level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials. | HIND401401, URDU402401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | |||||
| NELC 419-401 | Mining Archaeology | Douglas K. Smit | F 09:00 AM-12:00 PM | In ancient times, materials such as stone and metals were used to produce artifacts including pigments, jewelry, tools, and weapons. This course is designed to introduce students to research on the early exploitation of mineral resources. Which techniques were used to access and process raw materials in antiquity? Which archaeological methods can be used to investigate these features and artifacts? The course will provide worldwide examples through time, ranging from Stone Age flint mining, Iron Age rock salt mining to Medieval silver mining. Ethnographic studies and hands-on activities will contribute to our understanding of mining in archaeology, and artifacts from the Museum's collections will undergo scientific analysis in the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials. Prerequisite: Desired but not mandatory: ANTH 221/521 Material World in Archaeological Science | ANTH419401, CLST419401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC419401 | ||||
| NELC 431-401 | Language & Literature: Advanced Urdu-Language and Literature | Mustafa A Menai | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | This course is designed to give in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry along with the historical and socio-political trends they represent. Figures covered range from Ghalib (b.1797) to Faiz, Fehmida Riaz, and post 9/11 Urdu prose and poetry. The course is open to both undergraduates and graduate students, subject to having intermediate level proficiency. The course is repeatable, and hte content changes every semester. Multi-media content such as music, videos, blogs etc. will be actively incorporated. Every effort will be made to accommidate individual interests. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions, or if they are unsure about eligibility. | URDU431401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC431401 | |||
| NELC 437-301 | Islam Intellect Traditio | Joseph E. Lowry | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | This comprehensive survey of the traditions of rational thought in classical Islamic culture is distinguished by its attempt to contextualize and localize the history of what is best described as philosophy in Islam, including not only the Islamic products of the Hellenistic mode of thought but also religious and linguistic sciences whose methodology is philosophical. The course examines the influence of these different disciplines upon each other, and the process of the Islamic "aspecting" of the Greek intellectual legacy. The readings thus include not only the works of Hellenized philosophers (falasifa) of Islam, but also those of theologians (mutakallimun), legists (fiqh scholars), and grammarians (nahw/lugha scholars). No prerequisites. Additional advanced-level assignments can be given for graduate credit. | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC437301 | |||||
| NELC 451-401 | Jews & Judaism in Antqty | Simcha Gross | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | A broad introduction to the history of Jewish civilization from its Biblical beginnings to the Middle Ages, with the main focus on the formative period of classical rabbinic Judaism and on the symbiotic relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. | RELS120401, HIST139401, NELC051401, JWST156401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC451401 | ||||
| NELC 463-401 | Lit Legacy of Anc Egypt | Jennifer Houser Wegner | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | This course surveys the literature of Ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom through the Graeco-Roman period, focusing upon theme, structure, and style, as well as historical and social context. A wide range of literary genres are treated, including epics; tales, such as the "world's oldest fairy tale;" poetry, including love poems, songs, and hymns; religious texts, including the "Cannibal Hymn"; magical spells; biographies; didactic literature; drama; royal and other monumental inscriptions; and letters, including personal letters, model letters, and letters to the dead. Issues such as literacy, oral tradition, and the question poetry vs. prose are also discussed. No prior knowledge of Egyptian is required. | NELC061401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC463401 | ||||
| NELC 516-401 | Intro To Persian Poetry | Fatemeh Shams Esmaeili | R 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | This course introduces some of the major genres and themes of Persian poetry from ancient to modern Iran. Epic and romance, love and mysticism, wine and drunkenness, wisdom and madness, body and mind, sin and temptation are some of the key themes that will be explored through a close reading of poems in this course. The course suits students of all disciplines, as it requires no prior knowledge of or familiarity with the Persian language or the canon of Persian literature. All teaching materials are available in English translation. Students are expected to attend seminars and take part in discussions. | COML215401, HIST226401, NELC216401, GSWS214401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC516401 | |||
| NELC 539-401 | Migration & Middle East | Heather Sharkey | T 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | This reading- and discussion-intensive seminar examines the phenomenon of migration into, out of, within, and across the Middle East and North Africa. We will focus on the period from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will emphasize the cultural (rather than economic) consequences of migration. Along the way we will trace connections between the Middle East and other regions-- notably the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. Readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, anthropology, sociology, medical research, literature, political science, geography, and human rights advocacy. As students develop final projects on topics of their choice, we will spend time throughout the semester discussing tactics for research and writing. | SAST269401, NELC239401, ASAM239401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC539401 | ||||
| NELC 550-401 | The Book of Exodus | Isabel Cranz | TR 04:30 PM-06:00 PM | This course introduces undergraduates and graduate students to one specific Book of the Hebrew Bible. "The Bible in Translation" involves an in-depth reading of a biblical source against the background of contemporary scholarship. Depending on the book under discussion, this may also involve a contextual reading with other biblical books and the textual sources of the ancient Near East. Although no prerequisites are required, NELC 250 is a perfect follow-up course for NELC 150 "Intro to the Bible." | COML380401, RELS224401, NELC250401, JWST255401 | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC550401 | ||||
| NELC 575-401 | Early Mesopotamia | The fourth millennium BCE saw the rise of cities and the birth of writing in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). This class traces the history of Mesopotamia from about 3000 BCE to about 1600 BCE (the end of the Old Babylonian Period), examining political history and changes in social organization as well as developments in religion, literature and art. | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | ||||||||
| NELC 586-401 | Living World in Archaeological Science | Chantel E. White Katherine M Moore Janet M Monge |
TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | By focusing on the scientific analysis of archaeological remains, this course will explore life and death in the past. It takes place in the new Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM) and is team taught in three modules: human skeletal analysis, analysis of animal remains, and analysis of plant remains. Each module will combine laboratory and classroom exercises to give students hands-on experience with archaeological materials. We will examine how organic materials provide key information about past environments, human behavior, and cultural change through discussions of topics such as health and disease, inequality, and food. | ANTH267401, ANTH567401, CLST568401, CLST268401, NELC286401 | Undergraduates Need Permission Contact Dept Or Instructor For Classrm Info Course Online: Synchronous Format Objects-Based Learning Course |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC586401 | ||||
| NELC 618-401 | Iran Cinema:Gend/Pol/Rel | Mahyar Entezari | This seminar explores Iranian culture, art, history and politics through film in the contemporary era. We will examine a variety of works that represent the social, political, economic and cultural circumstances of post-revolutionary Iran. Along the way, we will discuss issues pertaining to gender, religion, nationalism, ethnicity, and the function of cinema in present day Iranian society. Films to be discussed will be by internationally acclaimed filmmakers, such as Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Tahmineh Milani, Jafar Panahi, Bahman Ghobadi, among others. | CIMS118401, GSWS118401, NELC118401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC618401 | ||||
| NELC 631-401 | Modern Arabic Literature: Modern Arabic Poetry | Huda Fakhreddine | T 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | This course is a study of modern Arabic literary forms in the context of the major political and social changes which shaped Arab history in the first half of the twentieth century. The aim of the course is to introduce students to key samples of modern Arabic literature which trace major social and political developments in Arab society. Each time the class will be offered with a focus on one of the literary genres which emerged or flourished in the twentieth century: the free verse poem, the prose-poem, drama, the novel, and the short story. We will study each of these emergent genres against the socio-political backdrop which informed it. All readings will be in English translations. The class will also draw attention to the politics of translation as a reading and representational lens. | COML246401, NELC231401 | Arts & Letters Sector | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC631401 | |||
| NELC 633-301 | Sel Topics Arabic Lit: Classical Arab Criticism | Huda Fakhreddine | W 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | This is the graduate seminar course in which a variety of aspects of Arabic literature studies are covered at the advanced graduate level. Students in this course are expected to be able to read large amounts of literature in Arabic on a weekly basis and to be able to discuss them critically during the class itself. Topics are chosen to reflect student interest. Recent topics have included: 1001 NIGHTS; the short story; the novel; MAQAMAT; classical ADAB prose; the drama; the novella; modern Arabic poetry. | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC633301 | |||||
| NELC 650-401 | Rabbinic Literature | Simcha Gross | T 01:30 PM-04:30 PM | This course is intended as an in-depth survey of research debates, historical-critical methods and resources employed in the study of classical (pre-Geonic) rabbinic literature; in other words, this class offers a robust introduction to the history of the field. The course will introduce students to much (but by no means all) of the fundamental modern scholarship of the 19th-21st centuries, divided into key topics. | JWST660401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | |||||
| NELC 659-401 | Giants of Hebrew Lit | Nili R Gold | MW 03:30 PM-05:00 PM | This course introduces students to selections from the best literary works written in Hebrew over the last hundred years in a relaxed seminar environment. The goal of the course is to develop skills in critical reading of literature in general, and to examine how Hebrew authors grapple with crucial questions of human existence and national identity. Topics include: Hebrew classics and their modern "descendents," autobiography in poetry and fiction, the conflict between literary generations, and others. Because the content of this course changes from year to year, students may take it for credit more than once. This course is conducted in Hebrew and all readings are in Hebrew. Grading is based primarily on participation and students' literary understanding. | JWST359401, NELC359401, COML359401, JWST659401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC659401 | ||||
| NELC 681-401 | Anth & the Modern World | Brian J Spooner | M 02:00 PM-05:00 PM | This course relates anthropological models and methods to current problems in the Modern World. The overall objective is to show how the research findings and analytical concepts of anthropology may be used to illuminate and explain events as they have unfolded in the recent news and in the course of the semester. Each edition of the course will focus on a particular country or region that has been in the news. | ANTH100401, ANTH654401, NELC281401, SAST161401 | Cross Cultural Analysis | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=NELC681401 | |||
| PERS 012-401 | Elem Persian II | Mahyar Entezari | TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM W 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
This course is designed to help you build upon what you have learned in Elementary Persian I. Emphasis is placed on using the language for interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. Therefore use of English is restricted. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing-as well as culture, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation-are integrated into the course. Students must either have successfully completed PERS 011, or take the departmental exam. | PERS612401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS012401 | ||||
| PERS 014-401 | Intermed Persian II | Mahyar Entezari | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | In this course, we will continue to address a broader variety of cultural topics in order to increase your proficiency in linguistic as well as cultural terms. Emphasis is place on actively using Persian for interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. Therefore use of English is restricted. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are integrated into the course, as are culture, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Students must either have successfully completed PERS 013 or PERS 017, or take the departmental placement exam. | PERS614401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS014401 | ||||
| PERS 016-680 | Advanced Persian II | Fatemeh Shams Esmaeili | PERS616680 | Prior Language Experience Required Crse Online: Sync & Async Components Course Online: Asynchronous Format |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS016680 | ||||||
| PERS 040-680 | Intro To Sorani Kurdish | Mohammed Amin Abdulqadir Salih | CANCELED | Introduction to Sorani Kurdish is an introductory-level course designed to help you start learning Sorani Kurdish and to give you the necessary tools to continue your study of Kurdish language. This course introduces the Kurdish alphabet (Arabic script) alongside grammar and vocabulary. Toward the end of the semester, the course will also involve some Kurdish classical and modern poetry. Emphasis is placed on actively using the language for interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. The four language skills (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as pronunciation and culture are integrated into the curriculum. There is no prerequisite. | PERS640680 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS040680 | ||||
| PERS 612-401 | Elem Persian II | Mahyar Entezari | TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM W 12:00 PM-01:00 PM |
This course is designed to help you build upon what you have learned in Elementary Persian I. Emphasis is placed on using the language for interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. Therefore use of English is restricted. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing-as well as culture, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation-are integrated into the course. Students must either have successfully completed PERS 611, or take the departmental exam. | PERS012401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS612401 | ||||
| PERS 614-401 | Intermed Persian II | Mahyar Entezari | TR 10:30 AM-12:00 PM | In this course, we will continue to address a broader variety of cultural topics in order to increase your proficiency in linguistic as well as cultural terms. Emphasis is place on actively using Persian for interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. Therefore use of English is restricted. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are integrated into the course, as are culture, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Students must either have successfully completed PERS 613 or PERS 617, or take the departmental placement exam. | PERS014401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS614401 | ||||
| PERS 616-680 | Advanced Persian II | Fatemeh Shams Esmaeili | PERS016680 | Course Online: Asynchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS616680 | ||||||
| PERS 640-680 | Intro To Sorani Kurdish | Mohammed Amin Abdulqadir Salih | CANCELED | Introduction to Sorani Kurdish is an introductory-level course designed to help you start learning Sorani Kurdish and to give you the necessary tools to continue your study of Kurdish language. This course introduces the Kurdish alphabet (Arabic script) alongside grammar and vocabulary. Toward the end of the semester, the course will also involve some Kurdish classical and modern poetry. Emphasis is placed on actively using the language for interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. The four language skills (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as pronunciation and culture are integrated into the curriculum. There is no prerequisite. | PERS040680 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=PERS640680 | ||||
| TURK 022-401 | Elem Turkish II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | This course is a continuation of TURK 021 and is designed to strengthen and extend students' listening, speaking, reading and writing competence and to deepen an understanding of Turkish people in Turkey. By the end of this course, students will be able to handle a variety of day to day needs in Turkish-speaking settings and engage in simple conversations. Students can expect to be able to order food and drinks, purchase things, and to be able to be familiar with current social topics. Students will be able to talk about all tenses, present, future, past, past continuous, make comparisons, describe people and things in detail, make travel plans, make reservations in hotels and holiday resorts, write complaint letters. By the end of the course, students will be able to talk about their studies and their plans for the future. Also, students will develop reading strategies that should allow them to understand the general meaning of articles, and short literary texts. Students will learn practical life in Turkey and will explore Turkish culture on the internet. | TURK622401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK022401 | ||||
| TURK 024-401 | Intermed Turkish II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | Expands students writing and speaking competence in Turkish, increases vocabulary, and helps students' practice effective reading and listening strategies. Our In-class discussions are based on role-plays and weekly readings and news reports from TV and newspapers. We create Discussion wil take place in this course and let them and students will communicate through, threaded discussions, chat rooms and skype. The review of grammar will not be the primary focus of the course. Students' will, expand and deepen their knowledge of grammar will be extended through specific grammar exercises. They Students will have the opportunity to practice and read about the cultural and historical issues and get prepared for an advanced level Turkish. | TURK624401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK024401 | ||||
| TURK 122-680 | Adv Turk Cult&Media II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | Similar to TURK 212, Advanced Turkish Culture & Media I, in this course students also will have exposure to social Turkish clubs and to establish their own. They will arrange their Turkish tea parties and learn about Turkish cuisine. Expose Turkish daily news and media will be discussed in class. Students will have chance to interview interview Turkish businessman, writer, journalists in class and/or skype or zoom people in Turkish. Team spirit or ethics with those of the United States. Students will present and prepare a drama. Mainly students will create and decide their activities and discussions. and the instructor will just monitor them most of time. They will continue watching Turkish movies and expose to Turkish culture through these films. After each movie discussions and essay writings will be expected. | TURK522680 | Prior Language Experience Required Crse Online: Sync & Async Components |
https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK122680 | |||||
| TURK 228-680 | Structure of Turkish | Daisy Braverman | CANCELED | The course would start with a brief introduction to Turkic languages and the place of Turkish in relation to them. This would be followed by information about the Turkic language family's relationship to that of other languages in the context of historical linguistics; the teaching of some of this discipline's principles would be involved. After a brief presentation of the development of Turkish, involving the influence of other languages on it, we would focus on the phonology of Turkish, including phonemes, allophones and vowel harmony. A large part of the course would be devoted to morphology, comprising of suffixes and their function. Finally, syntax, including idiom formation and use would be explored. | TURK528680 | ||||||
| TURK 229-401 | Ottoman Turkish I | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | This course is an introduction to Ottoman Turkish with basic characteristics. Ottoman Turkish through readings in printed selections will be exercised with different techniques. Students will learn Persian and Arabic effects on Ottoman Turkish. They will be able to read simple texts at the end of this course. General information on Ottoman Turkish will be given to students during this course. This course will be offered one semester during the school year. Two semesters of Turkish and two semeters of Arabic or Persian or four semsters of Turkish or equivalent. Two semesters of Turkish and two semesters of Arabic or Persian OR four semesters of Turkish or equivalent recommended. Course is not open to auditors. | TURK629401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | ||||||
| TURK 522-680 | Adv Turk Cult&Media II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | This course is TURK 122 for graduate students. | TURK122680 | Crse Online: Sync & Async Components | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK522680 | |||||
| TURK 528-680 | Structure of Turkish | Daisy Braverman | CANCELED | TURK228680 | |||||||
| TURK 622-401 | Elem Turkish II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM | This course is TURK 022 for graduate students. | TURK022401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK622401 | ||||
| TURK 624-401 | Intermed Turkish II | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM | This course is TURK 024 for graduate students. | TURK024401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format | https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2021A&course=TURK624401 | ||||
| TURK 629-401 | Ottoman Turkish I | Feride Servet Hatiboglu | This course is an introduction to Ottoman Turkish with basic characteristics. Ottoman Turkish through readings in printed selections will be exercised with different techniques. Students will learn Persian and Arabic effects on Ottoman Turkish. They will be able to read simple texts at the end of this course. General information on Ottoman Turkish will be given to students during this course. This course will be offered one semester during the school year. Two semesters of Turkish and two semesters of Arabic or Persian OR four semesters of Turkish or equivalent recommended. | TURK229401 | Course Online: Synchronous Format |