The MECA Minor at Hofstra

RATIONALE As the birthplace of at least four major religions and many civilizations, the Middle East has for centuries been a center of knowledge and ideas, of techniques and commodities, and, at times, of military and economic power. Yet despite the historical and cultural significance of the Middle East, the general knowledge and understanding of this area and its peoples is normally in direct apposition to the importance and consequence of this area. The Middle East, through its resources, peoples and geographic location, contributes significantly to the material and cultural elements of our daily lives. This is also the case for the neighboring countries of Central Asia, whose cultures and politics have become increasingly important after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The Middle East and Central Asia are diverse culture areas of major strategic importance to American foreign policy and will continue to be so in the near future. Finally, immigration to the United States from countries of the Middle East and Central Asia has increased greatly, particularly in the New York Metropolitan area and on Long Island. This has led to a greater interest in these regions by all Americans, and in particular, those of Middle Eastern descent. As a field, Middle Eastern Studies did not emerge in the United States until the twentieth century, though its antecedents in France and the United Kingdom were established considerably earlier. At Oxford and Cambridge, for example, several chairs of Arabic were established in the seventeenth century. Middle Eastern Studies in the United States is an exciting and growing field. Currently, the Middle East Studies of America (MESA) lists 2,600 members and 68 doctoral dissertations were written in the field in the United States in the year 1998-9. A review of the dissertation topics, courses offered in Middle Eastern Studies programs nationwide and a survey of publications attest to the diversity of interdisciplinary interest in this extremely active and vibrant field. Organizations devoted to Central Asia Studies are not as prominent but have recently emerged to enhance American scholarship in the area. Because Hofstra is committed to offering its students cross-cultural courses to gain insights into diverse cultures and modes of thought, The Middle East and Central Asian (MECA) Minor complements existing area studies programs at Hofstra such as Africana, Asian, and Latin American Studies. Currently, the Departments of Anthropology and Sociology, Comparative Literature, History, Art History, Economics and Geography, Jewish Studies, and the program in Religious Studies offer introductory and advanced courses on Middle Eastern cultures. The minor will afford students in a wide range of majors the flexibility to pursue an interest in Middle Eastern Studies. By approaching the study of the Middle East and Central Asia from a range of disciplines and perspectives, students in this minor will form a more nuanced view of the area. An important part of the minor will be highlighting texts and perspectives from the standpoint of those who live in the area.

REQUIREMENTS A minor in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, an interdisciplinary program dealing with the peoples and cultures of the Middle East and Central Asia, consists of the successful completion of 18 semester hours of courses. Six semester hours must be completed in residence.     • Introductory Course (3 semester hours): MECA 1     • Language Courses (6 semester hours) ARAB 1, 2 Elementary Arabic ARAB 3, 4 Intermediate Arabic ARAB 101-106 Advanced Arabic HEBR 1, 2 Elementary Hebrew HEBR 3, 4 Intermediate Hebrew     No more than 6 semester hours in any Middle Eastern language can be counted towards the minor. Students who are minoring and majoring in Jewish Studies must take a Middle Eastern language other than Hebrew in fulfilling the language requirement towards this minor.     • Qualifying Courses (9 semester hours) ANTH 106 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa ANTH 114 Rise of Civilization  AH 118 Pre-Islamic and Islamic Art ECON 116 Economies of the Middle East ECON 117 Women and Development in the Middle East HIST 73 The Modern Middle East HIST 170 The Middle East and the West JW ST 155 Judaism and Islam: Jews and Arabs LIT 24 Israeli Literature LIT 90 Modern Arabic Literature PSC 108 Politics of the Middle East RELI 50 Islam       Special topics courses in a number of participating departments may also count towards the minor and in these cases consultation with an adviser in the program and the instructor is required.