Harvard Courses Related to Central Eurasia

Below is a list of courses related to Central Eurasia offered at Harvard during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 academic years. it is divided into non-language and language courses.

Courses Outside of FAS

Kennedy School of Government

API-413 - Challenges of Democratization
Norris, Pippa
This course examines democracy in terms of competition, participation, and civil and political rights. It covers such questions as: What are the alternative conceptions of democracy? What democratic indices are available, and what do they indicate about worldwide trends in democratization? What underlying cultural, economic, and social conditions promote democracy? What is the role of institutions, such as parties, the media, the electoral system, and the legal system? What are the consequences of democratization for economic growth and welfare or for international peace and cooperation? The course takes a broadly comparative perspective, looking at both established and emerging democracies from all regions of the world. All classes are posted on the Web and extensive use is made of Internet resources. See www.pippanorris.com for details. [Back to top.]

API-461 - Legal and Political Institutions in Development
Schauer, Frederick
Spring M/W, 10:10 AM-11:30 AM, Wiener, begins 1/31
This course focuses on the legal, and to a lesser extent the political, aspects of international development, with a particular focus on the nature and varieties of legal and political institutions. Topics to be covered include the distinction between common law and civil law models, the use and constraint of official and legal discretion, the functions of constitutions and constitutionalism, the control of corruption, the significance of legal culture and legal families, the patterns and evaluation of transplanted legal and political institutions, the legal and nonlegal regulation of markets, the relationship between the legal system and the bureaucracy, the roles of courts and law enforcement institutions, and the political and economic dynamics of the legal development process. These and other themes will be investigated theoretically and empirically, drawing on primary legal materials and on relevant literature in law, economics, political science, sociology, and related disciplines. [Back to top.]

API-701 - Reasoning from History
Keyssar, Alexander
Fall M/W, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, L382, begins 9/13
To reason from history is to draw upon beliefs about or stories from the past so as to tackle problems of the moment. This course is the school’s introduction to this prevalent form of reasoning about public issues. It begins by studying the nature of historical knowledge and inferences, then reviews the ways in which one can reason from history, calling attention to some common fallacies and discussing ways to avoid them. The course also considers how societies and officials come to terms with the legacies of the past in planning the future. Cases are drawn from both domestic and international policies of various countries. [Back to top.]

API-703 - Understanding Democracy Through History
Keyssar, Alexander
Spring M/W, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, Land, begins 1/31
An historical course that will examine the evoAn historical course that will examine the evolution of democracies in different nations over extended periods of time. Beginning with the Greeks, yet focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries, the course will concentrate on one fundamental issue: Under what circumstances or conditions have democracies (or political rights) expanded, and under what circumstances or conditions have they contracted? The histories of the United States, Britain, and France will provide key cases to be examined; other case studies will be drawn from Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Participants in the course will be encouraged to work in detail on issues or nations of their own choosing. Readings will include historical studies as well as comparative theoretical works. Beginning with the Greeks, yet focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries, the course will concentrate on one fundamental issue: Under what circumstances or conditions have democracies (or political rights) expanded, and under what circumstances or conditions have they contracted? The histories of the United States, Britain, and France will provide key cases to be examined; other case studies will be drawn from Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Participants in the course will be encouraged to work in detail on issues or nations of their own choosing. Readings will include historical studies as well as comparative theoretical works. [Back to top.]

STM-103 - Good Governance and Democratization
Poire, Alejandro
Fall T/Th, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, Land, begins, 9/14
The objective of this course is to provide students of the MPA/ID program with the analytical background needed to address issues related to democratic governance in developing countries by focusing on the key determinants of the political process. The course emphasizes analytical models of political competition and preference aggregation, with the goal of teaching students to apply these models in an intelligent way to the political realities they will face in their future careers. In addition to these models, the course explores political institutions in some detail by reviewing the debates over the merits of alternative frameworks of politics and governance in the real world. Also, the course is deliberately eclectic in that it sets the notion of democracy in a normative perspective and discusses some of the most influential comparative perspectives to political development, both as conceptual alternatives to the core of the course and as objects of study themselves. [Back to top.]

STM-104 - Performance Leadership: Producing Results in Public and Nonprofit Agencies
Behn, Robert
Spring M/W, 11:40 PM-1:00 PM, L130, begins 1/31
You are the leader of a public or nonprofit organization. Your job is to produce results. But what results? And how? How can you improve significantly your organization’s performance? STM-104 examines the five challenges of performance leadership: (1) Choosing and producing results: How can public executives determine the results that they will produce, and how can they develop effective strategies for delivering them? (2) Seizing and creating opportunities: How can public executives recognize or shape events and attitudes to foster the desire and capability to improve performance? (3) Measuring performance: How can public executives measure their agency’s results and use such measures to learn how performance might be improved? (4) Motivating individuals and energizing teams: How can public executives inspire people working in traditional bureaucracies to pursue public purposes creatively? (5) Capitalizing on success: How can public executives use their initial successes in producing results to create an environment for accomplishing even more? [Back to top.]

PAL-102 - Leadership: A Cross-Cultural and International Perspective
Williams, Dean
This course examines the exercise of leadership and the use of authority in cross-cultural and international settings. Each culture has its own distinct set of values, mindsets, habits, and priorities. These factors produce a context that limits what can and cannot be done in the realm of leadership and the use of authority. These contextual variables must be understood and appreciated by anyone who seeks to lead and reform a group, community, or nation. The course will draw on historical and current events to examine the successes and failures of those who have tried to lead. Students will also have an opportunity to present cases from their respective countries. Some of the events to be studied include the challenges of leading in Iraq, China, Africa, and South America. While the course examines a variety of indigenous leadership and authority structures, it will also look at the problems associated with leading across cultures, as with the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The course uses readings, case studies, discussions, and experiential exercises. [Back to top.]

PAL-122 - Religion, Politics, and Public Policy
Parker, Richard
Spring M/W, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, Wiener, begins 1/31
Religion may well be the most powerful, yet seriously unexamined, force in the 21st century. Science, plus democratic and market-based cultures, have stripped religion of much of its central claims to public authority, yet left unanswered a range of questions, such as: As a public figure, how should you judge political and policy claims of religiously based groups or issues? How should we conceive of, and organize, public life in ways that allow for tolerant religious debate? If you believe in God, how can you — as a person in public life — live and act in concert with your religious beliefs? Recent debates on abortion rights, the Christian Right, and “family values” and earlier debates on abolition, sufferance, and temperance all have deeply religious dimensions. Millions of Americans have “rediscovered” religious beliefs. The course examines the shape of American religious beliefs today and probes how they continue to arise in law, politics, economics, the press, public morality, and social policy. [Back to top.]

PAL-128 - Leadership and Ethics in Foreign Policy
Nye, Joseph
Fall M, 2:40 PM-4:30 PM, RG-20, begins 9/18
The first half of the course examines theories of good and bad leadership and the ethical frameworks for making such judgments. Specific emphasis is on the particular context of world politics and foreign policy as a setting for ethics and leadership. The next step will then be to examine domestic politics and the process of defining national interests. We will do this during the second half of the course by analyzing a series of historical and current case studies regarding leaders and the foreign policy decisions they have made. Students are required to complete an average of 150-200 pages of readings a week; study questions will be provided to help guide their reading. The seminar will be taught by Socratic cold calling and based on the assumption that the reading is done before class. Participation is restricted to 36 students. Each student will be required to write two five-page papers and participate in a group exercise. Course grades will be determined based on these papers, as well as class participation. [Back to top.]

PAL-154M - Public Narrative: Identity, Agency, and Action
Ganz, Marshall
Fall Mod2 T/Th, 11:40 AM-1:00 PM, L332, begins 10/30
Public narrative is “action speech” — the discursive form through which individuals, communities, organizations, and movements translate their values into action. Narrative engages the “head, heart, and hands,” not only explaining why we should act, but also motivating us to act. Students will explore the role of narrative in public life — how it works and why it works. Drawing on literary, religious, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and political sources, we will focus on self-narrative, community narrative, and political narrative; narrative development; and narrative conflict. Students will learn to tell their own public story and the story of a project, organization, or cause on behalf of which they are working. [Back to top.]

PAL-177 - Organizing: People, Power and Change
Ganz, Marshall
Spring T/Th, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, L 130, begins 2/1
“In democratic countries, knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge: on its progress depends that of all others,” de Tocqueville stated. To meet the challenges of equity, accountability, and responsiveness, democracy requires an “organized” citizenry with the power to articulate and assert its interests effectively. New democracies struggle to make effective citizen participation possible, while citizen participation in the United States declines and becomes more unequal. Organizers revitalize old democratic institutions and create new ones. Students learn to view social, economic, and political problems from an organizer’s perspective and to act on these problems using a “praxis” of organizing: “mapping” power and interests, developing leadership, building relationships, motivating participation, devising strategy, and mobilizing action to create organizations and conduct campaigns. Principles common to community, electoral, union, and issue organizing are emphasized. [Back to top.]

BGP-460 - Asia in the World Economy
Encarnation, Dennis
Spring M/W, 1:10 PM-2:30 PM, Wiener, beings 1/31
Focuses on comparative business-government relations in Asia to engage in current policy debates. Begins by examining alternative interpretations of the Asian economic “miracle,” the relative importance of business-government relations, and current crises that threaten to reshape the political economy of Asia. Next, it analyzes national models of business-government relations in Japan, the four NIEs (Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore), the ASEAN-4 (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), China, and India. Moves cross-nationally to analyze the regionalization and globalization of input (capital and labor) and output (goods and services) markets as well as related policy issues ranging from regional competition for foreign investment to prospects for broader and deeper cooperation in regional integration to the near absence of such cooperation in regional security policies. Concludes with a reexamination of our understanding of the Asian economic “miracle.” Throughout, academic readings, case studies, and policy briefs are supplemented by a highly interactive Web site to gain access to the most current data and analysis. [Back to top.]

ENR-319 - Advanced Environmental and Resource Economics for International Development
Panayotou, Theodore
Spring M/W, 11:40 AM-1:00 PM, T275, beings 1/31
This is a course in advanced environmental economics as it relates to international development and public policy. It provides an opportunity for students to apply the tools of analysis they have learned in their analytical and quantitative courses to problems of natural resource management, environmental policy, and sustainable development. Some additional tools of inter-temporal optimization are also taught. It assumes the ability to use calculus. The course covers topics in social choice; market and policy failure; property rights and Pigovian taxes; marketable permits and transferable development rights; optimal resource use over time; environmental demand theory; and economic valuation methods. The thrust of the course is on international applications and the integration of resource use, environmental policy, and economic development. [Back to top.]

HCP-103M - HIV/AIDS and Public Policy
Kaufman, Joan and Messersmith, Lisa
Spring Mod4 M/W, 10:10 AM-11:30 AM, T401, begins 3/19
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is undermining hard-won development gains in many countries. Much has been learned about how to prevent, treat, and mitigate the social and economic impacts of AIDS for families and communities. However, the global AIDS epidemic continues to expand. This course focuses on the public policies required to address the AIDS epidemic. Students will be introduced to key perspectives to frame the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a policy perspective, including socioeconomic, gender, and human rights perspectives. Lessons from the international experience in responding to the epidemic, needed sector-based actions, and sectoral coordination for interventions to be effective will be reviewed. The course will discuss public-private partnerships, workplace policies and programs, and the role of NGOs and the media in the AIDS response; it will review approaches for multi-sectoral strategic planning and coordination/collaboration. [Back to top.]

ISP-101M - Introduction to International Relations Theory and Practice
Nye, Joseph
Fall Mod1 W, 2:40 PM-4:30 PM, RG-20, begins 9/13
Designed to introduce students to the prevailing theories of international relations and how they are used and misused in the analysis of contemporary policy issues. As an introductory course, no prerequisites are required. Main topics include: causal and normative paradigms, the definition and distribution of power, systemic explanations, individual leadership and domestic political explanations, international institutions and regimes, globalization and interdependence, transnational relations, and the future of international governance. Policy issues will include: national security strategy, China, democracy promotion, the United Nations, terrorism, and energy security. Requirements: The course will be taught as a seminar by Socratic method (i.e., cold calling). Each student will be expected to have completed about 150 pages of reading and to be prepared to participate in each class. Because of the teaching method, the course will be restricted to 40 students. Grades will be based one-third on class participation (including a group exercise) and two-thirds on a take-home final exam. [Back to top.]

ISP-102 - U.S. Foreign Policy: Evolution and Dynamics
May, Ernest
Traces the history of U.S. foreign policy. Topics include the question of how “policy” differs from “strategy” or “principle”; how relevant U.S. institutions evolved; and how major policies such as “isolationism,” “empire of liberty,” “collective security,” “containment,” and “democratization” developed and changed both in theoretical underpinning and in application. A constant thread in the course is the question of how past developments influenced — or did not influence — later developments, down to the present. [Back to top.]

ISP-103 - Global Governance
Ruggie, John
Spring M/W, 4:10 PM-6:00 PM, Land, begins 1/31
This course focuses on the interplay among states, international organizations (such as the UN, WTO, IMF, and World Bank), multinational corporations, civil society organizations, and activist networks in making “public policy” at the global level. Cases are drawn from a broad range of issue areas, including peace and security, economic relations, human rights, and the environment. The objective is to better understand the evolution of global governance arrangements and what difference they make. [Back to top.]

ISP-210 - Controlling Weapons of Mass Destruction
Carter, Ashton
Focuses on the threat from weapons of mass destruction in the hands of nation-states or terrorists and strategies to control that threat. Covers nuclear, biological, chemical, ballistic missile weapons and technology, and other technologies of mass destructive potential such as cyber attacks. Designed for future high-level practitioners, mixing theory and history with current problem-solving and hands-on exercises. Reviews theories about the spread and control of proliferation from the social science literature, recent history, and international norms and treaties. Analyzes concepts of asymmetrical warfare and mass terrorism as well as effective responses at the national and international levels. Applies these tools to cases ranging from “loose nukes” in Russia to Al Qaeda, North Korea, and India/Pakistan. Students are required to simulate realistic policymaking situations and to produce professional products as assignments, such as concise memos, briefings, and oral and written testimony. [Back to top.]

ISP-224 - Human Rights and International Politics: The Basic Policy Dilemmas
Power, Samantha
An introduction to international human rights and the dilemmas that result when states, NGOs, international institutions, and citizens try to use human rights to guide policy and action. Designed to answer basic questions like: Why do we have human rights? Are they universal? How do we reconcile conflicts between rights? What precise role should they play in determining public policy? What are the limits and shortcomings of human rights as an ethical framework? Readings range from case-specific studies to historical and political theory. Emphasis is placed on human rights as an ethical framework for public policy, rather than as a system of international law. No previous human rights experience or knowledge is required. [Back to top.]

ISP-228 - Citizens, Aliens, Refugees: The Legal Framework of International Human Rights
Bhabha, Jacqueline
Covers the international human rights legal regime, from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights on. Asks how black letter rights law has been translated into practical human rights gains for citizens and migrants. Key instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Refugee Convention, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Convention on Human Rights, will be examined. A central goal is to familiarize students with existing human rights instruments, their enforcement mechanisms, and their impact on human rights in practice. The course adopts a comparative approach, including cases from international, regional, and domestic courts. Analyzes treaty articles and cases on topics such as freedom of expression, economics and social rights, the death penalty, citizenship, immigrants rights’ and “terrorism,” torture, refugee protection, IDPs, child soldiers, and trafficking. [Back to top.]

ISP-229 - International Childhood, Rights & Globalization
Bhabha, Jacqueline
Fall T/Th, 11:40 AM-1:00 PM, RG-20, begins 9/14
Deals with the impact of globalization on different aspects of childhood and on human rights issues affecting children who cross borders. Why are increasing numbers of children migrating without their families — to reunify with migrant parents after being left behind, in search of asylum, as victims of sexual or labor trafficking, as child soldiers, or as transnational adoptees? Why are citizen children unable to prevent the deportation of their noncitizen parents (does citizenship mean anything for children)? The course will consider immigration, refugee, and human rights questions as they relate to international childhood today. [Back to top.]

ISP-423 - Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in the Greater Middle East
Hashim, Ahmed
Fall F, 2:40 PM-5:30 PM, L332, begins 9/15
Addresses in detail a number of key insurgencies that have taken place in the modern Middle East. Many of the major conventional conflicts from the mid 20th century to the present have shaped the region and have had significant regional and global fall-out. This course studies insurgencies and civil wars that have also significantly shaped the contours of the present environment. Insurgencies — or guerilla wars, small wars and low-intensity conflicts — will continue to be an important, if not a defining aspect, in the political evolution of regions such as the Middle East. This is of paramount significance for U.S. national security and the military which are currently engaged in fighting three insurgencies in the area: Iraq, Afghanistan and transnational extremist movements. The course begins with a theoretical and comparative analysis of insurgency and counterinsurgency principles and characteristics. Next it explores the outbreak and impact of anti-colonial insurgencies in the early 20th century. Case studies and comparative cases will be studied. During some weeks two or more insurgencies will be addressed, comparing and contrasting their origins, modus operandi and results. In other weeks we will take one case and explore it in depth. The course ends with the defining U.S. post-Vietnam conflict: the Iraqi insurgency. [Back to top.]

ISP-474 - United States- European Relations
Kaiser, Karl and Morningstar, Richard
Fall T/Th, 1:10 PM-2:30 PM, RG-20, begins 9/14
Examines the full range of the evolving relationship between the United States and Europe. The first section analyzes different approaches toward sovereignty and the current debates on unilateralism and multilateralism and hard and soft power. Iraq, the Middle East, and Iran are used as case studies. The second section focuses on the transatlantic security relationship, including: the fight against terrorism, democracy-building, the development of a common EU foreign and security policy, the changing role of NATO, and the effects of NATO and EU enlargement. The third section examines the full range of U.S.-EU trade, investment, and economic issues. The final section explores U.S. and European approaches toward global governance including the world trading system, Kyoto, the International Criminal Court, and international law reform. Assessment will be on class participation (20%), midterm policy memorandum (30%), and take-home final (50%). [Back to top.]

PED-130 - Why Are So Many Countries, Poor, Volatile, and Unequal?
Hausmann, Ricardo
Fall M/W, 10:10 AM-11:30 AM, Starr, F, 8:40 AM-10:00 AM, Wiener, begins 9:13
This course will look into the determinants of growth, volatility, and inequality and will link them to the current themes in development policy. The course will cover the relationship between these three problems and a varied class of determinants such as savings, human capital accumulation, demography, geography, and the macroeconomic, structural, contractual, and political institutions. Prerequisite: There are no formal prerequisites, but familiarity with economics is strongly recommended. Students without this background may find the material difficult. [Back to top.]

PED-304 - Working Across Boundaries: Becoming a Professional in an Integrated World
Thomas, John, and Winston, Kenneth
Spring T/Th, 8:40 AM-10:00 AM, L230, begins 2/1
In an increasingly integrated world, professionals in public service commonly confront moral and strategic challenges that cross familiar geographical and cultural divisions. They also find themselves working in environments strongly affecting, and strongly affected by, actions and events in distant places, which create responsibilities as well as opportunities. These challenges are especially acute in encounters between decision makers in developed and developing countries, where stark asymmetries of power and resources often influence policy options. This course examines the moral and strategic choices of practitioners engaged in transactions across multiple boundaries. Its objective is to help participants understand the new environments they work in, and the new relationships they involve, in order to act more effectively in meeting the demands of public service in an interconnected world. Readings consist primarily of contemporary case studies from around the world, which will form the basis of class discussion. [Back to top.]

STP-307 - Ruling the Net: Technology, Policy, and the Future of Governance
Mayer-Schoenberger, Viktor
Fall M/W, 2:40 PM-4:00 PM, T401, begins 9/13
The dot-com and telecom bubbles have burst, yet the Internet is still thriving. By the same token, regulatory policies — such as intellectual property, information security, and data privacy — may need much more than just an evolutionary adjustment. Overall, information (and control over it) has become a more visible source of power. And unlike the speed of technological change, we have made little progress in debating the larger policy implications: from security and the delivery of e-government services to online democracy and the future of governance. Building on numerous case studies, this course offers a framework to analyze the options and challenges posed by modern information and communication technologies and examines strategic options decision makers in both the public and private sectors may want to add to their policy toolkit. [Back to top.]

Business School

1172 Economic Strategies of Nations
Professor Bruce Scott
Winter, 30 sessions
ESN is closer to a liberal arts course in its objectives than most HBS courses. The goal is an increased understanding of how globalization creates opportunities for all countries while at the same time sovereignty protects them from the need to reform their institutions in order to take advantage of those opportunities. Thus, taking advantage of global opportunities is largely a matter of domestic economic strategy and the capacity to implement such a strategy depends upon local political processes. [Back to top.]

6110 Field Study Seminar in Energy
Professor Forest Reinhardt
Fall (early fall) [Back to top.]

1145 Half-Course: Business and the Environment
Professor Forest Reinhardt
Fall (late fall)
The course will benefit students who plan to work with firms whose activities involve (or are thought to involve) significant environmental costs or benefits. Environmental costs affect many firms' ability to create and capture value. Some companies are under pressure from regulators or activists to reduce their environmental impacts. Others see in social concern about the environment an opportunity for enhanced revenues or reduced costs. More broadly, students who are interested in regulatory institutions at the national and supranational levels and the effects of those institutions on economic behavior should also find the course interesting. [Back to top.]

1105 Half-Course: Energy
Professor Forest Reinhardt
Fall (early fall)
The course will benefit students who intend to participate, as managers, capital providers, or consultants, in companies involved in supplying energy services to households, firms, and other customers. It will also benefit students who may work for firms in energy-intensive or energy-related industries, including transportation companies, vehicle manufacturers, and suppliers to producers of oil, gas, and electricity. More broadly, students interested in questions of international political economy and in the economics of strategic competition will benefit from the course. [Back to top.]

Divinity School

1427 History and Historiography in the Ancient Near East
Peter B. Machinist
Conceptions of history and the practice of historical writing in the ancient Near East. Discussion based on a comparative study of texts from a variety of cultural traditions, such as the Hittites, Mesopotamia, ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible, and Second Temple Judaism. Some acquaintance would be desirable, though not required, of Biblical and ancient Near Eastern history and one of its languages, and of a modern research language like French or German. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as ANE 107.
Offered 2007-08
Half course (fall) [Back to top.]

1822 History and Archaeology in the Ancient Near East: Seminar
Peter B. Machinist and Lawrence E. Stager

Topic for 2006-07: The Phoenicians. Prerequisite: previous acquaintance with the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. Enrollment limited. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as ANE 109r.

Half course (spring)
Th., 3-5
Semitic Museum, 201 [Back to top.]

3580 Manicheism, the World's Greatest Heresy
P. Oktor Skjaervo

Not long after Mani had founded his new Irano-Gnostic religion in Babylon in the early 3rd century CE, it was persecuted and condemned in the strongest terms by the Iranian clergy, the Catholic Church, and the Chinese Emperor. Come and hear what made it so terrible. We will discuss the origins and development of this religion, as it spread to the Atlantic in the West and the Pacific in the East. There will be a course pack containing an introduction and a selection of texts translated into English from a large variety of ancient languages. A number of books will be placed on reserve in Andover. Go to the FAS site for more detailed description. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Early Iranian Civilizations 103.

Half course (fall)
F., 1-3
Semitic Museum, Room 201 [Back to top.]

3595 History of the Near East, 1055-1517: Conference Course
Roy Mottahedeh

Surveys history of the Near East and North Africa from the coming of the steppe peoples in the tenth century to the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in the early sixteenth century. Includes study of the Seljuk Sultanate, the Crusades, the later Fatimids, the Mongol invasion and the fall of the Abbasid caliphate, the Mamluks of Syria and Egypt, the development of Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade, and the Timurids and their successors. Social, intellectual and political history are the principle concerns of the course. The rise of Sufism and the organized Sufi orders will be extensively treated. Prerequisite: History 1877a helpful, but not required. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as History 1877b.

Half course (spring)
W., 2-4
Robinson Hall, Room 106 [Back to top.]

3602 Introduction to Islamic Philosophy and Theology
Khaled El-Rouayheb

An introductory survey of the development of Islamic theology and philosophy. We will examine and discuss some of the central problems that were much debated through the centuries, such as: the relationship between philosophy and faith; whether humans possess free will; how to understand apparently anthropomorphic expressions in Scripture; whether acts are good because God commands them or God commands them because they are good; and proofs for the existence of God. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Islamic Civilizations 145.

Half course (fall)
Th., 3-5 and hour to be arranged
Sever Hall, Room 103 [Back to top.]

3604 Issues in Feminism and Islam: A Historical Overview
Leila Ahmed

This course will explore some of the major issues and debates in relation to feminism and women in Islam in historical overview from a post-colonial perspective. The methods, tools, and assumptions forming the grounds of our studies will also be examined, including issues of Orientalism, colonialism, and feminism in the construction of the religions/cultures of others. Subsequent topics include feminist readings of Islam and explorations of contemporary texts on questions of gender, feminism, and Islam. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1825.

Half course (fall)
F., 12-3
Andover Hall, Room 102 [Back to top.]

3610 Mosques in Muslim History
Baber Johansen

The course will provide an introduction into the Koranic foundation of basic aspects of the Muslim cult. It will treat the multi-dimensional functions that different types of mosques have performed for urban and rural communities over the centuries. It will discuss the changes in these functions in different regions and historical periods and will, in the last two sessions, be dedicated to the situation of mosques in the European and American diaspora. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1815.

Not offered 2006-07
Half course [Back to top.]

3611 Religious Communities and Political Society in Islamic Legal Constructions
Baber Johansen

The first session of the lecture course will discuss two forms of relation between the political authorities on the one hand, the religious communities on the other. The first one is a system of tolerance and toleration, the second one a system of pluralism. The following four sessions of the lecture course will be dedicated to the transition from the first to the second system in France and in the USA, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The next four sessions will be used to discuss the Islamic Law's definition of a system of tolerance and toleration and its historical development and practice until the nineteenth century.

Not offered 2006-07
Half course [Back to top.]

3612 The Intellectual Biography of an Eleventh-Century Transoxanian Legal Scholar, Shams Al-Din al-Sarakhsi: Seminar
Baber Johansen

The course tries to reconstruct the intellectual biography of an 11th century Transoxanian Muslim jurist whose work has, over the centuries, exerted an important influence on the understanding of Muslim law in Central Asia and the Near East. The most important difficulty we face is the fact that very few biographical data can be gleaned from the secondary literature. We are, therefore, bound to draw the data for his intellectual biography from his work: roughly 40 volumes of legal writing in Arabic. The course will focus on the remarks in which the author develops his understanding of the relation between regional cultures and religious legal doctrines, between genders, classes, and religious communities and in which he situates himself into the field thus delineated. The course will discuss the geographical-cultural horizon of an 11th century Central Asian scholar and it will try to insert these personal reflections into the intellectual and political landscape of 11th century Central Asia and the major inner-Islamic debates of that century. The Arabic texts serving as basis for our discussion will be translated two weeks before the session in which they will be discussed. Enrollment limited.

Half course (fall)
M., 10-12 and hour to be arranged
Andover Hall, Room 118 [Back to top.]

3615 The War for Muslim Minds
Farid Esack

We are living through an intense battle for the soul of Islam; The War for Muslim Minds (Gilles Keppel). For many non-Muslim Westerners Islam and Muslims have become the ultimate other. Many liberals, on the other hand, move from the assumption that "global harmonies remain elusive because of cultural conflicts" (Majid Annouar). Hence, the desperation to nudge Islam and Muslims into a more 'moderate' corner, to transform the Muslim other into a Muslim version of the accommodating and 'peaceful' self without in any way raising critical questions about that western self and systems that fuels the need for compliant subjects throughout the Empire. How do charity and philanthropy become tools in this war? This course is intended to provide students with knowledge of and insights into debates in the Muslim world around some of the critical issues that this battle focuses on as Muslims struggle to remain faithful to tradition as well as to their own greater awareness of the inalienability of human rights and the inter-relatedness of the destiny of humankind. Issues are covered under the following four sub-themes a) Islamic Tradition, Text and Authority b) Democracy, Pluralism, Justice and Human Rights c) Jihad and Non-Violence, and d) Gender & Sexual. While a critical overview of approaches to all of these are provided, a progressive Islamic approach to them will be a particular focus of this course.

Half course (fall)
Tu., Th., at 10 and hour to be arranged
Rockefeller Hall, Room 2 [Back to top.]

3616 Religion, Gender, Identity - Readings in Arab and Muslim Autobiography: Seminar
Leila Ahmed

We will read autobiographical works mainly by contemporary Arab and/or Muslim writers, paying particular attention to issues of identity, religion and gender, and exploring how these are at play in the text and in authorial constructions of self. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1842.

Half course (fall)
Th., 1-3
Andover Hall, Room 102 [Back to top.]

3618 Islamic Eschatology: Martyrs, Maidens, and the Myth of Salvation Certainty
Christian Lange

An examination of notions of the afterlife in premodern and contemporary Islamic literature. This class seeks to show eschatology's ongoing relevance as a powerful and meaningful discourse in Muslim religious thought and practice. Unit one will focus on the Muslim apocalyptic tradition; unit two will look at notions of Paradise; unit three will investigate the Muslim imaginaire of Hell. Topics include: Muslim millenarianism; the 'sensuality' of the Muslim Paradise as an Orientalist construct; spiritual (Sufi) visions of Paradise and Hell; grave sins and salvation (un-)certainty in classical Islamic theology.

Half course (fall)
M., 3-5
Andover Hall, Room 118 [Back to top.]

3620 Introduction to Islamic Mysticism: The Sufi Tradition
Ali S. Asani

Introductory survey of Sufism, focusing on its fundamental concepts, ritual practices, institutions, and its impact on the literary and socio-political life in different regions of the Islamic world. Prerequisite: an introductory course in Islam or the equivalent will be helpful but is not essential. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1802.

Half course (spring)
W., 3-5
Sever Hall, Room 102 [Back to top.]

3628 Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies
Ali S. Asani

The course offers an introductory survey of the Islamic world as well as the fundamental concepts and devotional practices of the Islamic faith. Its main concern is to develop an understanding of the diversity of the Muslim religious world view and the manner in which it has influenced the political, social, and cultural life of Muslims in various parts of the world, particularly in the modern period. The course also briefly considers the contemporary situation of Muslims as a religious minority in Europe and the United States. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Foreign Cultures 70.

Half course (fall)
M., W., F., at 10
Sever Hall, Room 113 [Back to top.]

3663a Old Iranian Religion: Zoroastrianism, the Religion of the Magi
P. Oktor Skjaervo

Though often cited as the Worlds oldest revealed religion, the origin of Zoroastrianism (Mazdaism) and the reality of its founder Zarathustra (Zoroaster) are both lost in the mists of a distant past. The holy Avestan texts were transmitted from mouth to ear for at least 2000 years before they were written down in the middle of the first millennium CE, only to be largely destroyed in the aftermath of the Arabic conquest and the coming of Islam. In the early period of Islam, in order to counter the influence of the new religion, Zoroastrian priests composed numerous texts in the Pahlavi language (mother of modern Persian or Farsi), which contain most of the ancient traditions. Zoroastrianism is the first of the so-called dualistic religions (another is Manicheism), in which the problem of the origin of evil is solved by postulating two original principles, one good and one evil. We will be reading a variety of Zoroastrian texts and texts about Zoroastrianism in English translation. A number of books will be placed on reserve in Andover. See the FAS website for further details. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Early Iranian Civilizations 102.

Half course (spring)
F., 1-3
Semitic Museum, Room 201 [Back to top.]

3702 Religion, Diaspora, and Migration: Seminar
Jacob Olupona

This seminar explores critical and interdisciplinary approaches to the place of religion and the emergence of the new immigrant and diaspora communities in the modern world and the discourses emerging from the practice of diaspora and migration scholarship. Using historical, ethnographic, and textual sources, the course will illuminate the lived religious experiences of immigrant and diaspora communities in the United States and elsewhere. It introduces critical perspectives on forms of interaction between religion and other aspects of social identity - ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, age, and sexuality, as well as transnational and global influences on social and cultural identity. The course also examines the complex networks of economic, cultural, and technological innovations that the "new" diaspora and immigrant communities have developed to make sense of their spiritual and cultural lives in new situations.

Offered 2007-08
Half course (fall) [Back to top.]

3703 Indigenous Religious Traditions and Modernity: Seminar
Jacob Olupona

This seminar explores historical, theoretical, methodological, and conceptual issues central to the study of indigenous religions of the world. It examines the critique of indigeneity and explores emerging topics about the role that religion plays in indigenous peoples' lives, communities, and societies. Special topics will explore issues related to land, environment, conversion, health, the state, gender, aggression, violence, justice, and human rights. The seminar examines the interface of indigenous religions and modernity, colonial and postcolonial conditions, local and global forces that shape the practices of indigenous traditions in various regions of the world. Enrollment limited.

Offered 2007-08
Half course (spring) [Back to top.]

3864 Holy/Dangerous Women - Imagining Women's Spirituality and Leadership in the Medieval Near East and Byzantium: Seminar
Alexandra Cuffel

In this course we will study the discourses that developed about women's religious practices, behaviors, and abilities as spiritual leaders in the medieval Near East and Byzantium. In particular we will compare Eastern Christian and Muslim traditions about women dressing as men and sometimes engaging in holy war. We will also examine the religious and scientific arguments that served as the foundation of Christian and Muslim male anxieties about women taking roles as teachers, community leaders and the rhetoric that developed condemning women's visitation of graves, attending study circles, or participating in religious festivals or pilgrimages to sites shared by Muslims, Christians, and/or Jews alike. To explore these issues we will examine translated hagiographic literature (both Christian and Muslim); apocalyptic texts; legal treatises; and oral epics plus relevant secondary literature. Enrollment limited to 15.

Half course (fall)
M., 1-3
Rockefeller Hall, Room 2 [Back to top.]

3897 Explorations in the Colonial and Post-Colonial History of the Veil: Seminar
Leila Ahmed

Our texts will consist chiefly of literary, historical, sociological and anthropological works analyzing and reflecting on the veil/hijab and related issues, spanning the period from late 19th century to the present. Some visual material will also be used. Enrollment limited.

Half course (spring)
Th., 1-3
Andover Hall, Room 103 [Back to top.]

3898 Readings in Tibetan: Seminar
Janet Gyatso

A seminar in the reading of primary sources in Tibetan for the study of Tibetan religious history. In fall 2006, the readings will focus on historiographical writing, beginning with the 16th century magnum opus of Pawo Tsuglag Trengwa, and then moving to examples from the 19th century Ris-med movement. Basic reading knowledge of classical Tibetan is required. Offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Tibetan 219.

Half course (fall)
Tu., Th., 10-11:30 and hour to be arranged
Divinity Hall, Room 213 [Back to top.]

Extension School (Summer 2007 Classes)

HARC S-128 Monuments and Cities of the Islamic World: An Introduction (31919)
(Syllabus)
David J. Roxburgh
(4 credits: UN, GR, NC) M-Th 9:30 am-noon, Sackler Museum, Room 318. Short session I. Required sections F 9:30 am-noon. Tuition $2,275.
This course is an introduction to key monuments and cities from the historical Islamic lands, circa 650–1650, from Spain to India. Various building types are treated—for example, mosques, palaces, schools, tombs, and shrines—as well as the factors that shaped and motivated them, whether artistic, cultural, social, political, or economic. Prerequisite: Students unfamiliar with the general contours of Islamic history are encouraged to read Francis Robinson, ed., The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) before the first day of class. [Back to top.]

HIST S-1887 Perspectives on Islam: Religion, History, and Culture(31789)
Nafez Yousef Nazzal and Laila Ahed Nazzal
(4 credits: UN, GR, NC) T,Th 12:30-3 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 102. Eight-week session. Tuition $2,275.
This course is an overview of Islam in its religious, historical, and cultural context. We focus on the beliefs, practices, sects, family organization, and status of women. We discuss the relationship between religion and politics, and the concepts of war, peace, and human rights. We also examine Islam's contribution to the arts and sciences, its encounter with the West, the impact of modernization, and the rise of revivalism, fundamentalism, and terrorism. [Back to top.]

HIST S-1967 From Cold War to Global Terror: World History 1945 to the Present (32150)
Donald Ostrowski
(4 credits: UN, GR, NC) T,Th 6-8:30 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 102. Eight-week session. Optional sections W, 6-7 pm. Tuition $2,275.
This course is an integrative study of the world from the end of World War II to the present. Topics include the cold war; the Arab-Israeli conflict; creation of independent states in Africa; apartheid and its demise; Latin America's struggle for democracy and economic stability; the development of the EU; the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union; the rise of China; shooting wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf; the expansion of rights for women; atomic power and the problem of energy resources; environmental changes; space exploration; the computer revolution; and the phenomenon of global terrorism. [Back to top.]

RELI S-1705 Introduction to Indo-Tibetan Buddhism (32173)
Leonard van der Kuijp
(4 credits: UN, GR, NC) T,Th 9-11:30 am, 1 Bow Street, Room 317. Eight-week session. Tuition $2,275.
This course is an introduction to and exploration of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism in the context of Tibetan intellectual and political history, cultural manifestations, doctrines, and thought. Students read secondary works and examine various primary materials in translation. The course assumes no background in the study of Buddhism, Asian history, religion, or languages. [Back to top.]