One of the only nations in the world to escape the clutches of European colonialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Iran has a storied cultural, social, political, and religious history that is nevertheless often ignored by scholars of political science who focus simply on the modern narratives pushed by the governments of the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the tale of Iran’s emergence as a regional power in the Middle East is steeped in a fascinating narrative of development from nationalist wars fought for the removal of foreign oppressors in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to revolutions fought against domestic ones in the nineteenth century. Throughout this Decal, we will study the history and politics that have formed the contemporary nation and peoples of Iran throughout the past five centuries from the Safavid Empire to the modern Islamic Republic through primary and secondary sources including academic articles, books, and essays. Particular emphasis will be placed on exploring themes in Iranian history that have shaped its current political climate including, but not limited to, the role of Shia Islam, a unique nationalism, the influence of the pre-Islamic past, the impact of a multiethnic population, and international meddling in Iranian affairs.

Every week on Wednesday there will be a 1.5 hour (synchronous) lecture from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. There will be an optional half our section of lecture starting at 6pm which is held for special guest speaker events and class discussion about the previous lecture. Attendance is mandatory throughout the full 1.5 hours of lecture for each class. There will be approximately 15-20 pages of required reading assigned per week, a quiz every other week, a midterm paper, and a final research paper. Office hours will be held by appointment during specified time frames of availability subject to the discretion of the course facilitators.

Upon completion of the course, students will receive 2 units of pass/no pass credit.In order to receive a passing grade, students must complete all assignments with a passing grade of 70% or more as well as attend the class according to the class-specific attendance policy (See ‘Attendance’ for more details). All individual assignments will be graded on a sliding, numerically-graded scale. The breakdown of grades is as follows:

Participation and Attendance: 15 %
Quizzes (biweekly): 15 %
Midterm Paper (4-5 pages): 30 %
Final Research Presentation: 40 %.

First come, first served. Fill out this enrollment form to confirm that you have enrolled in the class with the class number (class number is in the form): https://forms.gle/P6VRsbDWusHEBdqc6