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 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 there will be a 2 hour (synchronous) lecture. The first hour and 15 minutes of lecture will be dedicated to teaching the course material. The next 45 minutes after the dedicated teaching time will be held for open discussion about the topic of the day among the whole class (and possibly the previous lecture’s topic as well). Attendance is mandatory throughout the full 2 hours of lecture for each class. There will be approximately 15-25 pages of required reading assigned per week, five discussion posts over the course of the semester, a midterm paper, and a final research project presentation. Office hours will be held by appointment during specified time frames of availability subject to the discretion of the course facilitators.
Breakdown of Grades:
Participation and Attendance – 40%
Midterm Paper (4-5 pages) – 30%
Final Research Project Presentation – 30%
For the Fall 2021 semester, this course will be offered in-person on Mondays from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in 250 Dwinelle.
Class #: 26779
Section | Facilitator | Size | Location | Time | Starts | Status | CCN(LD) | CCN(UD) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
History and Politics of Modern Iran | Kyle Newman, Rana Nejad | __ | 250 Dwinelle | [M] 6:30PM-8:00PM | 8/30/2021 | Full | -- | -- |
Name | Download Link | ||
---|---|---|---|