MENA 101-6-20 First-Year Seminar: We Are What We Eat: Turkish Food Culture and Cuisine
In this course we will explore the complex relationships between food, culture and society through a survey of Turkish cuisine and food culture from the early Ottoman period through today. Food represents an integral part of livelihood, culture and identity. Food production, consumption and sharing also have symbolic and ideological meanings. By exploring the ingredients, recipes, and tools that are essential to Turkish cooking, we will take a close look at the different geographical regions, climates, ethnic and religious communities, as well as historical and cultural phenomena that make up this extremely diverse cuisine. Special topics include Ottoman palace cuisine; regional cuisines of Turkey; street food; history of coffee and coffee houses in the Ottoman Empire and Europe; spices and trade routes; Turkish food in world literature; and the effects of wars and immigrants on the formation of Turkish food culture.
The course will also include a cooking/food component (either a visit to a Turkish restaurant in Chicago or a hands-on cooking experience for students).
MENA 301-1-20 Seminar in Middle East and North African Studies
Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Middle East and North Africa. Content varies with annual theme. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic. Courses need not be taken in sequence.
Three-course introduction to modern standard Arabic primarily, along with some exposure to and familiarization with the main regional spoken varieties. Speaking, reading, listening comprehension, and basic writing skills developed.
Three-course introduction to modern standard Arabic primarily, along with some exposure to and familiarization with the main regional spoken varieties. Speaking, reading, listening comprehension, and basic writing skills developed.
Three-course introduction to modern standard Arabic primarily, along with some exposure to and familiarization with the main regional spoken varieties. Speaking, reading, listening comprehension, and basic writing skills developed.
ARABIC 114 Conversation and Culture in the Arab World
Introduction to spoken colloquial Arabic of a country or region—for example, Egyptian, Levantine, or Moroccan. Emphasis on spoken language and conversation. May be repeated for credit with different dialect. Prerequisite: 111-2 or equivalent.
Further development of grammar knowledge, reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Completion of at least this level is recommended for students seeking functional proficiency for study abroad. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Further development of grammar knowledge, reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Completion of at least this level is recommended for students seeking functional proficiency for study abroad. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Continued skills development through reading and discussion of Arabic writings from both textbooks and media resources. Prerequisite: 121-3 or equivalent.
Continuation of instruction in Arabic using textbooks and supplemental materials from literary sources (prose and poetry) and broadcast and print media. Emphasis on developing more advanced writing skills. Prerequisite: 211-3 or equivalent.
Introduction to classical and modern Arabic poetry in both traditional meter and free verse, including selections from the Umayyad, Abbasid, and modern periods. Prerequisite: 311-3 or equivalent.
From language to literature: review of grammar; reading and discussing Hebrew literary works (prose and poetry) and newspaper articles. Compositions and oral presentations. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Intermediate Persian Acquisition of vocabulary and language production. Employs authentic written and audiovisual materials, including newspapers, short stories, poems, television, film, and radio. Speaking and writing emphasized. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Intermediate Persian Acquisition of vocabulary and language production. Employs authentic written and audiovisual materials, including newspapers, short stories, poems, television, film, and radio. Speaking and writing emphasized. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Introduction to basic literacy and oral proficiency; insights into modern Turkish culture through the language. Print and audiovisual materials used to supplement textbook.
Continuation of basic grammar instruction; further development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through the use of printed and audiovisual materials. Insights into modern Turkish culture. Prerequisite: 111-3 or equivalent.
Year long colloquium featuring student presentations of work in progress and faculty comment. (Taught annually. May be taken for 1 course credit—requires presentation—or zero-credit enrollment. Students are expected to enroll for more than one year of MENA 412, though only once for course credit.)
