Temple CIBER | Asian Business and Society Certificate Program

Degree Programs
Asian Business and Society
Latin American Studies and Spanish for Business
MENA Business and Society

MENA Business and Society Certificate Program

With the globalization of companies and industries, students in all disciplines must have the knowledge, tools, and skills to function in a multinational and multicultural environment. As firms disperse their operations in various regions of the world, managers will be obliged to interact and conduct business in diverse economic and political environments, and with peoples of the world who are culturally and linguistically different. Therefore, managers must have competencies in three core areas: Business functions, foreign language(s), and area studies knowledge of the political, legal, social, cultural, and economic environment of a geographic region of the world.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Business & Society Certificate Program is to advance the interdisciplinary study of the MENA region. Undeniably, MENA is one of the most significant regions shaping contemporary world markets, politics, and dynamics. Additionally, MENA has a growing youth population – this program would be a means for creating better understanding and engagement regarding the region and help remedy any misconceptions which our students may have about the region. Increased knowledge of the MENA region would be an asset to graduates seeking this type of specialization – particularly regarding employment in governmental institutions and the private sector, or going on to graduate school and into academia.

This interdisciplinary certificate gives both business and non-business students the opportunity to study business in the MENA region’s context and MENA society and culture through required and elective courses in the Fox School and the College of Liberal Arts. The language co-requisite is typically fulfilled through courses in the Critical Languages Center. The certificate will be noted on a student’s transcript.

Course Requirements: UNDER DEVELOPMENT

MENA Expertise at Temple University:

Waiel Abdelwahed, Professor of Critical Languages – Arabic
Zain Abdullah, Professor of Religion - Islam in America, African Diaspora studies, ethnography, globalization and transnationalism
F. Niyi Akinnaso, Professor of Anthropology – African Studies
Khalid Blankinship, Professor of Religion, Muslim religious and political history
Burton Caine, Professor of Law and Director of Temple Law School Israel Program
Lila Corwin Berman, Professor of History and Director, The Myer & Rosaline Feinstein Center for American Jewish History, Temple University
Alexa Firat, Professor of Critical Languages - Arabic
Suzanne Gauch, Professor of English - focus on literary and cultural exchanges between the Islamic world and Europe, gender studies, and the cinemas of the global South
Peter Gran, Professor of History – extensive research in Middle Eastern Studies
Ayala Guy, Professor of Critical Languages - Hebrew
Nancy Isserman, Senior Department Program Coordinator for History and Associate Director, The Myer & Rosaline Feinstein Center for American Jewish History, Temple University
Harold Klein, Professor of Strategic Management – industry experience in the Middle East
Nilgun Anadolu Okur, Professor of African American Studies – research includes Women in Islam and Globalization, Muslim Women's Writing, History of Jews in Turkey, Rumi and Sufism, Comparative Literature and Discourse in the Middle East, Ancient Egypt and Egyptian Philosophy
Robert Pred, Associate Professor in Statistics, Fox School
Sahar Sadeghi, Future Faculty Fellow of Sociology – Middle East Studies
Amandeep Sandhu, Professor of Sociology – Global Sociology
Anne B. Shlay, Professor of Sociology – Jerusalem’s Development and the Middle East Peace Process
Kimberly D. Williams Assistant Professor of Anthropology, CLA – Middle East; Kimberly Williams is a skeletal biologist who conducted bioarchaeological research in Jordan, Yemen, and Oman. Currently she is co-leading a team (with Michael Harrower, John Hopkins University) working on mapping, excavation, and analysis of human skeletal remains from 3rd millennium BC tombs in northern Oman.
Gordon Witty, Instructor of Arabic in Critical Languages, CLA
Sean Yom, Professor of Political Science, regional specialty in the Middle East; Sean L. Yom is Assistant Professor of Political Science (comparative politics). His research broadly focuses on authoritarian politics, state-building, and development, with a regional specialty on the Middle East. His other research interests explore the future of democratic reforms in the Arab world, patterns of transnational hierarchy between sovereign states, and contemporary methods of comparative-historical analysis. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard in 2009.

MENA Courses:

ANTHROPOLOGY

2364. People and Culture of the Middle East (3 s.h.)

This course examines the major aspects of social life in the Middle East from an anthropological perspective. Selected topics to be investigated include: kinship, social stratification, urbanization, colonialism, nationalism, migration, the state, violence, gender, sexuality, religious practice, popular culture, and neoliberalism. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the connections between cultural practices and political, economic, and social power.

ARABIC

2021. Contemporary Arab Society in Film (in Translation) (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: English 0802 or equivalent.

This course uses film as a medium to explore contemporary social and political issues in the Arab Middle East. It investigates how filmmakers from the region narrate, represent and navigate particular historical events and conditions of the region. The films are coupled with readings that provide background and help to facilitate historical, cultural and, at times, aesthetic understandings of the narratives. The narratives begin roughly in the middle of the 20th century, and are arranged thematically – though a sense of historic consequence is evident. The films cover issues such as: feudalism and “socialist” revolution; Palestine after 1948 and the consequences in the Arab world; pan-Arabism; women, modernity, and the city; authoritarian states; religious extremism; war; immigration; and identity.

ARCHITECTURE

3196. Architecture History Non-Western (3 s.h.) F S. RCI: WI.

Prerequisite: Architecture 2141 (C141).

An examination of non-western architecture from its ancient and primitive beginnings to its contemporary expressions, focusing on Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and Southeast Asia, India, and Pre-Colombian America. Special emphasis is placed on the understanding of non-western religions Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, and also on Judaism, and on the shaping of appropriate worship places.

CRITICAL LANGUAGES

The Department of Critical Languages offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, and Vietnamese. Students enroll in these courses for a variety of reasons, which include career goals, personal interest, preparation for study abroad, and the desire to fulfill certain college program requirements. In addition, Critical Languages offers courses taught in English. For East Asia, the Department of Critical Languages offers courses in Chinese and Japanese literature, film, and culture—all given in translation. These courses welcome students from any major. For the Middle East, Critical Languages offers courses in Arabic literature, film, and culture--all given in translation. Students from all majors are welcome. The department also offers courses in Israeli literature as well as Hebrew literature from the Diaspora. Thematically, these courses explore contemporary Israel and its relations to its region and the world as well as the Jewish historical experience and cultural heritage. These courses welcome students from any major. Within Critical Languages, students can earn a Major in Hebrew, a Minor in Hebrew, a Minor in Japanese, a Certificate of Specialization in Arabic, a Certificate of Specialization in Chinese, and a Certificate of Specialization in Japanese. Critical Languages courses also count toward many of the requirements and electives of the Asian Studies major and minor.

GREEK AND ROMAN CLASSICS

1068. Israel in the Middle East (3 s.h.) S. RCI: IS.

Survey of Israel’s history and geography, followed by consideration on major issues facing the nation and its neighbors: water supply, political structure, society, culture, economy, and the peace process.

HISTORY

0824. Gender and World Societies (3 s.h.) RCI: GG.

Learn about the history of feminine and masculine gender roles from comparative and international perspectives. Using case studies from Ancient Greece, Medieval Europe, West Africa, Victorian Britain, Modern Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and/or Latin America, we will explore certain themes—The State, The Sacred, Work, The Family, The Body and Sexuality, Modern Revolutionary Movements—to investigate how gender and gender roles have changed over time, and their significance today. Readings include primary sources written both by men and by women, secondary sources, novels, and films.

1061. The United States and the Middle East, 1990-Present (3 s.h.)

This course introduces students to one of the most important global problems facing the United States, namely, its relations with Middle Eastern peoples and states. It begins with the U.S. involvement in the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and moves on to look historically at American conflict with Iraq in the 1990s, the Arab-Israeli problem, and the challenge presented by the geopolitical contest over oil supplies. The U.S. involvement in the region has had huge consequences for the Middle East and South Asia as well as for the American people. The course will use a variety of sources to introduce students to the background of these contemporary conflicts.

2811. World War I (3 s.h.)

The First World War (1914-1918) did more to shape the history of the 20th century than any other military conflict. It led to the destruction of empires, the outbreak of revolutions, and gave rise to Communism, Fascism and Nazism. The war catapulted the United States into a position of global dominance that it still maintains today. The war also transformed modern arts and culture. This course surveys not just the military history of the conflict, but its political, social, and cultural impact on Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Africa, and Asia. Extensive use is made in this course of primary sources, including soldiers’ diaries, memoirs, poetry, novels, propaganda, and photographs. Research projects will draw upon extensive online collections.

3571. Israel: History, Politics and Society (3 s.h.)
Cross Listed with Jewish Studies 3571 (0331).

This course traces the political and social history of modern Israel/Palestine since the late 19th century, examining the evolution of Zionism; the relationship between Jews and Muslims; the conflict between Zionists and Arabs; the development of the Jewish settlement in Palestine; and the creation of the State of Israel. It explores Israeli politics, society and identity, especially the role of immigration, ethnicity and religion, and also discusses the wars and tensions between Israel and neighboring Arab states; the status of the Arab/Palestinian minority in Israel; and the growth of Palestinian nationalism, the PLO and Hamas. Through studying Israeli history, politics and society this course helps students gain an understanding of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

3572. Modern Middle East (3 s.h.)

This course surveys the history of the modern Middle East, analyzing some of the great controversies of the region. How the modern Middle East arose, why so many conflicts in the region in modern times have taken place, why the Great Powers have been so involved, and how the struggles of the working class have fared are among the questions to be addressed.

4896. Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World (3 s.h.) RCI: WI.

This course considers the impact of modernity on Jews and Judaism in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. We will discuss the process of emancipation and assimilation; religious reform movements and modern Orthodoxy; the emergence of the Jewish “New Woman”; the involvement of Jews in liberalism, socialism and communism; the evolution of Zionism and the State of Israel; modern anti-Semitism and the Holocaust; and the complex issues relating to modern Jewish identity.

HEBREW

1001. Elements I (4 s.h.)

Introducing the Hebrew alphabet (print and cursive), functional grammar and basic sentence structures. The goal is to set up a solid base for the communication skills of reading without vowels, writing and conversing.

1002. Elements II (4 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Hebrew 1001 or equivalent.

Continuation of Hebrew I. Introducing more advanced sentence structures and three additional grammar paradigms and the past tense. The emphasis is on expansion of vocabulary to aid in understanding more varied texts and facilitating more ease in speaking, writing and reading.

2001. Intermediate I (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Hebrew 1002 or equivalent.

Reading of moderately difficult Hebrew texts with discussion in Hebrew. Introducing more advanced sentence structures, the rest of the grammar paradigms and the future tense. The goal is to conduct most of the class in Hebrew.

2002. Intermediate II (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Hebrew 2001 or equivalent.

Reading of moderately difficult Hebrew texts with discussions in Hebrew. Strong emphasis on more advanced sentence structures, the rest of the grammar paradigms in all tenses. Class is conducted mostly in Hebrew.

3002. Advanced Hebrew Readings II (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Hebrew 3098 or equivalent.

Reading and discussing difficult texts and newspaper articles. Acquisition of idiomatic phrases. Emphasis on writing and conversing fluently.

3082. Independent Study (3 s.h.)

Permission of instructor required.

3098. Advanced Hebrew Readings I (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Hebrew 2002 or equivalent.

Reading and discussing difficult texts. Acquisition of idiomatic phrases. Emphasis on writing and conversing fluently.

4082. Independent Study (3 s.h.)

Permission of instructor required.

LITERATURE AND CULTURE COURSES

2779. Love themes in Hebrew literature (3 s.h.)

A selection of love poetry from the Biblical Song of Songs, through the Middle Ages to contemporary Israel, including secular and mystical poems. Love themes and aspects, images, metaphors, symbols and poetic structures will be analyzed with special attention to influences and interrelationships between the different periods.

3711. Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3 s.h.)

The course explores the Israeli/Palestinian relationship, from the beginning of the 20th century till today, as it is represented in both Israeli and Palestinian literature and art. We will analyze themes, feelings and belief systems with a strong emphasis on the development of the image of the other in each group and its connection to self identity. NOTE: The course will be conducted in English.

JEWISH STUDIES

JS 3231 / SOC 3231 Jerusalem: The Politics of Space

Jerusalem is the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the focus of international debate among major world leaders. Understanding space in Jerusalem is central to understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and assessing the viability of solutions. This course will examine the politics underlying key developments in Jerusalem including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Old City, the City of David, the Mount of Olives, the security barrier/wall/fence, and land annexed by Israel after the 1967 war. The focus on these developments will ultimately explain how space is a major source of political, social and economic inequality as we explore just what is Jerusalem, for Jews, Moslems, and Christians.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

3241. Middle East Politics (3 s.h.)

This upper-level class provides a broad understanding of the economic development and political emergence of modern states in the Arab world. Among the weekly topics discussed are the legacies of colonialism, the rise of Islamist movements, the politics of oil, the dynamics of regional conflict, and the prospects for democratization.

RELIGION

3601. The Islamic State (3 s.h.) S.

This course examines both the classical theory and modern theory and practice of self-described Islamic states in the modern world. Main focus is on the Middle Eastern area.

3602. Women in Islam (3 s.h.)

This course will explore the issues confronting women in the religion of Islam and how the surrounding cultures, Indian, Arab, Egyptian, American, Eastern European, Indonesian, African (to name a few) react to these issues. Topics of Feminism, Imperialism, Westernization, and endemic religious culture will organize the course. The syllabus will include Islamic female and male authors on these topics.

3603. Islamic Mysticism (3 s.h.) F.

Introduction to the doctrines, practices, and history of Sufism. Analysis of the nature of mystical experience and Sufi principles. The course also includes a survey of Sufi literature and will discuss the brotherhoods, their relationship with orthodoxy, and al-Ghazali’s synthesis.

3701. Traditional Religions of Africa (3 s.h.) F SS.

This course is an interdisciplinary analysis and evaluation of selected readings on African religions that have not only survived but migrated across several continents, attracting a growing following in the contemporary societies of North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

3702. African Religions and New World Culture (3 s.h.) S.
Cross Listed with LAS 3702.

African religion and culture continues to exist in the religious and cultural life of African Americans. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we will examine African American religion, folklore, literature, music, and communication in order to assess the continuation and transformation of African culture in the world-view of African Americans.

4406. Secular Study of Ancient Jewish History: Between the Torah and the Talmud (3 s.h.)
Cross Listed with Jewish Studies 4406 (0360).

Ancient Jewish history is usually narrated as if Jews went directly from Torah to Talmud, with nothing in between. Such an account privileges the authoritative religious developments and the leadership first, of the priests who collated the core of the Torah, and second, of the early Rabbis, who collated the Mishnah, the earliest strata of the Talmud. This course explores the explosive and intriguing history between these two religious moments, and in doing so, rejects the religious chronology as the basis of historiography. The history and textual materials from these periods in Jewish History raise many of the perennial themes that have come to inform Jewish social life over the centuries. In fact, during this period in which Jews first become Jews, these issues arise for the first time: exile, political decentralization, disagreements between Jews about what constitutes the parameters of the Jewish community; peoplehood, nation, and the boundaries of group identity, intermarriage, conversion, and the movement of Jewish identity from a territory-based definition to an ethnic definition, to a definition based in piety.

4411. Secularism: Jewish and Muslim Women (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Students are strongly encouraged to have at least one upper level Jewish Studies, Religion or Women’s Studies course, more than one of these courses is preferred.

Cross Listed with Jewish Studies 4411 & Women’s Studies 4411.

In its three-hundred-year history as a Western concept, secularism is often defined as the opposite of religion. Religious women have alternately found western secularism to be a source of liberation (as it grants them greater civil rights) and a source of oppression (as it putatively shrinks the religious sphere). In creating feminisms through Jewish and Muslim experience, feminisms that are both secular and religious, these religious women have complicated the meanings of secularism. They have also challenged the notion that feminism is necessarily secular. This course looks at examples of Jewish and Muslim women’s lives and feminist thought in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. The course will compare and contrast the feminism of these two groups of religious women, in order to more fully understand the role of concepts like secularism, feminism, and religion.

SOCIOLOGY

SOC 3231 / JS 3231 Jerusalem: The Politics of Space

WOMEN’S STUDIES