MES4210 ¨C Topics in Arabic Studies I

Course content

This course focuses on one or more select topics in Arabic studies, broadly understood as the study of the Arabic-speaking world, based on Arabic sources. Both cultural, social, religious, and political dimensions may be covered, in their contemporary and/or historical formations. Special attention is given to how these issues are dealt with in textual and/or visual production, by literary or academic authors, intellectuals, journalists, political actors, social media users, etc. This may include literature, media and other forms of cultural expression; religion, philosophy and thought; history and historiography; the formation of ideological paradigms; gender, family and education; etc.

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Topic?Spring 2024:?Satire in Modern Arabic Literature

Satire has a long tradition in Arabic literature that goes back to pre-Islamic times. But it has also been a prominent mode of expression in modern times, all from the 19th century enlightenment, through the periods of nation building, independent statehood, and postmodern times. In this course, you will be acquainted with some prominent examples and representatives of the genre.

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Examples of courses that have been given in MES4210:

• Landmarks of Modern Arabic Fiction
• Finding, Reading and Interpreting Arabic Sources
• Environmental Literature in Arabic

Learning outcome

• Become familiar with a highly relevant aspect of modern Arab cultural production in a historical perspective
• Come to know major representatives of the modern literary canon, their authors and the key issues taken up by them and skillfully molded into in literary parables
• Acquire competence in the reading and interpretation of Arabic primary sources
• Receive training in the critical use of relevant secondary literature both in Arabic and in other languages
• Develop the ability to describe and summarize source material and to analyze it with regard to a chosen method of literary criticism
• Present their own analyses in oral and written form and in a concise academic style

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

Students enrolled in other Master`s Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Formal prerequisite knowledge

• MES4000 ¨C Theory, Methodology and Project Description in Middle East- and South Asia Studies
• 80 ECTS credits within Arabic at BA-level or near-native fluency in spoken and written Arabic, and can document this with transcripts from national secondary school.

Teaching

The course is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars organised as 10 classes of 2 hours each throughout the semester. The course presupposes active participation.

Compulsory activities

• Week-to-week preparation of assigned texts and reference literature for in-class discussion
• Attendance to at least 8 classes
• One or two oral presentations in class (precise number and length will be determined at the beginning of the semester). The oral presentation must be accompanied by a 1-page hand-out. As part of active participation in class, students will be required to comment on each other¡¯s presentations
• Outline of the term paper and a list of sources

Approved compulsory activities are only valid for the current semester.

Valid absence

If you have valid absence from the compulsory activity, you must submit an application and hand in documentation.

This is how you apply for a valid absence from compulsory activity.

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

The exam is a term paper of 8-10 pages of main text, each page comprising up to around 2300 characters including spaces (max. 23,000 characters excluding footnotes and list of references), on a subject related to the course and approved by the teacher. The paper must be based mainly on Arabic sources.

The compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.

Grading guidelines

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.