Featured Elective Courses

Frantz Fanon is one of the most prominent thinkers of anti-colonialism. A shared reference for both postcolonial and decolonial Scholars as well as for Black radical thought, many dimensions of his multidimensional and multidisciplinary work remain unknown to the American audience. By focusing on the Fanonian moment as a work of revolutionary theory and practice, this seminar offers a close-reading approach to his texts. It also analyzes the very diverse sources of Fanon’s works (from Césaire to Lacan) as well as the historical movements from which it drew its inspiration (the Algerian war of liberation). While reading Fanon in the historical context of the French Empire and the “francophone world”, the seminar also addresses his multiple and sometimes contradictory legacies and thus wishes to open a space for new creative and critical readings of the Fanonian text. Taught in English.

A seminar focusing on anthropological methods of analyzing and interpreting Middle Eastern cultures and societies. Emphasizes the study of kinship, tribal structure, social organization and gender relations, ethnic groups relations, and urban-rural distinctions. Draws upon insights from these topics as a basis for understanding contemporary social, economic, and political dynamics in the region.

One of the most controversial issues in contemporary political discourse is the question of Islamist violence and its relationship to Islamic religion and practice. In this course, we will explore the phenomenon and media representation of radicalization, and their relationship to a number of institutions and issues, including but not limited to: religious texts, global politics, colonialism, war, and nationalism. The goals of this course are to familiarize students with the historical and discursive issues pertaining to radicalism and religious violence in Islamic and non-Islamic contexts, and to posit questions about what constitutes “radicalism” in a given tradition or cultural context.