Postgraduate Course: Approaches to Research in Advanced Arabic (IMES11057)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course is intended to equip students with the skills required to undertake advanced language-based research (in Arabic). The course caters to a number of methodological and disciplinary areas, including archival work, press analysis, translation, linguistic analysis and interviewing. Course readings will include general literature on research methods in the humanities and social sciences as well as, where appropriate, specific work on conducting research in an Arabic-language context. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
18/09/2013 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
The ability to identify and articulate possible language based-research projects.
The ability to formulate a research problem
An understanding of different methodological tools and modes of research.
Training in the preparation of bibliographies and research documents.
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Assessment Information
Assessment will be by one 4000 word essay.
The format of the essay can be either a) a research proposal detailing: the main research questions and/or hypotheses, overall area of study and methods to be employed or b) a critical discussion of how one or more approaches to the study of the Arabic-speaking world could be useful in a practical or professional context. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: Introduction to the study of the Arabic-speaking world
Week 2: Conducting archival research in Arabic and working with historical texts
Week 3: Issues and practices in ethnographical research in the Arabic-speaking world
Week 4: Approaches to scripture: working with religious texts
Week 5: Linguistic analysis
Week 6: Media Arabic and discourse analysis
Week 7: Data collection in the Social Sciences: interviews, focus groups, surveys, and questionnaires.
Week 8: Arabic literature and literary criticism
Week 9: Researching popular culture in the Arabic-speaking world
Week 10: Open discussion: designing a research project
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Agar, M. (1996) The Professional Stranger: An Informal Introduction to Ethnography.San Diego, Calif. ; London: Academic Press.
Anderson, Lisa (2004), 'Scholarship, Policy, Debate and Conflict: Why We Study the Middle East and Why It Matters,' Middle East Studies Association Bulletin 38(1), pp. 2-15.
Appleby, A., Hunt, L., and Jacob, M. (1994) Telling the Truth about History. New York; London: Norton.
Brannen, J. (1988) 'Research note: the study of sensitive subjects, notes on interviewing', Sociological Review, Vol. 36, No. 3. Pgs. 552-563
Briggs, C. (1986) Learning How to Ask. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Clark,
Edward Said (1979), Orientalism. Vintage Books: New York.
Elizabeth W. Fernea & Basima Q. Bezirgan (eds.) Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak. Austin: U. of Texas Press.
Evans, R.J. (1997), In Defence of History. London: Granta
Gavin D. Brockett (2009), 'Provincial Newspapers as a Historical Source: Buyuk Cihad and the great struggle for the Muslim Turkish Nation (1951-53).' International Journal of Middle East Studies Volume 41, no. 3
Hanna Herzog (2005) 'On Home Turf: Interview Location and Its Social Meaning.' Qualitative Sociology 25-47 Volume 28, Number 1
Janine A. (2006) 'Field Research Methods in the Middle East.' Political Science and Politics 39 (3): 417-424.
Kopf, D. (1980) Hermeneutics versus History Author(s): Reviewed work(s): Orientalism by Edward W. Said Source: The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 495-506.
Leonard Binder, ed. (1976) The Study of the Middle East:Research and Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences. New York: Wiley.
Marshall, C. and Rossman, G.B. (1995) Designing Qualitative Research. Second editions. London: Sage.
Palmer, Monte. (1982) Survey Research in the Arab World: An Analytical Index. London: Menas Press.
Pushkala Prasad (2005) Crafting Qualitative Research: Working in the Postpositivist Traditions.
Sharabi, Hisham (1990) Theory, Politics, and the Arab World: Critical Responses. Routledge.
Tamari, S. and Zureik, E. (2001), Reinterpreting the Historical Record: The Uses of Palestinian Refugee Archives for Social Science Research and Policy Analysis., Jerusalem: Institute of Jerusalem Studies.
Tessler, M. (2003) 'Arab and Muslim Political Attitudes: Stereotypes and Evidence from Survey Research.' International Studies Perspectives 4: 175-180.
Tessler, Mark ed. (1999) Area Studies and Social Science: Strategies for Understanding Middle East Politics. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Tessler, Mark, ed. (1987) The Evaluation and Application of Survey Research in the Arab World, Boulder: Westview Press.
Valbjorn, Morten (2004) 'Toward a Mesopotamian Turn: Disciplinarity and the study of the International Relations of the Middle East,' Journal of Mediterranean Studies 14(1-2), pp. 47-76.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
A two hour seminar each week. |
| Keywords | AtRAA |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Anthony Gorman
Tel: (0131 6)50 4183
Email: Anthony.Gorman@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Nicole Luu
Tel: (0131 6)50 4465
Email: Nicole.Luu@ed.ac.uk |
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