PLURALISM AND TRANSCULTURAL MEDIATION

The course contributes to the preparation of experts in the history and society of the Mediterrranean and the Middle East, providing students with a thorough introduction to the history and politics of contemporary Lebanon and helping them to develop necessary research skills.

By the end of the course, students will be able to conduct an independe piece of research on a specific aspect of Lebanon's contemporary history, and to present it orally. They will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratevely, within their group and in the class.

The pre-requisites for the course are the same as for the CDS of which it is part

The course is structured around three main themes:
1) Introduction to the history of contemporary Lebanon, with particular attention given to the following questions: sectarianism, relations society-state, political parties, the civil war and its consequences, the Syrian domination and the post-Syrian period, the impact of the Syrian war on Lebanon, the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, starting from a field study.
2) Palestinian refugees and the Lebanese question. Origins and themes of the Palestinian question in the Middle East, the Palestinian exile and the armed struggle, the social trajectory of Palestinian refugees after the war (on the basis of field studies)
3) Issues relative to the Lebanese and regional borders. Introduction to border studies, cases of regional studies, with particular attention to Irak, Syria, Yemen, and specific Lebanese examples, based on field studies.

A list of readings will be made available by the class conductor at the beginning of the course.

All students will complete a collaborative assignement based on a research structured on the basis of a research question identified during the first week of the course and a bibliography elaborated together with the class conductor. The assignment will include both a written essay and an oral presentation.

The course combines lectures and tutorial like discussions, with the aim of fostering students' active participation and engaged learning.

English

written and oral