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1. Area Studies, the Cold War, and the History of the US Academic Library Collections

Author:
Michael Albin, Ryan Zohair, Joan Weeks, and William Kopycki
Publication Date:
06-2022
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
This panel brings together Middle East Studies librarians to discuss how Cold War-era programs like the Food for Peace Act, whose revenues supported the Library of Congress' foreign offices in the Middle East, functioned and contributed to foreign language acquisitions in the U.S., and how they continue to shape how knowledge is produced on the region within American academia.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Cold War, History, Academia, Area Studies, and Libraries
Political Geography:
Middle East, North America, and United States of America

2. How to Study Gender in the Middle East

Author:
Maya Mikdashi
Publication Date:
06-2020
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
Abstract:
Before resolving to write about gender, sexuality, or any other practice or aspect of life, subjectivity or power in the Middle East, one must first define what exactly the object of study is. Be specific. What country, region, and time period form the background picture of your study? The terms “Middle East,” “Islamic world,” and “Arab world” do not refer to the same places, peoples, or histories, but the linkages between them are crucial. Moreover, the region has always been transnational, with the nation state being a relatively new phenomenon in much of Middle East. In order to study political economy and gender in Syria, for example, one must be aware of the regional history that has produced “Syria” to begin with, as well as phenomena such as a “national” economy or political economy.
Topic:
Gender Issues, Sexuality, Academia, and Area Studies
Political Geography:
Middle East and North Africa