Current Issues in Anthropology: Law, Human Rights, and Politics in the Middle East

This course will examine how legal systems and human rights practices are shaped by history, state policies, culture and international influence. We will address colonial influence, the impact of conflict, gender and human rights, the role of religion, human rights advocacy and the international community's role. How has the region's history and political context impacted its legal systems, why have we come full circle after the Arab Spring, and how can an anthropological approach help us better understand solutions to this ongoing crisis? This course will adopt a comparative approach, and will draw lessons from other parts of the world.