Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: ANTI-SEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

Department: Jewish Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: What do anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have in common? Are they two different modes of oppression and discrimination, or are they part of a similar phenomenon? Moreover, are they religious, racial, or ethnic forms of discrimination? Throughout this course, we will complicate the narrative that sees Jews and Arabs as perpetual enemies through a historical and philosophical exploration into the development of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Students will think historically about the construction of race, ethnicity, and religion and the various modes by which these are employed, and they will use that knowledge to think critically about current depictions of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic violence. In the first part of the course, we will consider some of the historical and conceptual underpinnings of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We will begin in medieval Spain and then track their development through modernity, paying close attention to how these discourses changed and evolved over time; in the second part, we will look at the impact of the Holocaust and the rise of the State of Israel and consider current iterations of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in Europe and America today. Cross-list: RELI 130.