Migration and Difference at the Crossroads of the Middle East and African Continent

In this course we will explore histories of migration within, across, and beyond the African continent and Middle East. Engaging an array of primary and secondary sources, including maps, travelogues, and fiction, we will consider how narratives of migration –– voluntary and forced –– demonstrate the rich, entangled histories of the Middle East and African continent. Topics to be considered include Mediterranean-Indian Ocean merchant networks, pilgrimage journeys, and human trafficking between central Sudan and northern Africa. We will also ask how categories of social difference, particularly race and gender, have shaped people’s lived experiences of migration in the past and its resonances in the present. Scaffolded assignments will culminate in digital mapping and storytelling projects. 3 hrs. lect./disc.