I've used portions of an Al-Jazeera English series in my Middle East geography course (link below). I've found that it frames current transformations underway in the Middle East in such a way that makes them palatable for students with very basic knowledge of the region. It has prompted interesting discussion in class surrounding the historical relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East, histories of democracy in the region and their rupture and conjecture into the ever-pressing 'what now' question.
The following is a discussion among Rashid Khalidi, Clovis Maksoud and Samer Shehata:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2011/02/20112774233988142.html
I also second Bob's point about the Middle East Report - by far one of the best resources for critical analysis and coverage of the region.
Lisa
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Lisa Bhungalia
PhD Candidate
Department of Geography
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Syracuse University
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________________________________________
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ross, Robert [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2011 12:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mapping Crisis in the ?MidEast?: Geopolitics Redux
Bruce (et al),
For starters, perhaps you can show this map to your students: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/2011/02/2011222121213770475.html
This isn't a map, but Mosaic is a 30-minute daily news program, which features a compendium of Arabic-, Farsi-, and English-language tv news stories from around the Middle East. You can stream it here: http://www.linktv.org/mosaic
There is of course no better English-language news source on the Middle East than Al Jazeera English (which can now be streamed 24/7).
Sharif Abdel Kouddous provided outstanding on-the-ground reporting from Cairo for Democracy Now. More so than even Al Jazeera, he featured interviews with ordinary people in and around Tahir Square. Anjali Kamat is now in Libya attempting to do the same kind of reporting for Democracy Now. Their reports can be found here: http://www.democracynow.org/tags/rolling_rebellions
Middle East Report Online has featured academic-quality but plain-language analysis of these uprisings, their implications for the region, and the political-geographic contexts from which they have come: http://www.merip.org/mero/mero.html
Best wishes,
Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers on behalf of Jessica Jacobs
Sent: Sat 2/26/2011 12:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mapping Crisis in the ?MidEast?: Geopolitics Redux
you could try this map:
http://plixi.com/photos/home/73294801
On 26 Feb 2011, at 16:46, Bruce D'Arcus wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 3:42 AM, Driver, F <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> The crude geopolitical framing which currently dominates media
>> accounts of
>> current events demands a better response from both geographers and
>> historians: it would be interesting to hear of the use of other
>> forms of
>> mapping which might offer a different perspective.
>
> Indeed.
>
> I'm actually planing to reorient the political section of my intro
> human geography course around these current events. Alas, despite the
> fact I begin on Monday, I've yet to entirely figure out how I'm going
> to do this!
>
> But I am contemplating figuring out how to get my generally
> conservative, not very worldly, students to engage in some way with
> arguments (to the degree they've been translated into English) of
> people in the streets.
>
> And given that I'm certain most of my students don't even know where
> some of these places are, an interactive map or two will be helpful.
>
> Anyone have any good ideas/other resources?
>
> Bruce
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