Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3152: Folklore and Identity in the Middle East

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

To explore the co-existence of classical and popular traditions in the Middle East, and the continuing role of folklore in modern contexts
To provide an informed introduction to the academic debates and appropriate methodologies in the field
To give an introduction to the impact of theories of folklore and the folk, which had their origins in European romantic and philological traditions, in the Middle East.
To discuss the uses of folklore in discourses of identity, both by subaltern minorities and by dominant actors such as State governments seeking to create national identities

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate clear knowledge of various approaches to folklore study and of the importance of folklore in some states of the Middle East.
2. demonstrate familiarity with the major scholars working in the theoretical field of folkloristics and on the region.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. engage with theoretical debates on: the (European) concept of the folk, orality and literacy, performance and text, genre and gender in folklore.
4. analyse case studies looking at examples of folklore(whether verbal or material culture) and their use in context within the Middle East.
5. consider these examples critically, and be alert to examples of primordialism and essentialism
6. engage on, research and complete a case study of their own choice which will be the subject of an oral presentation
Personal and Key Skills7. read theoretical literature and apply it to the context under discussion..
8. contextualise sources, rank them according to relevance, write coherent and structured arguments
9. achieve clarity of oral expression and appropriate visual or other aids in making a presentation