ARAB-131 The Cultures of Arabic-Speaking Peoples ( ARAB-131)
From PhillipsWiki
Contents |
Course Description
Five class periods. Although there are no prerequisites, this couse is designed to dovetail with HIST-SS 533/1 (The Middle East Heartland) and ARAB 130. The course focuses on variuos facets of the cultures of diverse Arabic-speaking peoples. Through films, art, music, and readings in literature, religion, and history, students will consider a wide range of significant cultural issues. Open only to uppers and seniors.
Steps in the Research Process
Begin your research with an understanding of the process
Get an Overview with Reference Sources
Reference sources give you an overview of your topic. They help you identify key words that will aid you in searching the online catalog and various electronic databases. Also, reference sources often give suggestions for further reading, which can include books, articles or websites. All of the reference sources listed below can be found in the Garver Room (silent study room).
| Call Number | Title of Reference Source |
|---|---|
| REF 297 OX2 | The Oxford history of Islam |
| REF 297 M972 | The Muslim almanac : a reference work on the history, faith, culture, and peoples of Islam |
| REF 305.4 G85MI | The Greenwood encyclopedia of women's issues worldwide. The Middle East and North Africa |
| REF 909.09 C14 | The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world |
| REF 909.09 OX2 | The Oxford encyclopedia of the Islamic world |
| REF 909.07 C65HA | Handbook to life in the medieval world |
| REF 973.04 AR11 | Arab American encyclopedia |
| REF 803 C89D | A dictionary of literary terms and literary theory |
| ATLAS REF 909.07 H62N | Historical atlas of the Islamic world (see the book cover image on the top |
| ATLAS REF 911.56 F87H | Historical atlas of the Middle East |
| ATLAS REF 912.1 AT65 | Atlas of the world's religions |
| ATLAS REF 912.2 SM45ST | The state of the middle east : an atlas of conflict and resolution |
| Access Electronically | World Book Advanced |
| Access Electronically | Encyclopedia Britannica |
Also try
Reference Universe which allows you to search the indexes of every reference book in the PA collection.
Delve Deeper via Library Catalog Search
After getting an overview with reference sources, it is time to start searching the online catalog for books or other materials that focus more specifically on the topic you have chosen. You may try some of the following keywords, or subject headings.
- Arab countries
- Arabs -- Folklore.
- Civilization, Islamic.
- Democracy -- Islamic countries.
- Europe -- Civilization -- Islamic influences.
- Gardens, Islamic.
- Islam and world politics.
- Islamic Empire -- History.
- Islam -- History.
- Islam -- Middle East.
- Islamic countries -- Civilization.
- Islamic Empire -- History.
- Muslims
- Palestinian Arabs. *Arab-Israeli conflict.
- Women -- Arab countries -- Social conditions.
Click on the links below to see a few samples of books, DVD and music CDs available at OWHl and its satellite libraries on the campus.
Art of Islam : language and meaning
Islamic art and culture : a visual history
The Arab human development report 2005 : towards the rise of women in the Arab world / UNDP, Regional Bureau for Arab States, edited by Nadir Farjani.
Egypt (sound recording)
The lemon tree : an Arab, a Jew, and the heart of the Middle East
This side of peace : a personal account
Islamic gardens and landscapes
Women of sand and Myrrh
ʻImārat Yaʻqūbiyān (videorecording) = The Yacoubian building a feature film in DVD
People and the land
Reel bad Arabs (videorecording) : how Hollywood vilifies a people
Reconciliation : Islam, democracy, and the West
The concise Oxford dictionary of literary terms an online Literary terms
Gaza Stripa documentary video by an American filmmaker, James Longley who follows a range of Palestinian Arabs living in the Gaza Strip...
To find more, please start your own search via NOBLE Online Catalog or ask a librarian for further help!!
Note: When you need to request materials from other libraries via NOBLE catalog, you will need a library card with a PIN. If you don't have one yet, request one at the Circulation Desk.
Recommended Databases for Further Research
Articles from electronic databases can help you fill in holes in areas of your research where book information is not sufficient or current. Often times, articles will give very specific information rather than a general overview. The databases in the chart below will be particularly useful to you when doing research on your course related topics.
You can access these databases both on campus and off. To see a complete listing of all the databases the OWHL subscribes to, please visit the Databases A-Z Page.
| Title of Database | About the Database |
|---|---|
| Europa World | Europa World Plus is first published in 1926. The year book is renowned as one of the world's leading reference works, covering political and economic information in more than 250 countries and territories. |
| Biography Resource Center | Almost a million biographies including full text of the complete Marquis Who's Who(R). Has the full content of Contemporary Authors. Source citation is at the end of each article. Learn More |
| Literature Online | A fully searchable library of more than 350,000 works of English and American poetry, drama and prose, 208 full-text literature journals, and other key criticism and reference resources. It also include some literary and criticism on Asian literature. You may start with its Author Index. Learn More |
| Literary Reference Center | Literary Reference Center (LRC) is a comprehensive literary reference database, which provides users with a broad spectrum of reference information from antiquity to the present day. LRC contains detailed information on the most studied authors and their works and is an essential resource for public, academic and high school libraries. It also include some literary and criticism on Asian literature. You may start with its Most Studied Author/Works page. |
| The Literary Encyclopedia | The Literary Encyclopedia is an expanding global literary reference work written by over 1750 specialists from universities around the world, and currently provides over 4200 authoritative profiles of authors, works and literary and historical topics. A Main Searches can be launched from here. |
| Cambridge Collections Online | Cambridge Companions are lively, accessible introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics and periods. It is a fully searchable, full text collection of over 230 titles from the Cambridge Companions series of books. Covering literature, classics, philosophy, religion and cultural studies. Learn More |
| Academic Search Elite | Similar to that listed above, this is another general database using a different search interface. Learn More |
| JSTOR | This database provides a trusted archive of important scholarly journals. However, there is a gap, typically from 1 to 5 years, between the most recently published journal issue and the back issues available in JSTOR. Learn More |
Note: You can access these databases both on and off campus. If you're off campus, you may be prompted for your "library card number". This is simply your PA ID number, which is on your ID card.
Selected Internet Resources
Based on your teachers' topics, I recommend the following sites for your further research.
Middle Eastern Modern Literature Internet Public Library Literary Criticism Site for world literature.
Middle East Internet Public Library: Middle East History, Culture and Civilization
Middle East Online In both English and Arabic.
Middle Eastern Reading Room Library of Congress
The World Factbook CIA Library
World by country The Library of Congress's Portals to the World
LOC's Portals to the World Library of Congress
CMES at Harvard University Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Middle East & Islamic Studies at Columbia University
Middle East newspaper Internet Public Library's World Newspapers
Boston Public Library .
(Note: To access to BPL's electronic resources, you will need to sign up an BPL's e-Card.
Google or Wikipedia? How to evaluate websites on the internet?
Citation and Plagiarism
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarismis the use of the words or ideas of others as though they were the writer's own. Wrongful appropriation or purloining is theft. Plagiarism is stealing. Plagiarism is academic dishonesty, and as such is considered a serious affront to academic integrity.
To know more about Plagiarism, please visit OWHL's Plagiarism Resource page.
For this assignment, you will be required to use the MLA Citation Style. For help with this, see the Citing Sources page in the wiki, or pick up an MLA Style sheet from the Help Desks or click Citation Styles. However, you can always ask a librarian for further help when needed.
Remember, you not only have to cite direct quotes, but also text that you paraphrase. Anything you write that is not an original thought must be properly cited!
To keep track of your research, you may use this Bibliographic Information Recording Form designed by our instructional librarians.
Quiz for Today
Now, you have learned various ways to find information. Let's see who would be the first one who can show us "Facts in brief about Iraq" or any Acrabic-speaking countries you are interested in via the sources introduced to you. The facts should include the following elements:
- Capital
- Official language(s)
- Official name of Iraq
- Area and elevation
- Population
- Chief products
- Money
- Form of government
- Climate
Your Instructional Librarian
I am in the library every day from 9am to 5pm during the week except Tuesday from 2-10pm.
Or,email me at spei@andover.edu to ask a question or set up a meeting. You can also call me at x4228 or simply stop by!
Last Rev. by Ms. Pei on 3/11/09
