The aim of these seminars is to offer an overview of the key issues in the study of gender. It will offer a historical and critical survey of contemporary gender theory. It will also examine the interface between gender theory and a variety of other theoretical perspectives including postcolonialism and poststructuralism. It will further provide a gendered understanding of prevailing discourses, ideologiees, social practices and trends in Middle Eastern societies and politics. The course is interdisciplinary in scope, readings and theoretical underpinning ranging from history, sociology, and anthropology to political science, and media studies.