Middle East Inquiry and Reflection will serve as a record of my research and study on literature, film, history, and culture of the Middle East. The work will be based on themes and issues studied in a class on Postcolonial Literature in the English Department at Western Michigan University, under the guidance of Dr. Allen Webb.
To begin my study, I have chosen three books dealing with the War in Iraq: Sunrise Over Fallujah, by Walter Dean Meyers, Baghdad Diaries: A Woman's Chronicle of War and Exile, by Nuha al-Radi, and The Librarian of Basra, a picture book by Jeannette Winter. I will also watch various films including Turtles Can Fly, directed by Bahman Ghobadi, and Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War, a documentary by Robert Greenwald.
Although I have been a university student for the majority of the past decade, I am ashamed to admit how little I know about this area of the world, and the world in general. In an introductory lecture during today's class, I was introduced to the Peters Projection map. This map, introduced in 1973, claims to be a more accurate representation of area, in comparison to the Mercator Projection map, which distorts size in order to privilege the North. There seems to be some controversy among geographers that argue neither map is an accurate representation of the earth and the Mercator map is not "racist," although they admit that the representation of area is more accurate in the Peters projection. Interestingly, I have yet find any suggestions as to why the map would have been distorted in this way to begin with, and I cannot think of any other reason except for power or political gain.
As I endeavor on my study of the Middle East, I look forward to gaining insight on the history that has informed today's events, as well as some of the lesser-known facts about our current relationship with the region. My goal, as a future high school teacher, is to begin to put an end to America's ignorance of the culture, economy, influence, and our involvement with the region. To culminate my research, I will complete a detailed unit plan for secondary teachers.
I think that is a great goal to have as a secondary ed. teacher! I am also excited to gain knowledge on this subject, as I also have very little prior knowledge. I'm excited to see your lesson plan at the end of the semester!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about how little I knew about the Middle East, and even this far into the semester I still feel like I have so much left to learn! I hope you feel like you have gained a lot of knowledge and insight thus far-- your blogs certainly reflect a lot of learning! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you also questioned the Peter's Projection maps. I blogged on this topic as well, and it's interesting to hear all the different political and slightly controversial perspectives on the different maps!