Teaching

Summary: This course is the reading seminar of political humanities, linked to the first semester Masterclass. Relying on a multidisciplinary approach, this seminar aims at providing students with theoretical and empirical tools for the apprehension of the contemporary Middle East and Mediterranean region. As a reading seminar, its methodology will be to encourage students to analyze the various texts of the bibliography - the two evaluations of the semester being an oral presentation on an academic publication, and a written dissertation on a book.

Classes will emphasize on the evolution of the monotheist discourses throughout the ages – both as a religious and cultural phenomenon, but also as a producer of social and political norms. These elements are central in the analysis of the notion of civilization, particularly in the Mediterranean region, which saw the rise of different cultures and religious groups : Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and their diverse subcurrents. It seems all the more fundamental to study their influence that monotheistic values are at the core of both Western/Christian Europe and the Arab/Islamic world. One the course’s main interests will be to question the legacy of these values throughout history, and therefore study the continuity and breakups within the aforementioned civilizations.

The comprehension of religious discourse and institutions, as well as their role within the birth of Mediterranean common (and, sometimes, antagonist) cultures, will give students a conceptual approach which will serve them during their whole academic journey in Menton - and their future career. Questioning the notion of religion, distinguishing between faith and political ideologies, but also memories, identities and belongings, will be at the center of this course’s methodology, in order to develop the students’ critical thinking and reflexive analysis.

In parallel to the aforementioned subjects, the objective of this class is to encourage the students to read and use publications extracted from the global academic literature. Scientific articles are indeed new for most of them, and require specific tools to be fully understood and analyzed. Through the reading and discussion of these texts, and with the focus on specific themes related to the Islamic civilization, students will be encouraged to take a critical look at the way some key notions and concepts related to this particular field have been produced to explain the particular dynamics of the Mediterranean region.

This seminar focuses on qualitative research methods and their application in generating nuanced, causal narratives about social and political phenomena. Geared towards PhD students beginning their dissertation journey, the seminar provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative research methodologies. Throughout the seminar week, participants will explore the fundamental aspects of qualitative research, from formulating initial research questions to publication. Key topics include case selection, conducting fieldwork, and data analysis. Through applied readings and group exercises, students will gain practical insights to successfully undertake qualitative research projects from inception to completion. The course is structured into three parts. The first session covers foundational issues such as selecting research questions, case studies, and ensuring ethical practices in fieldwork. The main portion of the course focuses on the conduct of fieldwork, with each session introducing specific techniques like ethnography, interviews, comparative logic, discourse analysis etc. Practical examples from empirical research in social and political sciences will be examined to illustrate these methods. The final sessions will delve into data analysis techniques including process tracing, discourse analysis, comparative historical analysis, and content analysis. The course concludes with discussions on researcher positionality and safety considerations once data collection is over. Each session is divided into two parts. The first part is lecture-style, led by the instructors, though interaction is highly encouraged.

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