LFU:online

Students will demonstrate basic understanding of the political, social, and cultural history of Israel; knowledge of key events, people, and groups that have shaped the history of Israel; understanding of basic concepts in the study of history, such as place, time, contingency, structure, continuity and change; the ability to recognize and interpret primary historical sources, taking into consideration authorship and purpose; understanding Israel’s role in the Middle East and it’s cooperation and conflicts with its neighbours and its role in international politic during the Cold War and since the collapse of the Soviet Union; obtaining tools of critical thinking about the Israeli-Arab conflict and its possible solutions; understanding the concept of a national narrative and the way the Israeli and the Palestinian narratives correspond with each other over the years of the conflict; ability to compare processes within Israeli society with equivalent process in different cultures around the world.

In the spring of 1948, the State of Israel was established. Although the territory of the new state had always been small, since its beginnings it has played a central role in world politics, and its existence and deeds evoke extreme emotional reactions. In this course we will explore major aspects in the history of Israel and the ways they influence its cultural life. Throughout the course we will discuss complexities and paradoxes that have accompanied Israeli society from its beginnings down to today. Some of the major themes will be: the relation between religion and state, the interactions of military and civil life, the place of the kibbutz movement within society, the Israeli family and the place of women in society, and the meaning of war. Along with readings in recent scholarly works in the field of Israel Studies, we will also analyze film sequences and chapters of major works of Israeli literature.

Lecture

Final written exam

A full reading list will be provided at the start of the course.

Nachträgliche Anmeldungen zur Vorlesung sind möglich. Schicken Sie bitte ein Email an brigitte.haidler@uibk.ac.at.
Diese Vorlesung gilt auch als Außereuropäische Geschichte I ODER II für Studierende des Curriculum BA Geschichte (2009). In diesem Fall gilt ein reduzierter Workload.