Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons^™

[You Are With] Kin And [You Can Be At] Ease, Abdul Azim Al Ghussein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of hospitality, sharing and acclimation within a studio art practice as a means of fostering consideration of others. I employ a practice whereby I disrupt the typical gallery context, and through the production and dissemination of consumable items from the Middle East, I examine how resources can be used, valued, and shared to accommodate various and unspecified others and provide opportunities for crossing thresholds of guest and host relationships.

Where The Rocks Bleed Ink: Images Of Self In Palestinian Political Cartoons, Jonathon P. Wurth

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This graphic novel looks at symbols used by three prominent Palestinian political cartoonists—Naji al Ali, Baha Boukhari, and Khalil Abu Arafeh—that represent the Palestinian people. The goal, assuming that political cartoons accurately reflect the opinions of the common people, is to discern what Palestinians think about themselves. This study finds that while the cartoonists use a number of cultural and religious symbols to represent Palestinians, the most regularly used images—and hypothetically the most insightful—are representations of common Palestinian people themselves. They are depicted as humble yet strong and pious. Al Ali’s cartoons are taken from handala.org, a website dedicated to …

The Female Experience: Study Abroad Students In Egypt, Heather Raquael Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of female students on study abroad programs, with the aim of answering the following questions: do they face unique challenges as female students (including harassment or assault), how do they avoid or cope with any negative experiences, and can we as language departments better prepare our students to have the best experiences possible? The participants for the study were primarily 12 of 50 students involved in the Brigham Young University Study Abroad to Cairo, Egypt during Spring and Summer terms 2010. Data include participant observation, student journals, and ethnographic interviews conducted during the last …

Iran And The Myth Of Deterrence, William Wunderle, Gabriel Lajeunesse

William Wunderle

Thos who argue deterrence is the answer to a nuclear Iran miss the point -- the real issue is not whether Iran can be deterred from use or transfer of a nuclear weapon, but rather how a weapon would enable Iran to transition from its current status as a malignant spoiler to that of a true global power and threat. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-wunderle/iran-and-the-myth-of-dete_b_478576.html

Winning The Next War: Institutionalizing Lessons Learned From Today’S Regional Conflicts, William D. Wunderle

William Wunderle

In the future, the United States military is more likely to undertake missions requiring irregular warfare capabilities, as opposed to traditional large-scale ground combat operations. These conflicts do not occur in a vacuum. Complex sectarian, ethnic, and tribal affiliations cross boundaries and require consideration of regional realities that impact the conflict. A key component of military readiness will be the ability to understand the cultures of, and communicate with, people from many regions of the world. Increased language and culture training will ultimately prove to be a powerful weapon in the American military’s arsenal.

The U.S. military now understands that …

Countering Iranian Malign Influence: The Need For A Regional Response, William D. Wunderle, Gabriel C. Lajeunesse

William Wunderle

The behavior and the policies pursued by Iran’s current leadership pose profound and wide-ranging challenges to U.S. interests, the interests of its friends and allies, and the international community as a whole. Particularly concerning is Iran’s ability to foment instability through the use of terrorism. Recognizing this, the authors participated in a series of roundtables, discussions, and forums on Iranian Malign Influence. Participants included military and civilian experts from a number of Middle Eastern, European, and Central Asian countries, U.S. think tanks, and U.S. intelligence and interagency subject matter experts. This paper is a reflection of the insightful dialogue that …

Through The Lens Of Cultural Awareness: A Primer For Us Armed Forces Deploying To Arab And Middle Eastern Countries, William Wunderle

William Wunderle

This Combat Studies Institute (CSI) Special Study is unique in that it focuses more on culture than on history. The CSI objective, however, remains unchanged—to provide manuscript length historical studies rel¬evant to the leaders of an Army at War. We are, therefore, pleased to offer Through the Lens of Cultural Awareness: A Primer for US Armed Forces Deploying to Arab and Middle Eastern Countries by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) William D. Wunderle.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Long War, as the Global War on Terrorism is now known, is the cultural environment in which it is being fought. In …