This is a survey course of North Africa as a cultural area. Countries included in any given semester will vary. North Africa is Islamic and is often considered to be part of the Middle East but has a distinct history and culture of its own. Course content will include cultural, social, historical, economic, religious, and political perspectives on this important region. Ethnicity and the impact of colonialism will be discussed. Other important segments will examine gender status and roles, family and marriage, sociopolitical organization, the life course of males and females, and aging.