The course is designed to familiarize students with the main sociological concepts and theories through the discussion of selected case studies from contemporary Arab-majority societies. By viewing the region through the lens of sociology and anthropology, this part of the course aims to shed light on issues relevant to the region that are also to be found in other human societies, such as social movements, the politics of youth, social stratification or popular culture. In doing so, the course aims to expand the understanding of the region that goes beyond the thesis of regional specificity of the Middle East and to establish the ground for compared approaches in social, cultural and historical phenomena.