Folklore of the Middle East USU

What element is central to Zoroastrian theology and practices (jurisprudence)

Fire

What is the role of fire in Zoroastrianism

Fire is the conduit and the mediating element between humans and God

What is (are) the unique characteristic(s) of Zahhak

He grew snakes on his shoulders, which helped him in battles

The Majority of Omanis are

Ibadi Muslim

There exist four levels of contexts that anthropologists and folklorists consider when studying folk narratives. Match them with their descriptions

Individual context - why does a person choose to tell a certain narrative; what's the individual relation to the text Comparative context - goes beyond the immediate situation of performance and considers history, structure, and symbolism Social context - the specific situation(s) in which the narrative is told, including the audience, physical environment Cultural context - relation of narrative to larger "ideas, symbols, and behaviors" of the group

One of the most known narration techniques of the 1001 Nights is the Frame Story. What is a frame story

One or more stories happen in other stories

What does this meme refer to? Lebanon (picture of yoda) Make sure you save your school project before 6:00 pm

Repeated power outage

Why is Salam Pax a betwixt and between folk figure?

Salam Pax is a famous blogger, born in Iraq, who spent a significant amount of his life in Austria. While at school in Austria, he became fluent in the western languages of English and German, but also studied his native language, Arabic. When he could no longer afford to live in Austria, he resumed his schooling in Baghdad, but he felt like an outsider. He may have been a native Iraqi citizen, but he wasn't part of the religious culture, and his time spent in Austria gave him a sense of estrangement from his home culture. He was neither a "westerner" nor a "middle easterner", he was just himself trying to bring a raw and real perspective to the situation during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Why was there resistance against "halalburgers" in France

Some French people claimed that halalburgers would change the authentic French national identity

What does jihad mean in the context of Sufism?

Struggle against the lower soul, often represented as a black dog, which should not be killed but merely tamed and used in the way of God

What statement does NOT describe Sufi orders and their functions in Muslim societies?

Sufi orders have always emphasized unity and social justice, helping Muslim societies maintain social cohesion

Why did Europeans become interested in the 1001 Nights in the 18th century?

The 1001 Nights contributed to a sense of a sharp difference between the West and the East

What is traditionalization

Traditionalization refers to processes of de- and re- contextualization of practices by their performers who adapt practices in accordance with the emerging contexts and through negotiated interactions with audiences.

T/F According to Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, Oman's food diversity is due to the fact that ancient Oman Empire stretched from Pakistan to Eastern Africa

True

T/F Although 1001 Nights stories were/are told in mostly Islamic territories, they are largely secular

True

T/F Although some Arab American youth are aligning themselves with other youth of color, culturally and politically, some Arab American hip-hop artists are aware and comment on tensions between African and Arab Americans

True

T/F Based on the article Food, Activism and Chips Oman on Twitter, folklore genres and products have the capacity to be indirect and ambiguous

True

T/F Collaboration with informants is central in the current folklore studies

True

T/F Competency of folk performances is situational: a performance (like telling a joke) that might be considered highly competent in one context can be rejected or ridiculed by people in a different context

True

T/F Current folklorists try to represent the voice and agency of their research informants (I use the word "informant" to be consistent with the text. However, most folklorists and anthropologists prefer "cultural bearer" or "interlocutor"

True

T/F Food studies can demonstrate how cuisines can be implemented as analytical lenses through which to view sociopolitical contentions

True

T/F Historical data suggests that despite undergoing some changes, the practice of Charshambeh Souri maintained enough similarities in different historical eras to be identified as a single fire festival. However, the meanings and associations of the practice were completely altered in accordance with the influential political discourses of the time.

True

T/F In the Arab world before the 18th century, poetry was considered the preeminent literary form, and prose writings like the 1001 Nights were considered inferior

True

T/F Orientalism is part of the post-colonial paradigm. Whereas colonialism refers to another nation's political and military occupation, postcolonialism can be understood as a more covert form of occupation that does not require physical invasion but is instead linked to media and cultural imperialism processes.

True

T/F Sahra is an emic genre

True

T/F Said has neglected the sensitive area of the self-orientalist discourse.

True

T/F Some of the Sufi literature is important from psychological viewpoints and allows glimpses into the Muslim community's political and social situation

True

T/F Some of the women Saba Abbas has interviewed define the appropriate hijab in relation to the social context

True

T/F Some of the women Saba Abbas has interviewed in Jordan do not practice veiling but still believe they could abide by the Islamic laws and practice Satr

True

T/F Sufism includes many theosophies (philosophies maintaining that a knowledge of God may be achieved through spiritual ecstasy), some of which contradict each other. But one of the recurrent and most common Sufi ideas shared among many strains of Sufism is the belief that God and the entire being are one reality

True

T/F Sufism is interested in developing personal and direct relationships with the divine outside organized religions.

True

T/F The 1001 Nights helped Europeans define the Western culture as opposite to the culture of the so called East

True

T/F The context in which a folk narrative is told plays the most critical role in determining whether the narrative is myth, legend, or folktale

True

T/F Within the paradigm of the performance theory, lore is not only a set of static and documentable forms. Instead, it is emergent as it changes from one performance to another

True

What statement is true about appropriate incongruity

Two or more inconsistent parts or circumstances are united in one assemblage

According to the reading: "the divine truth was at times revealed to the mystic in visions, auditions, and dreams, in colours and sounds, but to convey these nonrational and ineffable experiences to others the mystic had to rely upon [symbolism and allegorical] terminology of worldly experience as that of love and intoxication - often objectionable from the orthodox viewpoint." This symbolism is not fixed; they are multiple symbols for one idea or vice versa. Match some of the ideas with their symbols

Union with divine - Burning of the moth in the candle Human soul - Flying bird God's perfect beauty - The red rose Mystery of Unity and Diversity - image of mirrors that reflect the different aspects of the divine

Orientalist perspectives tend to describe the relationship between the Middle East, western countries, and their cultural properties in binary terms. match them.

West is modern and developed-The Middle East is primitive West is cultivated-The Middle East is natural West is pure-The Middle East is stained West is civilized-The Middle East is barbaric West is all about individual-The Middle East is collective and traditional West is rational-The Middle East is emotional

Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam. The word sufi (mystic) comes from the Arabic word suf, which means _____

Wool

What Zeena mean in Islamic and Quranic contexts?

[Female] beauty and ornaments

The criteria that matters most in distinguishing myth, legend, and folktale is the _______ and _________ of the narrator and the audience of the tale

belief, attitude

What is sahra?

evening gathering of men in Egypt

Who is the main writer of 1001 Nights

it does not have a specific author

What political group(s) started the "Thanks Rouhani" cycyle

it's not clear

What are examples of someone with cultural capital? (multiple answer)

-A person who knows how to dance -A person who tells funny jokes

What is Orientalism?

-A type of understanding (or knowledge) produced by the West about 'the East' and especially the Middle East that conceives it as "one of [west's] deepest and recurring images of the Other" -Orientalist understanding of the Middle East is biased, condescending, misrepresentative and interpreted solely through the eyes, words and media or non-native onlookers -Orientalist representations of the Middle East have become inseparable from a more universal sense of the Middle East

Why are folklorists interested in strolling genre? (multiple answer)

-Because they are an occasion to study the expressive culture -Because they include multiple other genres

What statements describe the concept of "Breakthrough into performance"? (multiple answer)

-Breakthrough into performance happens when an individual or group transform the ordinary flow of things (like a conversation) into an event that calls for heightened attention -Breakthrough into performance happens when folk performers draw upon techniques to catch their audience's attention and heighten the affective aspect of their communication

Which countries deployed colonial forces to North Africa and the Middle East

-Britain -France

What are two common themes folklorists have always been interested in? (multiple answer)

-Creativity -Communal exchange

One of the main themes of Arab American hip-hop is resistance. What does this type of hip-hop resist? (multiple answer)

-Discrimination against Arabs in the US -Occupation of the Palestinian territories -The stereotype of "angry Arab man." -The stereotype of "submissive Arab or Muslim woman."

Why is the notion of genre problematic when studying folklore? (multiple answer)

-Emic genres can change -One of the ramifications of the generic approach might be neglecting the flow among various loci of lore -Sometimes emic genres are impossibly unwieldy

From the Orientalist perspective, Middle Easterners and their culture is

-Exotic and Desirable -Dangerous and despicable

Which Middle Eastern countries do not speak Arabic (multiple answer)

-Iran -Israel -Turkey

What is self-orientalism? (multiple answer)

-It's when people orientalize their own culture and everyday life. It is usually done by exoticizing one's own culture. -Self-orientalist discourses in "the East" and "the West" are similar and, in fact, part of global discourse -A process in which individuals native to a practice or culture utilize orientalist elements, often originating in Western sources, in their performances

In the movie, The Last Fiction, what characters challenge Zahhak? (multiple answer)

-Kaveh -Afaridoun

What are examples of folk performance from the vantage point of performance theory? (multiple answer)

-Music played on the porch -Telling a joke -Home decoration

How does Sabrina, in the documentary Fashioning Faith, view Islamic fashion and hijab? (multiple answer)

-New Islamic fashions are different styles of clothing trends within the confines of Islamic guidelines -Observing the hijab helps Sabrina to feel she belongs to a transnational and multiracial community of Muslims

From the following poets, who created works that became sources of mystical ideas and images for centuries (multiple answer)

-Sanai, The Garden of Truth and the Law of Practice -Attar, The Conference of the Birds -Rumi, Spiritual Couplets

Which of the following statements about Ferdowsi and Shahnameh are correct? (multiple answer)

-Shahnameh has played a major role in keeping Persian language alive -Ferdowsi wrote Shahnameh to get paid and also to create an eternal piece of literature

Which of the following statements about Shahnameh are correct? (multiple answer)

-Shahnameh's heroes and characters tend to trash talk each other -Shahnameh presents a dualistic view of the world in which good and evil are in a constant battle -Shahnameh presents and encourages an egalitarian perspective -The musicality of Shahnameh's language makes it almost impossible to translate -Shahnameh has inspired other artistic traditions such as manuscript painting

Which statements about Kurds are accurate

-Some Kurds practice Christianity -Some Kurds practice Islam -Some Kurds practice Judaism -Kurdish is related to Persian (Farsi) both of which are Indo-European language

What meanings did the tweeters assign to the video of a group of UAE children beating a bag of Chips Oman like a pinata?

-Some non-Omanis used the event to insult Omanis and Oman's national identity -Some Omanis used the event to criticize their own government -Some Omanis used it to criticize other Omani individuals

How does the Islamic fashion industry intervene in understandings of hijab in Jordan? (multiple answer)

-The industry challenged the hegemonic ideals of feminine embodiment -By gradually turning veiling into an aesthetic practice and a means to experiment with colorful veils, close-fitting outfits, makeup, and accessories

What are the characteristics of folk narratives (including myth, legend, and folktales) (multiple answer)

-They reflect both the past and present -They exist in multiple versions -They reflect both the individual and the community

Which of the following statements represent the common characteristics of folktales (multiple answer)

-They usually involve repetitive actions -They follow their own logic that may be different from that of the everyday world

What are examples of traditionalization (multiple answer)

-Traditionalization happens when old-timers speak about the regulations of an office with newcomers. -Traditionalization is exemplified by what parents tell children about their own childhood

What are examples of uses and/or abuses of the Middle Eastern solo improvised dance (belly dance)? Multiple answer/Not reading's exact wording

-Western entertainers have used belly dancing to exoticize Middle Eastern cultures. -Belly dancing has been used to create national images -Middle Easterners have used belly dancing to exoticize Middle Eastern cultures

Research has demonstrated that food can be

-a means of affiliation that creates connections between people -a means of boundary marking and disconnecting people -a site of contestation and communal negotiations

Afghanistani war rugs are examples of (multiple answer)

-how traditions change (traditions can be dynamic) -cultural adaptation

What statement(s) is/are true about meme?

-meme is derived from a biological term -visual memes can morph into verbal jokes and vice versa -Richard Dawkins used the word meme to explain how thoughts and ideas spread -Although forms similar to meme have existed for a long time, meme as a genre was largely a product of the internet

What are aspects of Sufism that some Orthodox Islamic institutions disagree with? (multiple answer)

-visiting tombs of saints and poets -music (and dance) performances -miracles -adaptation (adoption?) of pre-islamic and un-islamic customs

What percentage of the global oil supply flows through the Strait of Hormuz?

20

What percentage of the population in Lebanon is Christian

40

How many editions of the 1001 Nights existed in English by 1800

80

Who initiated the "thanks Obama" cycle

Anti Obama individuals

Why is the expression "those who shall remain nameless" disrespectful in Arabic

Because naming someone is a sign of respect

Why did Maltese nuns tell Sabra Webber that Tunisians did not have lullabies

Because they had an etic perspective

According to Nzinga, in the documentary Fashioning Faith, why is hijab seen as a form of suppression?

Because usually, people perceive nudity as liberation

How did Omanis attempt to retaliate against UAE's anti-Oman measures?

Boycotting a type of UAE food

How has the Iranian fire festival (Charshambeh Souri) been traditionalized from pre to post Islamic era in Iran?

By assigning new meanings to the festival that justified practicing it under new dominant political discourses

What does Satr mean in Islamic tradition and Quranic contexts?

Concealment [of body and beauty]

Match!

Emic genres - are local genres that are not always registered by global genres Etic genres - are standard global genres that sometimes do not register local genres

What is the central focus of attention in the works of folklorists?

Expressive culture

T/F After the rise of the civil rights discourse and within the confines of a liberal multicultural model, Palestinian American identity was promoted and celebrated by the rhetoric of inclusion

False

T/F Although there are many different conservative Islamic interpretations of Zeena and Satr, feminist scholars offer a unanimous understanding of these concepts

False

T/F Belly dancing or belly dance are terms coined by Middle Eastern female dancers only for artistic purposes, not commercial ends.

False

T/F Digital media is only a conduit for transmitting the vernacular culture and facilitating folk processes

False

T/F Orientalism can be described as a science, knowledge, or postcolonial ideology, but is not morphed into many Westerners' media products and culture

False

T/F People living under authoritarian states have less diversity of political attitudes

False

T/F Right after the Arab conquest of Persia, Iranians stopped practicing their fire festival because they had converted to Islam

False

T/F Solo improvised dance (belly dance) in the Islamic world of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia is a narrative tool; meaning the performance is used to tell myths and folktales

False

T/F The "Thanks Rouhani" joke cycle was only a momentary revision of reality for people who shared the jokes

False

T/F The 1001 Nights was the first European borrowing from the literary and cultural heritage of the Arabs

False

T/F The Islamic Republic's efforts to prevent people from celebrating Charshambeh Souri have mainly been successful.

False

T/F The article "A Strip, A Land, A Blaze," in part, argues that symbols of resistance used by hip-hop artists and others cannot be commodified and commercialized

False

T/F The current folklore scholarship's primary goal is to evaluate the authenticity and purity of folkloric material and practices such as ballads

False

T/F The narrative genre of "myth" refers to the stories or beliefs that are incorrect or untrue

False

T/F We cannot imagine an emic genre without name

False

T/F We do not have extensive Sufi literature because silence is fundamental in Sufism

False

T/F Yazidis who live in Iraq are mostly Christian

False