Prof. Garrett Davidson in the College of Charleston Magazine

Arabic Studies professor Garrett Davidson was honored in the College of Charleston Magazine this summer. Professor Davidson strives to foster connections with a part of the world that students might otherwise now know.

“This is a region that’s very misunderstood,” says Davidson, adding that 21st-century American cinema hasn’t helped the matter. “Arabs tend to be villainized and dehumanized in Hollywood films. So, one of the goals is to humanize them for these students – to connect them to these societies in a way that challenges their perceptions.”

“This course explores political and social issues that are very foreign to students – and in a very foreign environment. So, using a medium that they are so familiar with – that they are comfortable with – makes it more approachable,” says Davidson, noting that the course includes films from all over the Arabic world, from Morocco to Iraq, providing the perfect channel for exploring any number of political, historical and cultural issues. “These films are exposing them to important themes in modern Arab societies and cultures in ways they really connect with.”

The full article can be found here: http://today.cofc.edu/2017/06/16/arabic-studies/