ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
The tensions and conflicts of today’s world underscore the critical need to understand the differences between societies organized on the basis of tribalism (informal networks of kin relations) and societies organized around a notion of citizenship based on a system of law and legal institutions. The failure to appreciate this distinction has led to multiple missteps in foreign policy, and continuing turmoil and suffering. Michael challenges us to consider the current political moment in our own society as one revealing a possible erosion of the rule of law and emergence of behavioral patterns more characteristic of tribal societies. Michael Fahy holds a Ph.D. degree in anthropology from the University of Michigan and currently teaches in the University’s School of Education. He is an anthropologist of the Middle East, where he lived and pursued research for several years. Since 2004 Michael has offered presentations on Middle Eastern history and culture to American military personnel across the United States and Europe.
