| Publication |
2008.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article uses the The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan (2006) to demonstrate how one type of book, a literary non-fiction book written for popular audiences, can be used in a political science course such as one on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The book concisely presents multiple Arab-Israeli perspectives and enlivens the history and infuses it with both broader and deeper meaning. After a brief summary of the plot, the article gives examples of political science themes for which the book is a useful text: nationalism and the formation of national identity; the relationship between structure and agency; and the search for objective truth. The book also suggests many broad Arab-Israeli motifs. The article explains how the book was used in the classroom, including discussions, guidance sheets, and a longer paper assignment.
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