Palestine studies
Palestine studies, or Palestinian Studies, is an interdisciplinary field that looks at the civilization, history, literature, art, and culture of the Palestinian people. It is part of Oriental studies and is different from Arab studies, which focuses on Arabic language and culture. The field uses ideas from anthropology, postcolonial studies, gender studies, cultural studies, and English/literature.
Historically, Western scholars studied Palestine using theories about modernization and colonization. This reflects Orientalist thinking about the East and Palestine. Edward Said’s work explained how Western writers often viewed the East with stereotypes.
In archaeology and biblical studies, competition among European powers for control of Palestine helped shape the field. The Palestine Exploration Fund was founded in 1865, and major digs in the 1920s influenced archaeology and biblical studies.
Today, researchers study Israel, other Arab countries, and ethnic relations in the Palestine-Israel area. There is more focus on social and cultural history, especially in the late Ottoman period and the British Mandate era, looking at gender, class, race, and empire.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:22 (CET).