ABSTRACT
Think of the Middle East. Quickly, write down the first five words that come to your mind. Don’t think too deeply; simply record the first words that you associate with the region.This is an exercise I have often done with my students. Analysis of the words typically associated with the Middle East, Arabs and Islam offers significant insight into the commonly held image of the region. The words also reveal much about the stereotype – even unconsciously held – that people have about the Middle East.
