Nat Godley, PhD
Middle East, Global Affairs, History
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Expert in all things relating to the Middle East, especially North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco)
- Anti-Semitism
- Ethnicity and race in a European context (especially in France and the UK)
- European colonialism
- National identity and citizenship
- The history of immigration, refugees and minorities
- Middle Eastern history
- Modern France
- History through graphic texts
- Can offer British cultural context
BIOGRAPHY
Originally from the United Kingdom, Nat Godley is an assistant professor of History at Alverno College. He specializes in the history of European colonialism, particularly French Algeria, and teaches on a wide range of topics related to the Middle East, Europe, and issues of migration and race.
Godley has given presentations on North African history in Morocco, Italy, France, Canada and in numerous U.S. venues. His interest in European minority and immigration affairs stems partly from several years living in areas of France with large minority populations of Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan background. Godley is a founding member and executive council member of the Midwest World History Association, and he also serves on the multicultural council at Alverno College. He has given numerous presentations to school and community groups on Middle Eastern issues, including Islam and the West, the Arab Spring and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as on the experiences of forced migrants seeking safety in Europe. Godley speaks fluent French. He also speaks German and some Arabic.
Godley has both a personal and a scholarly interest in depictions of race and racism in popular culture, in particular in popular music and comics. He works in his community to protect civil liberties and promote equity, particularly with the ACLU of Wisconsin, in which he serves as both a Milwaukee Chapter boardmember and a lead legal observer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in French and History from Keele University (United Kingdom), and his Master of Arts in History from the Université Charles de Gaulle in France. He earned his PhD in History from the University of Iowa.
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