MA Islamic Studies

ARAM027: MA Dissertation

This module will start with an introductory lecture by the module convenor who is also the tutor of all MA students of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and will work with you on finding a supervisor for your dissertation. Then you will produce your dissertation with the help of your supervisor and your research skills acquired during your programme including ARAM190 Research Methods Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies or ARAM233 Dissertation skills modules which area co-requisite for this module. This dissertation is the largest project and the culmination of your programme.

This module allows you to pursue an individual research project within your chosen field, building on the methodological and field-specific foundations covered in your 1st semester intensive methodology and core courses and continuing in your 2nd semester MA coursework. MA students will be expected to develop and demonstrate in their dissertation a mastery of relevant secondary sources in their field; to relate the appropriate standard methodological approaches and theoretical issues to their specific area of research; to demonstrate the originality and relevance of their research to wider issues related to their specific field; and to demonstrate their familiarity with the accepted requirements and standards for presentation of research in their chosen field. In addition, the dissertation will allow them to develop the broader learning outcomes specified below.

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ARAM103: New Approaches to Islamic Thought

This module prepares you for the debates in Islamic intellectual history and the study of Islamic thought . We will problematize the very notions of 'Islam' and thought, considering what we mean by notions such as philosophy, theology, religion, political thought, and so forth within Islamic contexts. The module will equip you with the necessary analytical tools to venture into understanding and produce your own research on Islamic thought and society. The questions will be framed within an approach of 'decolonising Islamic studies'.

This module is part of the Islamic Studies pathway for the MA Middle East Studies programme.

This required core seminar should provide a common foundation for the thesis research of all MA students in Islamic Studies in four key respects:

(1) to give a broad overview of several key areas of "Islamic thought" (understood as the intellectual, written formulations of various Islamic cultural traditions in various historical settings) in their actual social and historical contexts;

(2) to train students in the methods of close, critical reading appropriate to each of the specific Islamic intellectual traditions covered in this course;

(3) to acquaint students with some of the pioneering secondary studies in each selected area of Islamic thought; and

(4) to offer students an opportunity to develop their expository skills in oral, classroom presentation of their research and reading.

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ARAM232: Theorising the Middle East

This module introduces you in a multidisciplinary Area Studies department to a broad range of key theorists and theories whose work has underpinned scholarship in the fields of Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology, Critical Theory, History, Philosophy and Gender Studies. The module is framed around the idea of bridging theory and practice, through the systematic study of the work of a broad canon of theoretical writings, the analysis of the use of such theory in key works from Middle East Studies, and the reflective selection and application of theories and concepts in your assessed work.

The delivery of the module is designed so that it can be accessed by two distinct groups: PGT Masters students who will take the module as a credit-bearing component of their degree programmes and PGR PhD and MPhil students who will be able to access course materials and use them as a means to developing the theoretical bases of their doctorates in their first year of study.

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ARAM233: Dissertation Skills

This module is intended to introduce you to general research skills, sources and tools relevant to the study of the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world in general from the perspectives of the social sciences and humanities. It is compulsory for all students on taught Masters courses in the IAIS and for those first year PhD students who are deemed by their supervisors to need methodological training. Otherwise there are no pre- or co-requisites. It consists of workshops introducing relevant methodologies for studying the Middle East, focusing in particular on how to write a dissertation. The course covers issues such as the structure of a research proposal, how to find a research question, the literature review, ethics, and how to receive and use constructive feedback.

This module is designed to develop the advanced skills you will need to undertake an MA in Middle East Studies, especially to research and write.

Postgraduate study in the social sciences includes both comprehension of research methods and the ability to use them yourself. This module exposes you to different types of methods within the social sciences, ranging from qualitative methods such as ethnography and participant observation to quantitative methods such as surveys. There is an emphasis on both good research design and ethical research, with opportunities for you to apply the techniques learned to your own research project.

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ARA3043: From Home Lands to Host States: Migration, Displacement and Diaspora in the Middle East

The module aims at providing you with an understanding of how the phenomenon of migration and displacement has indelibly marked states and societies of the Middle East throughout the last 150 years and remains even today a significant element of contemporary life in the region. The module has three main objectives: engage with a range of theoretical debates, issues and concepts surrounding the phenomenon of migration; provide the historical background and context for the waves of displacements and dispossessions, which made of the Middle East the greatest producer of forced migrants in the 20th century; examine contemporary communities who have faced dispossession and involuntary migration. Course readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, sociology, political science, economy, anthropology and human rights advocacy. No specific pre-requisite skills are required to take this module. The module enriches students' understanding of the history, society and politics of the Middle East and therefore benefits their overall academic curricula.

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ARA3129: Nationalisms in the Middle East

This module examines theories of nationalism and enables you to independently interpet and explain the emergence of nationalism, nations, and national identity across cases in the Middle East and North Africa.

While providing some theoretical orientation and critique of explanations that are either entirely reliant on the idea of the state or emphasise the long-lasting implications of European colonialism in the region, you will ultimately understand the complex interplay of history, social structures and politics in their ultimate expression as nations and nationalisms.

By the end of this module you will:

• have gained an understanding of a variety of political, cultural and ideological dimensions associated to the historical development of nationalist movements in the Middle East
• be able to appreciate the colonial roots/routes of nationalism and their impact on nation-building
• expand their understadning of nationalist contestations beyond the Middle East

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ARA3136: The History and Political Development of Iraq

This module provides students with an initial foundation in the history and political development of Iraq that will then lead to a more detailed understanding as aspects of Iraq’s post-1991 trajectory. By engaging with a series of key debates related to historical, political and social changes, they will gain an understanding of the underlying processes which are shaping modern Iraq and its polities. The module will provide students with an overview of the key topics that researchers need to be acquainted with, for example, legacies of the Ottoman period and colonial history, state formation, disputed territories, and political economy amongst others. The readings in the module include a mix of key academic work as well as more contemporary policy papers, media reports and academic articles. It is hoped that guest visitors from Iraq will be able to participate in some of the seminars during the term.

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ARA3158: Armed Islamist Movements: Jihadism and Beyond

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the complex relationships between Islamism and various types of political violence including insurgency and terrorism. The module covers the major Jihadist groups as well as other versions of armed Islamist movements in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe. It is an essential module for understanding armed Islamist movements' behaviour, structures and ideologies. There are no prerequisites for the module. This module is suitable for both specialist and non-specialist There are no prerequisites. However, ARA 2160 (Islamist Movements: From the Brothers to al-Qaida) is relevant to this module, a useful introduction to large number of unarmed Islamist movements from several regions. This module is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the complex relationships between Islamism and various types of armed action including, coups, resistance, insurgency and terrorism. It prepares you to constructively engage in academic and policy debates on armed Islamism and the related issues of security, democratization, demobilization, and counter-terrorism in several Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority states.

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ARA3162: Britain in the Middle East, 1798-1977

In this module you will examine the record of British imperial involvement in the Middle East, beginning with the signing of the Anglo-Omani treaty of 1798 and ending with Britain's military withdrawal from Oman 179 years later in 1977. In between these dates, British involvement in the Middle East ranged from economic, cultural, and political influence to direct colonial rule, and from assisting local rulers and peoples to fighting wars against them (and sometimes losing). The local responses to this involvement likewise ranged from willing collaboration to armed resistance. This module examines this involvement and these experiences, aiming to provide you with a detailed understanding of Britain's record and legacy in the Middle East through seven case studies (Eastern Arabia, Southern Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, and Transjordan) and the employment of theories of imperialism.

No previous knowledge of Middle Eastern history is required. You must be willing to spend ten hours a week on this module: two in class, four on the readings, and four on writing a review of the readings. You will be required to come to each class with your reviews in hand, primed for discussion and debate.

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ARA3163: Politics and Reform in the Gulf

This module explores the dynamics of politics and reform in the states of the Gulf region (Arabian Peninsula and Iran). It aims at providing you with a critical and nuanced understanding of the individual regimes in contemporary Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Iran) in a comparative perspective. It will explore in particular the dynamics of authoritarianism and reform; the interaction of tradition and neo-traditional features with modern state politics and globalisation; the political, social and economic transformations; the impact of oil; the question of rentierism; and the domestic, regional and international factors involved in the question of (lack of) political reform.

A further aim of the course is to develop your analytical thinking skills as independent researchers and to develop intellectual ability to place issues discussed in a wider context, beyond common knowledge immediately available in the media.

This module is suitable for specialist and non-specialist alike. No prior knowledge is required.

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ARA3197: The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception

This class will introduce you to the famous Arabian Nights in translation, along with a number of topics important to the study of world literature in general, namely questions of translation and reception, especially of 'folk' literature, as well as the representations of material culture in literature. The course will also focus on the themes of gender, sexuality, and magic in the Arabian Nights. You will become familiar with the most important translations of this work, as well as some of its adaptations in film, while focusing on the themes of sexuality, magic spells, genies, and material culture (such as depictions of foods and trade goods) in these famous and ancient tales.

The module aims not only to give you a familiarity with one of the most famous works of Arabic literature in the 'West,' but also an awareness of issues that are essential to an understanding of all world literature. This includes translation theory and practices, the construction of the author's identity, the manner in which texts signal their truth value (i.e. do they present themselves as fact or fiction), and the effects of cross-genre and cross-cultural influences on literary traditions broadly speaking.

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ARA3200: Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Palestine/Israel

This module takes a critical approach to the study of 'conflict' in Palestine/Israel by focusing on the relationship between gender and political violence in the region. We will first problematise the dominant frames of 'conflict' and 'occupation', looking instead to the model of settler colonialism as a gendered and sexualised practice. We will then explore key themes including nationalism, space, embodiment, everyday life, feminism, queer politics and resistance, which illustrate how gender relations are central to violence in Palestine/Israel. Through engaging with gender as a political and analytical category you will investigate the range of mechanisms that sustain political violence, as well as how individuals and communities practise resistance and imagination.

The course mixes lectures, tutorials and seminars, with teaching and learning shifting to dialogical and workshop formats as the term progresses. No prior knowledge of the subject is required; the module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.

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ARA3203: Queer Theory in a Global Context

This module introduces you to important sexuality-related paradigms beyond identarian concerns by centring the relationship of sexuality to colonialism, nationalism and globalization, to name a few. Through an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach, we will engage with sexuality as a tool for effecting sovereignty, governance, control, and individual and collective agency.
Our reading list prioritizes a theoretically diverse curriculum that surveys the workings of sexuality at micro, meso and macro levels: from the instrumentalization of sexuality under Empire and in contemporary politics, to the commodification of sexuality and the invention of “deviancy”, our module explores the relationship between bodies and power across the globe, particularly in relation to sex/moral panics. You will be introduced to texts from different disciplines, including Anthropology, History, Politics, and Cultural Studies, and engaging with non-academic sources, including films, music, fiction, and DIY online content, to name a few.
Although no prior knowledge is required, students taking this course should express interest in issues and debates related to the intersection of sexuality with global socio-political and economic processes.

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ARA3204: The Politics of Authoritarian Rule

Although 67 percent of the world's population currently live in a country deemed either as 'partly free' or 'not free' by Freedom House, much of the scholarly literature in Comparative Politics has focused on democratic politics. The purpose of this module is to introduce you to, and familiarize you with, this neglected field: the politics of semi-democratic or authoritarian countries. The module begins with an overview of the different types of authoritarian regimes. We then discuss their internal politics such as the politics of redistribution and patronage, the role of civil society, and the presence of informal institutions. Examples are drawn from countries or regions across the world such as the Middle East, China, Russia, Africa, and Latin America. We also study contemporary popular resistance movements such as the Arab Spring, the supposed incompatibility between Islam and democracy, and attempts by leaders in countries such as China and Russia to 'upgrade' their regimes in order to remain in power.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to, and familiarize you with, the politics of semi-democratic authoritarian countries. You will not only study the different types of authoritarian regimes but also learn about their internal politics, popular resistance, and mechanisms that regime leaders employ to prevent democratisation.

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ARAM054: State and Society in the Middle East

This module explores key concepts, themes, ideologies and issues which are crucial to an understanding of the politics and society of the Modern Middle East. Thus in the module you will examine the interaction between institutions and ideas of the state, and the social context in which the state is rooted. It investigates theoretical and empirical questions related state-society interaction. Concepts such as civil society, class, tribe, sect, gender, religion, and informal politics are integral part of the examination of state-society relations. Course readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, sociology, political science, economy, anthropology and human rights advocacy. Seminars take a closer look at the key concepts and theories analysed in the lecture by looking at one or two case studies. This allows students to expand their empirical knowledge of the Middle East, as well as their knowledge of debates in the field. Furthermore, students may choose which countries to focus on in their assessed work, so have the option of developing special expertise in particular areas of interest. Overall, the module enriches your understanding of the history, society and politics of the Middle East and therefore benefits their overall academic curricula.

No specific pre-requisite skills are required to take this module.

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ARAM055: Iranian History, 1500-the Present

This module introduces you to the history of Iran, from the appearance of the Safavids to the period after the Iranian Revolution. It will provide you with a general overview of this period, whilst also examining the historiography of the period. Within this it introduces you to source materials, translation, and will enable you to use these sources to make an assessment of the historical significance of particular episodes in Iranian history. The module also introduces the various religious movements of the period, from the Safavi order itself, the various religious and mystical movements of the Safavid period, the rise of an independent clericalism in the Qajar period, and the religious elements of the 1979 revolution under Ayatollah Khomeini.

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ARAM112A: Independent Reading Course - Semester 1

This module is designed to allow you the flexibility to explore some ideas or a focus of research interest that you have which lies outside of the compulsory and optional modules on offer. At the end of the module, you will have read deeply in a subject area and produced a research paper that may inform your later research in your masters' dissertation.

This module is arranged through your initiative, and it is your responsibility to take preliminary steps to identify a possible specialist area and an appropriate faculty member, and to approach the latter, as soon as possible. If you have identified a specialisation and a suitable potential tutor, please email the course convenor and indicate whether you have spoken to the faculty member concerned. Finally, please note that, in consultation with faculty involved in the delivery of your MA programme, the course convenor may suggest that you consider an existing option instead of this module if this is felt to be more appropriate and of greater benefit to you.

Please note that you cannot take this module if you have already chosen ARAM112B.

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ARAM112B: Independent Reading Course - Semester 2

This module is designed to allow you the flexibility to explore some ideas or a focus of research interest that you have which lies outside of the compulsory and optional modules on offer. At the end of the module, you will have read deeply in a subject area and produced a research paper that may inform your later research in your masters' dissertation.

This module is arranged through your initiative, and it is your responsibility to take preliminary steps to identify a possible specialist area and an appropriate faculty member, and to approach the latter, as soon as possible. If you have identified a specialisation and a suitable potential tutor, please email the course convener and indicate whether you have spoken to the faculty member concerned. Finally, please note that, in consultation with faculty involved in the delivery of your MA programme, the course convener may suggest that you consider an existing option instead of this module if this is felt to be more appropriate and of greater benefit to you.

Please note that you cannot take this module if you have already chosen ARAM112A.

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ARAM147: The Kurds: History and Politics

In this module you will focus on the socio-political history of Kurds and Kurdistan since the nineteenth century from the present day. You will examine the major events of Kurdish history, covering the late Ottoman Empire, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey and discussing the present volatile situation, focusing on the development of Kurdish nationalism and political movement(s), but also the relationships of the Kurds with their home governments, neighbouring populations, and international actors. You will also examine the transformation of the Kurdish society since the end of the 19th century looking in particular at issues such as social organisation, gender, religion, migration, urbanisation, and diaspora, economic change, and neoliberalism.

The module is seminar-based, consisting of short lectures followed by in-depth class discussions and student presentations. No prior knowledge of the subject is required; the module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.

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ARAM221: The Palestine Question: Past and Present

The Palestine question is still one of the most crucial feature of Modern Middle Eastern history and politics. It is also now a major research area, related to events in the past and present realities in the Middle East and beyond. Very few countries were so thoroughly researched academically as were Israel and Palestine.

This module introduces you to this rich literature in an engaging and critical manner, fitting post-graduate studies. The module allows you to examine the recent development in the study of Israel and Palestine. It allows you to become familiar with the various narratives on the history of the country and the influence recent conceptual and methodological developments had on the research on Palestine and Israel.

In addition, you will learn how to contextualise a case study within the wider debates about power and knowledge. Palestine is a textbook case study for the interaction between ideology and scholarly research. You will learn how to navigate between moral commitment, ideological orientations and academic acumen and professionalism.

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ARAM235: Contemporary History and Politics of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula

This module will critically explore the contemporary history and politics of the Gulf monarchies and the Arabian Peninsula. It is structured around main themes which provide an in-depth comparative perspective on the question of power and ideology in the region. The module covers the roots of statehood and capitalism in the Gulf; the impact of oil and 'rentierism'; historical and current popular movements and rebellions; contemporary dynamics of capitalism and neoliberalism; Islam and politics; narratives and strategies of political legitimation. You will interrogate discourses that 'exceptionalise' the Gulf or 'culturalise' issues of history and politics therein. The module will also introduce analytical and theoretical tools that allow for critical examination of the debates that have dominated the study of the Arabian Peninsula; exploring new avenues of research that speak to the transformations currently underway in the region.

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ARAM236: Sociology and Anthropology of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula

This module will critically explore the contemporary social dynamics of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula's societies. It is structured around main themes that will provide an in-depth comparative perspective on social changes and fracture lines at work in Gulf societies and question the historicity and social constructedness of social categories used to study these societies and the communities they are made of. The module engages in particular a critical reflection on migration, mobility and social hierarchies; dynamics of tribes and tribalism; the organisation and practice of Gulf cities; the development of new individual subjectivities; the transformation of family and gender; and the narratives and counter-narratives on Gulf modernity.

This module is suitable for specialist and non-specialist alike. No prior knowledge is required.

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ARAM248: Texts and Traditions in Islamic Intellectual History

In this module we will focus on the close reading and analysis of texts shaping and reflecting the traditions of Islamic intellectual history. As such, you might read works of philosophy, legal theory, political thought, theology, belles-lettres, Sufism as well as other elements of the Islamic learned traditions. This is a research-led module, and you will be introduced to the study of principal sources by leading experts working on their exploration. You will read writings of universal importance, as well as eminent scholarly studies about them. You will discuss in class both the primary and the secondary sources read and you will produce your own research. The module is a core for the MA in Islamic Studies but is also open to students studying for other degrees.

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ARAM249: Theorising Islam

In a global world in which we take a connected and inclusive approach to inquiry and are entirely aware of our position within that inquiry, how should we study Islam? What are the existing dominant modes of inquiry that emerged from orientalism and forms of the colonialist knowledge about Islam and Muslims? In this module, we will start from the ground of the humanities and ask what the limitations of prior inquiries into Islam might have been and how we can engage with the excitement of new intersectional and decolonial possibilities. Although we will engage in the study of theory, decolonial options in the study of Islam are also about the concrete examples of understanding the world from below and considering alternatives. We will not be replacing one dominant mode of the study of Islam but consider alternatives: what are the perspectives of women, sexual minorities, race and class positions that might help to nuance our understanding of the Islamic traditions. We will not assume any prior knowledge, but you need to bring enthusiasm, the desire to think beyond binaries and also be willing to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion in the contemporary world.

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ARAM257: Philosophising Magic: From Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages

This module will explore how philosophers and theologians in the Hellenic and Abrahamic philosophical traditions, from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, theorised on magic and divination. Reading primary texts in translation from their original Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Arabic sources, it will examine a range of approaches to the metaphysics of magic and the epistemology of divination, including emic perspectives from philosopher practitioners of the craft, and etic perspectives of philosophers who were either censorious thereof, or sceptical of its epistemological foundation. Amongst the texts or authors to be examined will be: The Corpus Hermeticum; the Late Platonic philosophers; the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity; the Arabic Picatrix; the Latin 'On the Stellar Rays'; Avicenna; Ibn Arabi; and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Themes cosmological and psychological that will be examined include: the World Soul and cosmic sympathy; theories of intellect and imagination; celestial-soul noesis; veridical dreams; thaumaturgy; theurgy; the epistemology of divination; and theosis or angelomorphosis.

This module aims to:

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