Displacement and Migration in the Middle East
| Module title | Displacement and Migration in the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC3141 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Samer Bakkour (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
Displacement is a prevalent phenomenon in conflict-affected populations, driven by fear of violence or death. This module explores how migration and displacement have shaped Middle Eastern states and societies over the last 150 years and remain critical to the region today. It examines theoretical debates, historical contexts, and contemporary cases of internal and external displacement and dispossession. Readings span history, sociology, political science, economics, anthropology, and human rights advocacy, providing an interdisciplinary perspective. The module requires no prior skills and is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways, enriching students' academic curricula.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to equip you with the conceptual and theoretical tools necessary for understanding the increasing of displacement in the Middle East It will familiarise you with the latest research on displacement and encourage you to develop a critical perspective in analysing existing research. You will be exposed to a variety of methodological approaches and challenges in research on migration and displacement. Among the topics covered are the issue of displacement, confinement, exclusion, labour migration, national and transnational citizenship from the forced migration of Armenians to Palestinian dispossession, reaching the present days characterised by statelessness, sectarian politics and human trafficking from Iraqi refugees to the incumbent Syrian diaspora. The course examines migration and refugee issues with a special emphasis on questions related to identity, representation, citizenship, culture, gender, politics and human rights, while focusing on the Middle East and North Africa, the course aims at locating the topic in a global perspective, now that refugees and forced displacement are becoming the defining feature of the 21st century, with over 70 million people displaced in the world.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the key theoretical debates, concepts and issues surrounding the phenomenon of migration and displacement.
- 2. Demonstrate that a displacement framework can provide considerable insight into crucial aspects and dimensions of the wars.
- 3. Understand the forces that have been at the origin of migration, displacement, exclusion and Diasporas in the MENA region in the last 150 years.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Critically apply concepts learnt in a global perspective and develop critical arguments.
- 5. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing research.
- 6. Use and analyse cross-disciplinary data relevant to specific issues.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Display an ability to conduct critical analyses and evaluation of different topics.
- 8. Work independently and with peers to achieve goals.
- 9. Enhance presentation skills.
Syllabus plan
While the precise programme may vary, it is expected that the module will include lectures on the following themes:
• Dispossession and Social Cohesion in the Ottoman Period: Distinct Cultures and Separate Communities
• Dismemberment of the Empire and the dispossession and involuntary migration of Muslim communities
• The departure of Christians Protected minorities
• The Palestinians: Eviction, exodus and temporality
• The Kurds Dispossession, recognition and abandonment
• Labor migration in the Arab world
• Migration Diasporas and the Arab Spring
• Iraq’s Exiles: No durable solutions
• Syria, refugees and narratives of migration crises
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 20 | 10 x 1 hour lectures + 10 x 1 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 70 | Private study, reading and preparing for seminars (approx. 6 hours of private study per seminar) |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Researching and writing policy note |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Researching and writing essay |
| Guided independent study | 5 | Preparing formative presentation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation | 7-10 minutes | 1-9 | Written and verbal |
| A plan for portfolio assessment to be submitted by email your seminar tutor | 500 words | 1-9 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One portfolio (Essay 1- self-reflection) | 100 | 3500 words (Essay 3000- self-reflection 500) | 1-8 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| One portfolio (Essay 1- self-reflection) (3500 words (Essay 3000- self-reflection 500)) | 3500 words (Essay 3000- self-reflection 500) (100%) | 1-8 | August-September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Readings:
- Bakkour, Samer (2022) The End of Middle East Peace Process: The Failure of US Diplomacy. Routledge: New York, London, 2022
- Bakkour Samer.(2022), Daraa and the Altered Trajectory of the Syrian Crisis, Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, pp. 225-242.
- Barakat, Nora Elizabeth, ‘An Empty Land? Nomads and Property Administration in Hamidian Syria’, PhD dissertation, UC Berkeley,2015.
- Berkey, K. and G. Gavrilis (2016). The Ottoman Millet System: Non-territorial Autonomy and its Contemporary Legacy’,Ethno politics, 15 (1): 24-42
- Bryant, R. (ed.) (2016), Post-Ottoman Coexistence: Sharing Space in the Shadow of Conflict. Space and Place Series. New York: Berghahn Books, 2016.
- Chatty, D (2013). ‘Refugees, Exiles, and other Forced Migrants in the Late Ottoman Empire’,Refugee Survey Quarterly. Vol 32 (2):35-52.
- Kasaba, R. (2009). A Moveable Empire: Ottoman Nomads, Migrants, and Refugees. Seattle, WA, 2009.
- Kasaba, R. (2012). Nomads and Tribes in the Ottoman Empire in Chirstine Woodhead, the Ottoman World.Abingdon, Routledge, 2012.
- Kedourie, E. (1983) ‘Minorities and majorities in the Middle East’, Archives Européenes de Sociologie 25(2): 276-282.
- Koksal, Yonca (2006). ‘Coercion and mediation: Centralization and sedentarization of tribes in the Ottoman empire’, Middle Eastern Studies 42(3): 469-491
- McCarthy, J. Death and Exile: the Ethnic Cleansing of Ottoman Muslims, 1821-1992.Princeton: Darwin Press, 1995)
- Quataert, D. (2000). The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 31/07/2022 |
| Last revision date | 23/01/2025 |