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Contemporary History and Politics of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula

Module description

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.

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

Module aims - intentions of the module

The main objective of the module is to provide you with specialised knowledge and critical understanding of the main themes and dynamics in the contemporary history and politics of the Gulf monarchies and Yemen, at the domestic, regional and global levels. This module aims particularly at developing an understanding of processes of political and economic changes in these countries, and of the way these processes have shaped the existing political and economic realities of the broader Middle East. The course will thus equip you to analyse and make informed and critical evaluation of the contemporary politics and economy of the Arabian Peninsula.

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, or conventional readings of the region’s politics and history.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Identify and critically assess the main themes and dynamics in the contemporary history, politics and economy of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, including the historical foundations of power and economic structures; the political and economic impact of oil; and the narratives of power and resistance.
• 2. Demonstrate an ability to use different analytical approaches and concepts towards the study of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula's contemporary history, and political and social systems.
• 3. Demonstrate an ability to locate, appraise and use main sources of information and data relating to the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Demonstrate an ability to draw from broader concepts in contemporary history, politics and political economy and to compare the Arabian Peninsula with other regions of the world.
• 5. Demonstrate an ability to connect political and economic factors and dynamics in their domestic-international linkages.
• 6. Demonstrate an ability to embrace a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Demonstrate an ability to analyse and assess academic texts and prevailing notions critically.
• 8. Demonstrate skills of reasoned and supported argumentation in writing.
• 9. Demonstrate skills of finding, analysing and synthesising information from a range of sources.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, the syllabus will cover all of the following topics:

• Introduction and Module Organisation
• How to Think about Legitimacy, Ideology, and Power
• Foundational Histories: Colonialism, Conquest, and Modern Statehood
• Imperialism and Capitalism in Arabia and the Indian Ocean in the 19^th Century
• 20^th-Century Political Movements, Uprisings and Rebellions
• The History of Oil and the Practice of Statecraft; Rentierism and its Critics
• Current Political and Economic Dynamics of Capitalism
• Islam and Politics in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula 1920-1990
• Contemporary Social and Political Movements (1990-Present) (the Arab Uprisings and Beyond)
• The Gulf in the Global Economy; Post-Oil Economies, and Business Elites
• Narratives of the Future: ‘Visions’, Revolutions, and Reforming Princes

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Achcar, Gilbert. The People Want. A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising (London: Saqi, 2013)

Al-Rasheed, Madawi. A History of Saudi Arabia (Cambridge University Press, 2002; 2^nd ed.: 2010).

Bishara, Fahad. A Sea of Debt: Law and Economic Life in the Western Indian Ocean, 1780-1950 (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

Hanieh, Adam. Money, Markets and Monarchies. The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Lacroix, Stéphane. Awakening Islam. The Politics of Religious Dissent in Contemporary Saudi Arabia (Harvard University Press, 2011).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Gulf States Newsletter (GSN) and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s reports on the Gulf states, electronically;

The International Crisis Group’s reports at www.crisisgroup.org;

Human Rights Watch (Middle East) produces good reports on the states of the Arabian Peninsula: http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-east/n-africa

Key words search

History, Politics, Oil, Gulf, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, Arab Uprisings