Black Gold: Oil and Empire in the Middle East Since 1908
| Module title | Black Gold: Oil and Empire in the Middle East Since 1908 |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIC2036 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Catriona Pennell (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
In the deserts of the Middle East, beneath the sands, lies a treasure more valuable than gold – the liquid, black gold of oil – which shapes the region's past, present, and future. Oil is one of the most important natural resources in the world; globally, we consume around 14 billion litres of oil each day. In the Middle East, oil isn't just a commodity; it's a geopolitical chess piece, a source of economic might, and a catalyst for both progress and conflict. This module provides a comprehensive examination of the historical nexus between oil, imperialism, and the transformation of the Middle East. You will explore the multifaceted impact of oil discovery, extraction, and exploitation on the geopolitical landscape of the region, particularly during the era of European imperialism and its aftermath. The module aims to foster an understanding of how these interrelated forces have shaped the modern political, economic, and social contours of the Middle East.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide you with:
- detailed understanding of the role of oil in relations between imperial powers and oil-producing nations of the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait
- a comprehensive knowledge about the emergence of the modern Middle East from the Ottoman Empire
- the ability to critically analyse a range of primary source evidence related to these themes
- the confidence to apply a range of concepts such as energy security and “informal empire” in other historical contexts
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a broad historical knowledge and understanding of the origins, events, and legacy of imperial activity in the Middle East between 1900 and the present day
- 2. With limited guidance, express independent ideas and assessments on the role of oil in relations between imperial powers and oil-producing nations
- 3. Understand colonial and post-colonial approaches to the study of history
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Analyse and reflect critically upon historical texts relating to a specific historical period or theme
- 5. Collate data from a range of sources, both primary and secondary
- 6. With limited guidance, understand and deploy historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
- 7. With limited guidance, handle different approaches to history in areas of controversy
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Show evidence of ability to read and use texts and source materials critically and empathetically
- 9. Present material for group discussion and have respect for others' reasoned views
- 10. With limited guidance, gather material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument
Syllabus plan
Whilst content may vary, this module is structured around key historical events, themes, and processes of the period including:
- Extraction: geological, economic, political, and historiographical
- Petro-cultures: A cultural history of oil
- Exploration and discovery (Part 1): The Anglo-Persian Oil Company
- Dependency: Oil and great power rivalry before the First World War
- Division: The post-First World War peace settlements and Mandate Iraq
- Exploration and discovery (Part 2): Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the interwar period
- Control: America, the United Kingdom, the USSR, and the fight for oil-predominancy
- Resistance and nationalisation: Iran and Egypt in the 1950s
- Revolution and militarisation: From the 1953 Iranian coup to the 1958 Iraqi Revolution
- Curse or blessing? Oil and global conflict
- Hydrocarbon citizens: social and cultural consequences of the oil industry on the people of the Middle East
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 | 10 | 10 x 1hr lectures. These provide a spine through which all students can be brought to a similar level of knowledge and through which ideas and debates can be transmitted. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | 10 x 1hr seminars. These will focus on particular aspects of the subject-matter, with a view to offering a more in-depth exploration and discussion than can be achieved in the lecture. Students will be expected to prepare fully for the seminar through independent study, reading, evaluation, and reflection. |
| Guided Independent Study | 130 | Private study for lectures and seminars. Preparation for formative assessment, coursework and examination. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary source analysis | To be delivered orally in the seminar c. 10 minutes (approx. 1000 words) | 1-10 | Written and oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 40 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary source analysis | 60 | 1500 words | 1-8, 10 | Written and oral feedback |
| Examination | 40 | 1 hour | 1-8, 10 | Written and oral feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary source analysis (1500 words) | Primary source analysis (1500 words) | 1-8, 10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination (1 hour) | Examination (1 hour) | 1-8, 10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken because of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Matthieu Auzanneau, Oil, Power and War: A Dark History (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020)
- Farah Al-Nakib, Kuwait Transformed: A History of Oil and Urban Life (Stanford University Press, 2016)
- Michael Axworthy, A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind (Penguin, 2016)
- Roberto Cantoni, Oil Exploration, Diplomacy and Security in the Early Cold War: The Enemy Underground (Routledge, 2021)
- Nelida Fuccaro and Mandana Limbert (eds), Life Worlds of Middle Eastern Oil: Histories and Ethnographies of Black Gold (Edinburgh University Press, 2023)
- Steven G. Galpern, Money, Oil and Empire in the Middle East: Sterling and Postwar Imperialism, 1944-1971 (2009)
- Nimah Mazaheri, Hydrobarbon Citizens: How Oil Transformed People and Politics in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2022)
- Francisco Parra, Oil Politics: A Modern History of Petroleum (I.B. Tauris, 2003)
- Peter Sluglett, Britain in Iraq: Contriving King and Country (I.B. Tauris, 2007)
- Sheena Wilson, Adam Carlson, and Imre Szeman (eds), Petrocultures: Oil, Politics, Culture (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2017)
- Timothy C. Winegard, The First World War Oil War (University of Toronto Press, 2016)
- Daniel Yergin, The Prize (Simon & Schuster, 1990)
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 27/11/2023 |
| Last revision date | 27/11/2023 |
