Politics of the Middle East
| Module title | Politics of the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC2123 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Aneta Brockhill () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
Famous satirist Karl reMarks remarks that God created the MENA region for the specific and noble purpose of permanently supplying global audiences with “Breaking News.” Have you ever wondered how and why a region as vast and heterogeneous as the Middle East has become strictly associated with authoritarianism, women and LGBT population’s oppression, and permanent wars? This module is an exciting opportunity to rethink politics – broadly speaking - in the Middle East. It unpacks the complexities of state-society relationships by examining them at the domestic, regional and global levels and by drawing on an array of scholarly and popular sources. What emerges is a complex region that seriously pushes us to re-assess our understanding of democracy, resistance, agency and modernity. The module adopts a largely decolonial approach that downgrade state-centric analysis and asks questions relevant to minorities and racial inequalities in the region.
No prior knowledge skills or experience are required to take this module. Although the module is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students, some degree of interest in the region is expected on the part of the student. The module is suitable for students studying Politics, Comparative Politics, History or International Relations.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide an introduction to the main themes and dynamics in the politics of the contemporary Middle East at the domestic, regional and global levels. It considers the political, economic, and social changes that have affected the region since the birth of the nation-state. In doing so, the module provides you with the cognitive skills and academic inquisitiveness that are necessary to nuance your understanding of the region.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. evaluate the enduring legacies of colonialism on the politics in, and discourses about, the region and analyse the process of state-formation in the contemporary Middle East;
- 2. assess critically the impact of globalisation on economic and political liberalisation and appreciate the transnational dynamics of civil organizing and political mobilization in the region.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. evaluate different theoretical and practical approaches in the study of politics of the Middle East;
- 4. construct coherent yet concise arguments.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. write analytically for an academic and non-academic public;
- 6. develop good research and indexing praxis (on line and in the library);
- 7. defend ones position on seminar discussions.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some of the following topics or readings:
- Politics and Area Studies: Beyond Orientalism/Occidentalism and East/West
- Empire, Colonialism and the Birth of the Middle East State (Egypt, Algeria, Turkey)
- Beyond TH Marshall: Citizenship(s) in the Middle East (Gulf, Lebanon)
- Oil Wealth/Curse: Modernization, urban development and neoliberal policies (Gulf, Algeria, Libya)
- NGO-ization or the Liberalization of Politics (case study: LGBT activism vs. “Gay Internationalists”)
- Informal Politics, Resistance and Encroachment (a view from Egypt and Gaza)
- Sect, Sectarianisation and the State (Iran, Yemen)
- Transnational Solidarity and the Middle East (Kurdistan)
- From the War on Terror to the War on Iraq: Reading the ME through a Feminist IR Lens
- The Arab Spring and Masculinist Restoration (Bahrein, Syria)
- The Universalization of Human Rights: What Challenges for 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hr seminars |
| Guided independent study | 128 | Private study students are expected to read suggested texts and make notes prior to seminar sessions. They are also expected to read widely to complete their coursework assignments. More specifically, students are expected to devote at least: 66 (6 hours per topic/week) hours to directed reading; 6 hours to completing the formative research outline; 42 hours (3 hours/day over two weeks) for completing the essay; 10 hours (2 hours/day over 5 days) for completing opinion pieces. The 4 remaining hours serve as a margin to be adjusted depending on the student in question |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation | 10 minutes | 1-7 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 70 | 2,000 words | 1-7 | Written |
| Review Piece | 30 | 800 words | 1-7 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay 2,000 words | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
| Review Piece | Review piece (800 words) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Review Piece (30%) of 800 words. Students write a critical review on one of the essential readings encountered throughout the year. Convenor to designate 10 pieces for students to choose from.)
Essay of 2,000 words (70%) August/September reassessment period (Students to write an essay answering one question out of 5 provided).
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Edward Said, Orientalism
Asef Bayat, Life as Politics: How Ordinary People Change the Middle East
Dina Singerman, Avenues of Participation: Family, Politics, and Networks in Urban Quarters of Cairo
Betty S. Anderson, Nationalist Voices in Jordan: The Street and the State
Joseph A. Massad, Colonial Effects: The Making of National Identity in Jordan
David Szanton, The Politics of Knowledge: Area Studies and the Disciplines
Zachary Lockman, Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism and Field Notes: The Making of Middle East Studies in the United States
Lara Deeb and Jessica Winegar, Anthropology’s Politics: Disciplining the Middle East
Adam Hanieh, Money, Markets and Monarchies: The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East
Donatella Della Ratta, Shooting the Revolution: Visual Media and Warfare in Syria.
Sam Cherribi, Fridays of Rage: Al Jazeera, the Arab Spring, and Political Islam.
Tarek El-Ariss. Leaks, Hacks and Scandals: Arab Culture in the Digital Age.
Mohamed Zayani. Networked Publics and Digital Contention: The Politics of Everyday Life in Tunisia.
Daniel Ritter, The Iron Cage of Liberalism: International Politics and Unarmed Revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Conceiving Citizens: Women and the Politics of Motherhood in Iran.
Shahla Talebi, Ghosts of Revolution: Rekindled Memories of Imprisonment in Iran.
Charles Tripp, The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East.
Mounira Charrad, States and Women's Rights: The Making of Postcolonial Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Timothy Mitchell, Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
- Kanopy;
- podcasts;
- blogs and vlogs;
- cultural productions (songs; music videos; films; performances);
- policy briefs;
- annual reports from selected international organizations
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 03/07/2019 |
| Last revision date | 05/01/2022 |
