BA Middle East Studies

ARA1010: Politics and Economy of the Contemporary Middle East

This module will introduce you to the politics and political economy of the Middle East and give you the foundational knowledge to understand the contemporary challenges that the region is facing. The module will familiarise you with the main themes through which the region's politics and economy have been studied and debated in the academia, from the legacy of colonialism, to the politics of Islam and latest waves of popular mobilization, looking into the political dynamics of key states (Egypt, Iran, the Gulf states, Iraq, etc).

The module aims to provide you with a general introductory survey of the politics and political economy of the Middle East, covering topics such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the legacy of colonialism, the political economy of oil, the resilience of authoritarianism, the issue of political Islam and popular mobilization. It will provide you with an understanding of the key themes and issues pertinent to the academic study of the Middle-East region, and will seek to expand your ability to engage critically and analytically with issues facing the Middle- East region in the 21st century by situating them in historical and theoretical context, forming the basis for your studies in subsequent years.

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ARA1018: Introduction to Islam

This module will introduce you to Islam as both a textually based religious tradition and as a lived practice. It is an essential module that introduces you to themes and ideas that will be useful for your study of Islam and the Middle East in modules you may take in the future. As such, it is for the beginner with no prior knowledge and takes an inter-disciplinary approach using history, theology, law, literature, the arts and philosophy as a way to introduce the religious traditions of over 1.5 billion people worldwide. Starting from an introduction to the basic textual sources of the Qur'an and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, we consistently ask what significance the history of the faith has for believers both in the past and in the future, and conclude with discussions on who speaks for Islam in the contemporary world and the difficulty of that very question.

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ARA1021: Introduction to Persian History and Culture

This module introduces you to the great civilization and culture of Persia (including modern-day Iran, as well as historically speaking parts of Central Asia such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, not to mention much of modern-day Anatolian Turkey and Iraq) from ancient until modern times. The module covers about 7000 years of Persian history, proceeding chronologically, beginning with pre-Islamic Persia around 5000 B.C.

The study of Iranian civilization and culture is the most neglected aspect of Islamic Studies today. This course remedies this shortcoming, introducing you to one of the world's greatest empires, its classical Islamic civilization, its contemporary body-politic and its vibrant national culture.

This is primarily a discussion-seminar course, and the small-group format will require your intensive, active participation in and preparation for the class. Classes will be introduced by 45-60 minute powerpoint-illustrated lecture, followed by directed discussions based on pre-assigned questions drawn from the readings.

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ARA1036: Histories of the Middle East, 600-1800 C.E.

Few other regions of the world have provoked more interest and controversy than the Middle East. This module will provide you with an introductory overview of the historical, political, economic and strategic factors that shape the modern Middle East, examining key issues in the politics and society of the region from the Prophet to the end of the eighteenth century. It is designated to highlight the multi-faceted nature of Middle Eastern polities and to provide a continuity/change perspective on themes of regional unity versus political fragmentation. It also aims at providing you with the concepts and tools necessary to develop an analytical approach to understanding the Middle East.

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ARA1013: Elementary Persian

Persian is a modern Indo-European language spoken by over 100 million people—chiefly in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. This is an elementary-level module that introduces you as a complete beginner to the fundamentals of the Persian language, enabling you to communicate orally and to engage with text on a basic level. It provides you with the means and opportunity for you to take your reading, writing, oral and aural skills in Persian to level A1 (breakthrough/beginner) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, it will introduce you to aspects of Persian cultures. You will use a textbook as well as a variety of learning materials chosen by your lecturers.

If you have prior knowledge of Persian, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you—admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

The module will enable you to achieve basic proficiency in the language. You will first be introduced to the Persian alphabet and pronunciation, followed by the basics of grammar and syntax. Using a mixture of narrative-based and authentic content , both written and audio-visual, you will work on all language-related skills, including reading, listening, speaking, writing and cultural knowledge. You will be encouraged to practice learned material independently .

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ARA1015: Arabic for Beginners

Arabic is a modern language spoken by hundreds of millions of people and a foundational language of human civilisation. This elementary-level module introduces you as a complete beginner to the fundamentals of the language, enabling you to acquire basic reading, writing, oral and aural skills to level A1 (breakthrough/beginner) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, it will introduce you to aspects of Arab cultures. You will use a textbook as well as a variety of learning materials chosen by your lecturers.

No previous knowledge of Arabic is required to study in this module. If you have prior knowledge of Arabic acquired outside of your degree programme, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you - admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

The module will enable you to achieve basic proficiency in the language. You will first be introduced to the Arabic script, followed by the basics of Arabic grammar and syntax. Using a mixture of narrative-based and authentic content, both written and audio-visual, you will work on all language-related skills, including reading, listening, speaking, writing and cultural knowledge. You will be encouraged to practice learned material independently.

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ARA1020: Elementary Persian 2

Persian is a modern Indo-European language spoken today by over 100 million people—chiefly in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. This is an elementary-level module that takes place in Term II continues your introduction the fundamentals of the Persian] language, enabling you to communicate orally and engage with text on a basic level. It provides you with the means and opportunity for you to take your reading, writing, oral and aural skills in Persian to level A2 (waystage/elementary) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, it will further introduce you to aspects of Persian cultures. You will use a textbook as well as a variety of materials chosen by the module convenor. If you have prior knowledge of Persian acquired outside of your degree programme or have not completed the prerequisite modules, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you—admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

This module aims to enhance your basic reading, writing and communication skills in Persian. It aims to develop all language-related skills, including reading, listening, speaking and writing—plus cultural knowledge—by means of written texts and audio-visual clips. By the end of the module, you are expected to be ready to embark on intermediate-level study of the language

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ARA1030: Introduction to Islamic Archaeology

In this multidisciplinary module you will be introduced to the importance of material culture as a way of understanding Muslim societies of the past, and of better understanding Islam in the present. The module aims to familiarise you with the rich diversity of Islamic culture through archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence.

You will develop critical skills in the following areas: the theory of material culture and archaeology with particular reference to Islamic cultures; the treatment of Islam and Islamic societies within the history of art, archaeology and material cultural studies; the use ethnography as a tool of research; and the methodologies and practices of archaeology.

Beyond the use of archaeology to merely understand historical phenomena, you will be introduced to innovative approaches to the study of Islamic societies, in particular, to the combined use of textual documentation, ethnological analogies, and the archaeological record.

This multidisciplinary module is designed to introduce students to the importance of material culture as a way of understanding Muslim societies of the past, and of better understanding Islam in the present. The module aims also to familiarise students with the rich diversity of Islamic culture through archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence.

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ARA1031: Elementary Turkish I

Turkish is a modern Turkic language spoken by some 80 million native speakers, largely in the Republic of Turkey, where it has official status. This is an elementary-level Turkish module that introduces you as a complete beginner to the fundamentals of the language, enabling you to communicate orally and to engage with text on a basic level. It provides you with the means and opportunity for you to take your reading, writing, oral and aural skills in Turkish to level A1 (breakthrough/beginner) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, it will introduce you to aspects of Turkish cultures. You will use a textbook as well as a variety of learning materials chosen by your lecturers.

If you have prior knowledge of Turkish, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you—admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

The module will enable you to achieve basic proficiency in the language. You will first be introduced to the Turkish alphabet and pronunciation, followed by the basics of grammar and syntax. Using a mixture of narrative-based and authentic content, both written and audio-visual, you will work on all language-related skills, including reading, listening, speaking, writing and cultural knowledge. You will be encouraged to practice learned material independently.

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ARA1032: Elementary Turkish II

Turkish is a modern Turkic language spoken by some 80 million native speakers, largely in the Republic of Turkey, where it has official status. This is an elementary-level Turkish module that continues your introduction to the fundamentals of the language, enabling you to communicate orally and engage with text on a basic level.

It provides you with the means and opportunity for you to take your basic reading, writing, oral and aural skills in Turkish to level A2 (waystage/elementary) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, it will further introduce you to aspects of Turkish cultures. You will use a textbook as well as a variety of learning materials chosen by your lecturers.

If you have prior knowledge of Turkish acquired outside of your degree programme or have not completed the prerequisite modules, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you—admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

This module aims to enhance your basic reading, writing and communication skills in Turkish. It aims to develop all language-related skills, including reading, listening, speaking and writing—plus cultural knowledge—by means of written texts and audio-visual clips. By the end of the module, you are expected to be ready to embark on intermediate-level study of the language.

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ARA1041: Religious Communities of the Middle East: Culture, Endangerment and Survival

This module takes you to the heart of the struggle for survival of some unique religious communities of the Middle East, many of which have existed for many hundreds of years but which may not live beyond our lifetime. You will not only learn about the rich traditions of Eastern Christianity but also about the much smaller groups who challenge our received ideas of what a 'religion' is and what it must consist of.

Over the term we will take you historically from Late Antiquity up until the last few years, when violence displaced many minorities from their homelands. You will read academic, media and faith sources and will be invited to consider what prejudices, colonial or otherwise, might underly all these sources. No knowledge of any of the local languages is required, nor is it necessary to have studied the 'Introduction to Islam' module - though if you have, you will find that the two modules complement each other.

You will develop knowledge of the cultural complexity of the Middle East and the environment in which this arose. You will develop your ability to evaluate sources, both for accuracy and for underlying prejudice and bias. You will learn to use the principle of religious literacy.

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ARA3106: Dissertation

The dissertation is a substantial individual research project, which provides you with the opportunity to engage in in-depth and sustained research on a subject of interest. You should choose your topic in consultation with a supervisor from the Institute.

This project aims to allow you to acquire knowledge of a particular subject, to benefit from one-to-one tuition from a specialist in the field, and to develop their research skills. These include the ability to collate, assess, analyse and order material from relevant types of sources, and the ability to communicate ideas, arguments and findings in academic prose.

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