OVERVIEW

After an examination of the historical evolution of the region from the decline of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of modern nations, the course will examine the place of Middle Eastern states in the world system, the legacy of nationalism, pan-Arabism, the birth of Israel, the Iranian Revolution, authoritarianism and democracy. There will be also a section which will study the introduction to Islamic History and Politics.  

AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who have successfully completed the course will: -- have thorough knowledge of this historical period, especially regarding the growth of Islam and the social and cultural worlds of the Ottoman eras. -- be able to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to understand medieval and modern political and social processes in the Middle East -- be able to express their own critical views on historical developments in Middle East -- have improved their writing skills -- have improved their critical reading skills.

PREREQUISITES

Contemporary History

TEACHING METHODS

Classic lectures - seminars and workshops.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. Welcome Session and Brief Introduction to the Middle Eatern Studies.

 2. Introduction to Political History of Islam (I Part)

3. Introduction to Political History of Islam (II Part)

4. Shiite and Sunni 

5.  The end of empires: the emergence of modern Middle Eastern States

6. The break up of the Ottoman Empire

7. The Political practices of a colonial state

8. The creation of centralized state systems in Turkey and Iran

9. The growth of state power in the Arab world.

10. The single-party regimes. Egypt and Tunisia

11. Politics in an authoritarian state: Syria and Iraq

12. The growth of state power in the Arab world under family rule

13.  The politics of royal family rule in Jordan and Morocco

11.  The practice of family rule: Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states

12.  Arab nationalism, Arab unity and the practice of intra-Arab state relations: The Ba'th Party

14.  The new Arab states: between cooperation and competition

15.  The role of Israel and the Palestinians in intra-Arab relations

16.  State and politics in Israel from the Second World War: Hamas and Hezbollah.

17.  State and politics in Turkey: Erdogan Government.

18.  State and politics in Iran:  Revolution of 1979 and the Islamic Republic

 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Fred M. Doner, Maometto e le origini dell'Islam, Einaudi, 2011. (Capitoli 1-3).

2. Massimo Campanini, Storia del Medio Oriente Contemporaneo, il Mulino, 2017.

To choose one of the following texts as Reading: 

A) Gimapiero Cama - Pejman Abdolmohammadi, L'Iran contremporaneo: le sfide interne e internazionali di un paese strategico, Mondadori, 2015. 

B) Carlo Degli Abbati, Il radicalismo nel nome dell'Islam, Aracne, 2013. 

C) Alberto Negri, Il musulmano errante: Storia degli alauiti e dei misteri del Medio Oriente, Rosenberg;Sellier, 2017. 

Those students who will fail to attend classes according to Department's rules have to add in their readings the following text too: 

D) James L. Gelvin, Storia del Medio Oriente Moderno, Einaudi, 2009. (Capitoli 1-4).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ANDREA CATANZARO (President)

PEJMAN ABDOLMOHAMMADI

CARLO MORGANTI

LARA PICCARDO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

October 8th

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

oral exam. 

Exam schedule