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.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the conclusion of the course, students will be able to analyse the interplay between the international context and domestic politics in the MENA; identify differences and similarities in the institutional structures, actors, and policy making processes that typify Middle Eastern and North African states; problematise the relationships between historical legacies and current political developments in the MENA; improve their abilities to conduct research on various economic and social topics from a comparative perspective

PREREQUISITES

None

TEACHING METHODS

Problem-based learning centred on interactive lessons and debates within friendly environment that stimulates and encourages participation. Stimulating critical thinking and encouraging students to use different literatures in order to enrich their understanding of Middle Eastern and North African politics.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Module 1

After a brief overview of the course and its main aims, the module explores the recent history of the Middle East and North Africa, starting from the colonial period and state formation. Subsequently, it deals with the post-independence phase, analysing socio, economic, and political aspects.

Module 2

The module investigates political systems in the MENA from a comparative perspective. It discusses the weakness and very limited diffusion of liberal democratic systems in the region and explores the distinction between monarchical and republic regimes. It then turns to parliaments, elections, and multi-party systems.

Module 3

In this part of the course, we focus on political violence, dealing with both state and non-state actors. In particular, the module explores the role of the armed forces, which have often played a very prominent role in many countries of the region, and the strategy that rulers have adopted to coup-proof their regimes.

Module 4

The module deals with Political Islam, by far the most important political-ideological tendency in the MENA over the last half a century. It traces back the origins of Political Islam and its much more recent developments, discussing achievements and defeats of Islamist parties.

Module 5

In contrast to the strongly Western-based view that sees women as a passive and scarcely influential actor in the region, the module discusses how women have contributed to political and social life in the MENA. It also explores how grass-roots feminism has reacted against both the phenomenon of state feminism and reactionary movements.

Module 6

The module explores in detail the last decade, focusing on the outbreak of revolutionary movements from below and the following counter-revolutions that in many cases have been successful in defeating the social and political aspirations that had emerged. The MENA represented thereby an interesting case of revolutionary movements that failed to revolutionize society.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Key textbook of the course

Durac, V. and F. Cavatorta (2022) Politics and Governance in the Middle East. 2nd edition. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Lynch, M., J. Schwedler, and S. Yom (2022) The Political Science of the Middle East: Theory and Research Since the Arab Uprisings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Chapters 1; 2; 3; 5; 6; 7)

Students will then choose one of the following books:

Allam, N. (2017) Women and the Egyptian Revolution: Engagement and Activism during the 2011 Arab Uprisings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Allinson, J. (2022) The Age of Counter-Revolution: States and Revolutions in the Middle East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bou Nassif, H. (2020) Endgames: Military Response to Protest in Arab Autocracies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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

Schwedler, J. (2022) Protesting Jordan: Geography of Power and Dissent. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Wolf, A. (2017) Political Islam in Tunisia: The History of Ennahda. London: Hurst & Co.