Course Catalogue

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The course will explore the politics of the Middle East from the twentieth century up to the present, looking at the key political, social and economic developments. The course will combine thematic and region-wide analyses with in-depth investigation of particular countries.

Seminar: two hours per week, for 10 weeks 

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Entry to Honours Politics requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Politics 2A and Politics 2B as a first attempt.

None

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1. 35%: Reflection piece (1500 words)

2. 65%: Essay (2500 words)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below

This course serves as an introduction to the politics of the Middle East, including Egypt, the Arab East (Mashriq) including the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Turkey and Iran. It considers the political, economic and social changes that have affected the region since the turn of the twentieth century, particularly since WWI. It gives an overview of the major political issues, forces and developments in the region, providing an analysis of the wider political contexts in which they occurred. The module will combine a thematic approach with explorations of specific countries, and students will engage with a range of material to deepen their understanding of the region, including literature and the arts as well as scholarly work.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Critically map and analyse the key political, social and economic trends in the Middle East since the 20th century up to the present.

2. Assess the pace and drivers of state development, governance and political society in the region.

3. Engage critically and analytically with scholarly work on the region, including contemporary debates.

4. Identify and challenge key dominant assumptions and underlying mainstream narratives about the region.

5. Equip students with transferable and analytical skills to construct historically-informed and empirically-grounded arguments.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.