Politics of the Middle East (PO41011)
Module Convenor: Dr Abdullah Yusuf
Credit Rating: 30 SCQF credits
Level: Level 4 optional module
Module Content
This is an extraordinary time in the Middle East andNorth Africa. The events of the Arab Spring have shaken and overthrown regimes. With an eye on these unfolding developments this module examines contemporary Middle East politics encompassing both the Arab and the non-Arab worlds with a special concern for the following topics: the Gulf Conflicts, the Arab-Israel conflict, Politics of oil in Saudi Arabia, Political Islam: the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Al-Qaeda's ideology and strategy and the on-going Arab Spring saga. The implications for wider International Relations will also be considered.
Topics include:
- Introduction: Middle East and the international system
- The Arab Israeli conflict: Facts and Myths
- The Palestinian Israeli conflict: conflict over territory?
- Lebanon conflict: deep-rooted sectarian and religious divides
- War in the Gulf: Iran and Iraq 1980-1989
- Case Study - The Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991
- Islamist Movements - The Muslim Brothers
- Al-Qaeda- Ideology and Strategy: What does al-Qaeda want?
- Addicted to oil: the Iraq War
- Yemen - the Arab Spring's success story?
- The Rise of Iran and the West: Moving towards Confrontation?
Module Aims
- To provide a general overview of the modern history and politics of the Middle East andNorth Africaand a more detailed knowledge of the political development of several countries
- To provide a fuller understanding of domestic and foreign interests in the Middle East
- To explore the basic political context under which the resurgence of political Islam took place and the basic ideas of Islamist movements
- To gain insight into causes of conflict in the Middle East
- To explore the role of the key international actors (state/non-state) in Middle East conflict resolution or peace-building
- To enable students to graduate with honours and to equip them for postgraduate level study in the humanities/social sciences, should they desire to pursue it
Intended Learning Outcomes
- A critical understanding of a broad historical knowledge of the formation of the state system in the Middle East
- A comprehensive understanding of important themes and debates in politics of the Middle East, including war and peace, ideological movements and democratisation, social media and globalisation
- An understanding of the interconnectedness of patterns of conflict in the Middle East and an ability to relate the interconnectedness of conflicts to the difficulties of peace making
- An appreciation of the role of international powers in the conflict and resolution processes in the Middle East
- Critically assess the impact of the State of Israel on the international relations of the Middle East
- Become aware of the factors behind recent uprisings in the region
Teaching
There will be eleven seminars, each of two hours duration.
Assessment
- Coursework: 1 essay of 3000 words (50%)
- Exam: 2 hours (50%)
Indicative Reading
- Louise Fawcett, International Relations of the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2005)
- Beverley Milton-Edwards and Peter Hinchcliffe, Conflicts in the Middle East Since 1945 (Routledge, 2003)
- Raymond Hinnebusch, The International Politics of the Middle East (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2003)
- William L. Cleveland and Martin Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East (Boulder: Westview Press, 2009)
- Roger Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East (London: Routledge, 2004)
- W. Andrew Terrill, The Conflicts in Yemen and U.S. National Security, Strategic Studies Institute, 2011 [Available at www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB1040.pdf]
- Vincent Durac, “Yemen's Arab Spring – Democratic Opening or Regime Maintenance?”, Mediterranean Politics, 17:2 (2012)
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