Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 265"
COURSE NAME: "History and Politics of the Middle East"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2013

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Michael Driessen
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: PL 223; Recommended: PL 209
OFFICE HOURS: T & Th 1:30-2:30pm

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Middle East is shaping contemporary global politics in profound ways. From the Arab Spring, to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, to Nuclear Weapons in Iran, to the Petrodollars of Saudi Arabia, to the skyscrapers of Doha and Dubai, to the War in Syria, to Muslim Democracy in Turkey, the Middle East is much talked about, but little understood. This course is designed to introduce students to the deeper political dynamics which structure many of these events. Students will explore both the international and domestic sources of Middle East politics, its complexities, patterns, variations and possible futures. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, religious, historical, social and institutional legacies of modern state development in the Middle East and introduce students to the new faces, ideas and hopes which continue to shape it.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course is divided into historical, thematical and case sections. It begins by briefly revisiting the early modern period of Middle East history and the critical years stretching between the end of the Ottoman Empire, decolonization and the establishment of new nation-states in the Middle East. The Course then examines the mix of religious, social, political, and international forces which have evolved in various guises to shape politics over the last fifty years. In order to illustrate and understand these forces, students will systematically explore (and eventually apply them to) the political profiles of Algeria, Qatar, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The Course ends by reflecting on how these forces have exploded in the recent Arab Uprisings and what that means for the new Middle East to come.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
With this course, it is my hope that students will be able to master and name the basic political and social dynamics of contemporary Middle East politics and, as a result, be able to reflectively read, comprehend and evaluate the dramatic events unfolding in the region today.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
The MIddle East (13th Edition)	Ellen Lust	CQ Press	978-1452241494
Life as Politics	Asef Bayat	Stanford University Press	978-0-8047-6924-2

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Reading Reflections (7)	1. Map Quiz 2. Reflection on Arab Nationalism & Battle of Algiers 3. Reflection on Paradise Now & Middle East Peace Process 4. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Parties, Kings and Current Events Quiz 5. Reflection on “Life as Politics” & the Yacoubian Building 6. Paper Presentation 7. Reflection on Arab spring	35%
Case Study Paper	8-10 page country profile	30%
Mid-Term	5-7 page take home exam	25%
Attendance and Presence of Mind		10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Participation, Attendance and Presence of Mind are mandatory for this class. The goal here is to advance towards the art of asking good questions. Quality, not quantity of participation is what counts, although some quantity is better than no quality. Students will be allowed 2 unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence thereafter will result in the lowering of the attendance grade by 1/3^rd a letter grade. More than 12 unexcused absences may result in a failure to pass the course.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

MEDIA:

In a course on contemporary regional politics, it is essential to familiarize oneself with the unfolding political events of the time, especially if the student is not acquainted with the region. Read one of the following newspapers or otherwise online media daily. We will be talking (and trying to come to terms with) these headline events throughout the course. Two quizzes, one geographical and one on current events and persons, in addition to the Midterm, will require this familiarization:

Al Jazeera: http://aljazeera.com/

Al Arabiya: http://english.alarabiya.net/

Al Ahram: http://english.ahram.org.eg/

Haaretz: http://www.haaretz.com/

Zaman: http://www.todayszaman.com/mainAction.action

BBC Middle East: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east/

Jaddaliya (blog) : http://www.jadaliyya.com/#

One of the best ways, of course, to familiarize oneself with the politics of the Middle East is to actually visit the Middle East. The next best thing is watch Middle Eastern movies (and eat lots of humus). During class we will view and analyze an important film about Arab liberation movements and Arab nationalism, i.e. The Battle of Algiers. In addition, I have put four contemporary Middle Eastern (political) films on reserve for the class at the library. For Assignments 3 or 5 (but not both) you have the option of writing a critical film review of one of these movies. The films on reserve for this class are as follows:

The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966)

The Yacoubian Building (Marwan Hamed, 2005)

Paradise Now (Hany Abu-Assad, 2005)

Ahlaam (Mohamed al-Daradji, 2005)

Budrus (Just Vision, 2010)

Course Outline:

Part I. History, States, Structures, Ideas

1. Towards the Nation-state in the Modern Middle East

            Countries: Turkey & Algeria

2. State Formation and Institutions

            Countries: Syria & Iraq

3. The Regional and International Politics of the Middle East

            Countries: Israel & Palestine

4. The Political Economics of the Middle East

            Countries: Saudi Arabia & Persian Gulf States

Part II. Religion, Society, Culture, Politics

5. State-Society Relations

            Countries: Morocco

6. Religion and Politics

            Countries: Iran and Lebanon

7. What the People Say

            Country: Jordan

8. Life as Politics: How Ordinary People Change the Middle East

            Country: Egypt

Part III. New Directions:

9. Arab Spring and Beyond

            Country: Tunisia & Libya

Course Calendar (Please note that this is not the final syllabus. A finalized schedule of readings, assignments and office hours will be distributed to students at the beginning of the Fall, 2012 semester).
September 2	Class 1		Course Introduction
Part I: History, States, Structures, Ideas
1. Towards the Nation-state in the Modern Middle East
September 4		Class 2	What is the Middle East? Where did it come from?
			Michael Gasper, “The Making of the Modern Middle East,” in Middle East, (Chapter 1), pp.s 1-26. William Dalrymple, “The Truth about Muslims,” New York Review of Books (2004). http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2004/nov/04/the-truth-about-muslims/?pagination=false
September 9		Class 3	Empires, Colonialism and Modernization *Assignment 1: Map Quiz*
			Michael Gasper, “The Making of the Modern Middle East,” in Middle East, (Chapter 1), pp.s 26-53. Mine Eder, “Turkey,” in Middle East, (Chapter 25), pp.s 830-840. Recommended: Kemal H. Karpat, “The Transformation of the Ottoman State, 1789-1908,” International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 3 (1972). http://psi424.cankaya.edu.tr/uploads/files/Karpat,%20Transformation%20of%20the%20Ott%20State,%201789-1908%20%281972%29.pdf
September 11		Class 4	Liberation and Arab Nationalism
			Read Lahouari Addi, “Algeria,” Middle East (Chapter 10), pp.s 429-433. Fouad Ajami, “The End of Pan-Arabism,” Foreign Affairs 57 (1978). Film: Battle of Algiers Recommended: Read Lahouari Addi, “Algeria,” Middle East (Chapter 10), pp.s 433-447.
2. State Formation and Institutions
September 16		Class 5	Institutions and States *Assignment 2: Reflection on Arab Nationalism and Battle of Algiers*
			Ellen Lust,“Institutions and Governance,”in Middle East, (Chapter 3) Recommended: Adeed Dawisha, “Requiem for Arab Nationalism,” Middle East Quarterly Winter (2003).
September 18		Class 6	Authoritarianism
			Eva Bellin, “The Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East,” Comparative Politics (2004) http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/levitsky/files/bellin.pdf Steven Heydemann, “Upgrading Arab Authoritarianism,” Brookings Institute (2007). http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2007/10/arabworld/10arabworld.pdf Recommended: Raymond Hinnebusch,“Syria,” in Middle East, (Chapter 23) & Eric Davis, “Iraq,” in Middle East, (Chapters 13) Daniel Brumberg, “The Trap of Liberalized Democracy” Journal of Democracy 13 (2002). http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/sites/default/files/Dan_Brumberg.pdf
3. The Regional and International Politics of the Middle East
September 23		Class 7		Israel, Palestine, Wars
				Read, Mark Tessler,“The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” (Chapter 7), pp.s 287-341 Recommended: Lihi Ben Shitrit,“Israel,” in Middle East, & Benoit Challand, “Palestinian Authority” (Chapters 14 & 20)
September 25		Class 8		Regional Alliance Formations
				Read, Mark Tessler,“The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” (Chapter 7), pp.s 341-361. Michael Gasper, “The Making of the Modern Middle East,” in Middle East, (Chapter 1), pp.s 53-62. Recommended: Stephen Walt, The Origins of Alliances, Cornell University Press, chapters 3 & 4 [on reserve]
September 30		Class 9		Iran-Iraq War
				*Assignment 3: Reflection on Middle East Peace & Wars* Read, Marc Lynch, “Regional International Relations,” in Middle East, (Chapter 8) Recommended: Gary Sick, “Trial by Error: Reflections on the Iran-Iraq War,” Middle East Journal 43 (1989). “Martyr Burials and Election Politics in Iran,” Middle East Research and Information Project, 2009 http://www.merip.org/mero/mero031909
October 1		Class 10		International Politics
				Francesco Cavatorta, “International Politics of the Middle East” in Middle East, (Chapter 9) Fred Halliday, Middle East and International Politics, (2005) pp.s 21-41 [on reserve]
4. The Political Economics of the Middle East
October 7		Class 11		Political Development
				Melani Cammett,“The Political Economy of Development in the Middle East” in Middle East, (Chapter 4) Recommended: Marc Lynch, “Mysteries of the Emir,” Foreign Policy (2013). http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/06/27/mysteries_of_the_emir_power_transfer_qatar Hesham Al-Awadi, “Kuwait” in Middle East, (Chapter 16)
October 9		Class 12		Oil States and Rentierism *Mid-Term Exam Distributed*
				Pascal Menoret, “Saudi Arabia,” and Katja Niethammer, “Persian Gulf States” in Middle East, (Chapters 21 & 22) Recommended: Michael Ross, “Does Oil Hinder Democracy,” World Politics 53 (2001) http://www.cmsconsultores.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/doesoil.pdf
Part II: Religion, Society, Culture, Politics
5. State-Society Relations
October 14			Professor Driessen at Middle East Studies Association Conference: CLASS CANCELLED

October 16	Class 13		Social Transformations
			Read Valentine M. Moghadam and Tabitha Decker, “Social Change in the Middle East” in Middle East, (Chapter 2)
October 18	Class 14		New Demographies (MAKE-UP for OCT. 14) Olivier Roy, “The Transformation of the Arab World,” Journal of Democracy,” (2005) http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/23403/ROY-JOD-2012_PostPrint.pdf
			Driss Maghraoui and Saloua Zerhouni, “Morocco” in Middle East, (Chapter 18), pp.s 662-671 & 673-683.
6. Religion and Politics
October 21	Class 15		Islam and Politics
			Read Robert Lee and Lihi Ben Shitrit, “Religion Society, and Politics in the Middle East”in Middle East, (Chapter 5). Mona el-Ghobashy “The Metamorphosis of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers,” International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 37 (2005). Recommended: Carrie Wickham, “The Path to Moderation: Strategy and Learning in the Formation of Egypt’s Wasat Party,” Comparative Politics (2004).
October 23	Class 16		Post-Islam and Politics
			Read Mehrzad Boroujerdi, “Iran” in Middle East, (Chapter 12), pp.s 478-499. Berna Turam, “Are Rights and Liberties Safe?” Journal of Democracy, 23 (2012). Recommended: Sebnem Gumuscu, “Class, Status and Party: The Changing Face of Political Islam in Turkey and Egypt,” Comparative Political Studies (2010) Ates Altinordu “Occupy Gezi: Beyond the Religious-Secular Cleavage,” The Immanent Frame (2013). http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2013/06/10/occupy-gezi-beyond-the-religious-secular-cleavage/ Paul Salem, “Lebanon,” in Middle East, (Chapter 17)
7.What the People Say
October 28	Class 17		Public Opinion *Assignment 4:* *Presidents, Prime Ministers, Parties, Kings and Current Events Quiz*
			Read Amaney Jamal and Lina Khatib, “Actors, Public Opinion, and Participation,” in Middle East (Chapter 6)
October 30	Class 18		Democracy Attitudes & Muslim Pluralism
			Amaney Jamal and Marc Tessler, “Attitudes in the Arab World,” Journal of Democracy, 19 (2008) http://www.arabbarometer.org/sites/default/files/files/democbarometers.pdf Charles Kurzman and Ijlal Naqvi, “Do Muslims Vote Islamic?” Journal of Democracy 21 (2010) Recommended: Laurie A. Brand, “Jordan” in Middle East, (Chapter15)
8. Life as Politics: How Ordinary People Change the Middle East
November 4	Class 19		The Poor and the Perpetual Pursuit of Life Chances
			Read Bayat, chapters 1, 3 & 4 Recommended: Tarek Masoud, “Egypt,” in Middle East (Chapter 11)
November 6	Class 20		Street Politics and the Political Street *Assignment 5: Reflection on Life as Politics*
			Read Bayat, chapters 6, 7 & 9 Recommended: “Rock the Mullahs & Heavy Metal Islam,” Interview with Mark Levine on Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2008/07/rock_the_mullahs.html
November 11	Class 21		Everyday Cosmopolitanism *Assignment 6: Presentations*
			Read Bayat chapters 10 & 11
November 13	Class 22
			Presentations in Class
November 18	Class 23
			Presentations in Class
III. New Horizons
9.Arab Spring and Beyond
November 20	Class 24		Arab Spring
			F. Gregory Gause, “Why Middle East Studies Missed the Arab Spring: The Myth of Authoritarian Stability,” Foreign Affairs (81) 2011. http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/fora90&div=67&id=&page= Economist, “Has the Arab Spring Failed” Special Report (2013) http://www.economist.com/printedition/2013-07-13 Timeline: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline Map: http://thehiddentranscript.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/arab-spring-map1.jpg Recommended: Pew Form, “Arab Spring Adds to Global Restrictions on Religion (2013) http://www.pewforum.org/Government/arab-spring-restrictions-on-religion-sidebar2.aspx Faoud Ajami,”The Arab Spring at One: A Year of Living Dangerously,” Foreign Affairs (2012). http://people.stfx.ca/x2010/x2010mbm/Devs%20401%20Term%20Paper/Foreign%20Affairs.pdf
November 25	Class 25		Refo-lutions?
			Read Bayat chapters 12, 13, 14 & 15
November 27	Class 26		Maghrebi Springs *Assignment 7: Reflection on Arab Spring*
			Read Jeffrey A. Couple and Hamadi Redissi, “Tunisia,” in Middle East (Chapter 24), pp.s 789-815. Ahmed Benchemsi, “Morocco: Outfoxing the Opposition,” Journal of Democracy (2012). Michael Driessen, “Algerian Elections: Everybody Loses Again” (2012) http://michaeldriessen.com/2012/05/20/elections-in-algeria-everybody-loses-again/ Recommended: Mohamed-Salah Omri, “Tunisia’s Dangerous identity Politics,” Think Africa, (2013) http://thinkafricapress.com/tunisia/identity-politics Amanda Kadlec, “Libya” in Middle East, (Chapter 18).
December 2	Class 27		Egypt
			Samer Shehata, “In Egypt, Democrats v. Liberals” July 2^nd, 2013, New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/opinion/in-egypt-democrats-vs-liberals.html?hp&_r=1& Marc Lynch, “Downfall in Cairo,” Foreign Policy, July 3^rd, 2013 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/07/03/morsy_military_coup_egypt_us_obama Recommended: Nathan Brown, “Post-Revolutionary Al-Azhar” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2011) http://carnegieendowment.org/files/al_azhar.pdf
December 4	Class 28		Syria and Beyond
			Geneive Abdo, “The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Rebirth of the Shi’a-Sunni Divide,” Brookings March/April (2013) http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2013/04/sunni%20shia%20abdo/sunni%20shia%20abdo.pdf Recommended: Lynch “The War for the Arab World,” Foreign Policy March (2013) [response to Abdo]. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/05/23/war_for_the_arab_world_sunni_shia_hatred “Iran’s President Elect says Israel Threats Laughable,” http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/world/story/iran-president-elect-rohani-says-israel-threats-laughable-20130717
	Final Exam		Hand in papers