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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PL 265"
COURSE NAME: "History and Politics of the Middle East"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2014
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Pejman Abdolmohammadi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 6:00 PM 7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: PL 223; Recommended: PL 209
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the modern nations in the Middle East, the course will examine the place of the Middle Eastern system of states in the world system, how it fares, how did it get where it is today and how do global trends intrude into the region. The role of Islam in both international and domestic politics will be considered with special attention given to the historical tradition of Islam as a political movement and as an identitary expression. |
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is divided into two sections: a) the first part is devoted to Islamic political history, from the emergence of the Prophet Mohammad in seventh-century Arabia, followed by the Arab Caliphate (Omayya – Abbasids), through to the Safawid and Ottoman Empires. Basic concepts such as shari’ah, fiqh, jihad, umma, sunna, shi’a, caliphate, imamate and sultanate are studied, with particular regard to their political role in the Islamic context; b) the second part examines the political institutions of Middle Eastern countries in the contemporary era, with specific focus on the Middle East and North African States.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
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 Mamluk and 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 |
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TEXTBOOK:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
State, Power, Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East | Roger Owen | Routledge | 0-203-40325-8 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life | Roger Owen | Harvard College | 9780674065833 | | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
Midterm exam | | 25% |
Final exam | | 35% |
Paper | | 20% |
presentation | | 10% |
class participation | active participation in classroom discussions, including responses to presentations by other studente.
| 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 cours 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:
Attendance is mandatory. Only three classes may be missed. Further absences will result in the deduction of one letter grade from the final letter grade. So for example a B+ become a C+.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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1. Mon. 13 Jan. Welcome Session and Brief Introduction to the Middle Eatern Studies.
2. Wed. 15 Jan. The end of empires: the emergence of modern Middle Eastern States
3. Mon. 20 Jan. The break up of the Ottoman Empire
4. Wed. 22 Jan. The Political practices of a colonial state
5. Mon. 27 Jan. The creation of centralized state systems in Turkey and Iran
6. Wed. 29 Jan. The growth of state power in the Arab world.
7. Mon. 3 Feb. The single-party regimes
8. Wed. 5 Feb. Politics in an authoritarian state
9. Mon. 10 Feb. The growth of state power in the Arab world under family rule
10. Wed. 12 Feb. The politics of royal family rule in Jordan and Morocco
11. Mon. 17 Feb.The practice of family rule: Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states
12. Wed. 19 Feb. MIDTERM EXAM
13. Mon. 24 Feb. Arab nationalism, Arab unity and the practice of intra-Arab state relations
14. Mon. 26 Feb. The new Arab states: between cooperation and competition
15. Mon. 3 Mar. The role of Israel and the Palestinians in intra-Arab relations
16. Wed. 5 Mar. State and politics in Israel from the Second World War
17. Mon. 10 Mar.State and politics in Turkey
18. Wed. 12 Mar. State and politics in Iran from Reza Shah unito the Revolution of 1979.
19. Mon. 24 Mar. The remaking of the Middle Eastern political environment between the two Gulf Wars
20. Wed. 26 Mar. The major Arab republics
21. Mon. 31 Mar. Themes in contemporary Middle Eastern politics:
The politics of economic restructuring
22. Wed. 2 apr. The limits of oil wealth: encouraging private profit in
Syria, Iraq and Jordan
23. Mon. 7 apr. Focus: The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Persian civil society
24. Mon. 9 apr. Focus : 'Arabi Spring' or 'Islamic awaking: Egyptian and Tunisian cases
25. Mon. 14 apr. Focus:Syrian political crisis and the new balance of power in Middle East.
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