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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PL 265"
COURSE NAME: "Politics of the Middle East"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2016
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Pejman Abdolmohammadi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: PL 223; Recommended: PL 209
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
After an examination of the historical evolution of the region from the decline of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of modern nations, the course will examine the place of Middle Eastern states in the world system, the legacy of nationalism, pan-Arabism, the birth of Israel, the Iranian Revolution, authoritarianism and democracy. 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 an identity 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:
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:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Midterm exam | | 25% |
| paper | | 25% |
| presentation of paper | | 10% |
| Attendance and class discussion | | 10% |
| Reading Reflections | | 30% |
-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 REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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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. 18 gen. Welcome Session and Brief Introduction to the Middle Eatern Studies.
2. 20 gen The end of empires: the emergence of modern Middle Eastern States
3. 25 gen The break up of the Ottoman Empire
4. 27 gen. The Political practices of a colonial state
5. Wed. 1 feb The creation of centralized state systems in Turkey and Iran
6. Mon. 3 feb The growth of state power in the Arab world.
7. Wed. 8 feb The single-party regimes. Egypt and Tunisia
8. Mon. 10 feb. Politics in an authoritarian state: Syria and Iraq
9. Wed. 15 feb. The growth of state power in the Arab world under family rule
10. Mon. 17 feb The politics of royal family rule in Jordan and Morocco
11. Wed. 7 Ott.The practice of family rule: Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states
12. Mon. 12 Ott. MIDTERM EXAM
13. Wed. 14 Ott. Arab nationalism, Arab unity and the practice of intra-Arab state relations: The Ba'th Party
14. Mon. 19 Ott. The new Arab states: between cooperation and competition
15. Wed. 21 Ott.. The role of Israel and the Palestinians in intra-Arab relations
16. Mon. 26 Ott. State and politics in Israel from the Second World War: Hamas and Hezbollah.
17. Wed. 28 Ott. State and politics in Turkey: Erdogan Government.
18. Mon. 2 Ott. State and politics in Iran: Revolution of 1979 and the Islamic Republic
19. Wed. 4 Nov. The remaking of the Middle Eastern political environment between the two Gulf Wars
20. Mon. 9 Nov. Paper presentation - class discussion
21. Wed. 11 Nov. Themes in contemporary Middle Eastern politics:
The politics of economic restructuring
22. Mon. 16 Nov. The limits of oil wealth: encouraging private profit in
Syria, Iraq and Jordan
23. Wed. 18 Nov. Focus: The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Persian civil society
24. Mon. 23 Nov. Focus : 'Arab Spring' or 'Islamic awaking: Egyptian and Tunisian cases
25. Wed. 25 Nov.. Focus:Syrian political crisis and the new balance of power in Middle East.
26. Mon. 1 Dic. Focus: Egypt: muslim brotherhood, Army and civili society.
27. Wed. 3 Dic. Focus: Tunisia: the theory of 'Twin Tollerations'.
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