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POL30730

Academic Year 2021/2022

Political Activism in the Middle East (POL30730)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Stephanie Dornschneider-Elkink
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module introduces students to political activism in the Middle East. Many events like the Arab Spring or the rise of ISIS have emphasized the importance of non-state actors in the Middle East. This module explores both violent and nonviolent activism since the emergence of the modern state system. First, we discuss how political activism (beyond the Arab World) has been studied by academic scholars, and how it has developed in the Middle East during the last century. Then we turn to particular cases that include actors such as religious movements (e.g. Muslim Brotherhood), trade unions and syndicates (e.g. the UGTT in Tunisia), human rights groups (e.g. the Nadeem Center in Egypt or the AMDH in Morocco), opposition parties (e.g. the New Wafd), and violent groups (e.g. al-Qaida and ISIS). This is an interactive module: students will participate in group assignments, including debates, a mini conference, and simulated negotiations related to a current conflict (e.g. the war in Syria).

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

- have extensive knowledge of political activism in the Middle East
- understand how non-state actors across the region can be compared
- relate the emergence of new non-state actors to existing actors and political structures
- understand why scholarship in Middle East Studies on non-state actors has remained relatively scarce
- appreciate the value and limitations of studying non-state actors in the Middle East
- be able to relate new protests or popular uprisings to theoretical frameworks
- be able to write an essay and give a presentation on a topic discussed in the module

Indicative Module Content:

- the emergence of the modern Middle East
- origins and outcomes of the Arab Spring
- royal exceptionalism
- nonviolent resistance
- political violence
- terrorism
- the Syrian war
- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

78
Lectures

22
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
- weekly lectures
- weekly debates and simulations (based on lectures)
- mid-term essay (based on a debate or a simulation)

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
POL30450 - Pol Activism in the MiddleEast


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Continuous Assessment: Debates and essay
In-class quizzes		 Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded Yes
100
 Yes

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

We will discuss your essays in a lecture. Related power point slides will be available on Brightspace. You will be asked to read and comment on the essays of other students/groups.

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