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POL30730

Academic Year 2026/2027

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.

Welcome to Political Activism in the Middle East! In this module, we will study resistance in the Arab World. Many contemporary events, such as the debate around disarming Hezbollah or the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, underscore the centrality of non-state actors in the Middle East. This module covers a diverse set of actors, including religious figures, political dissidents, workers, women, and ordinary people, in settings across the region (e.g. Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine, and Israel). While introducing students to the broader study of political resistance, beyond the Arab World, the module equips them with the analytical tools to examine collective and non-collective forms of violent and nonviolent activism in the Arab World.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

- understand different types of political activism in the Middle East
- compare non-state actors across the region
- evaluate contemporary cases through appropriate theoretical frameworks
- participate in public debates
- write a co-authored essay

Indicative Module Content:

The making of the Middle East
Domination and control
Religious authority
Mass uprisings
Violent activism
Everyday resistance
Islamic resistance
Women in resistance
Pro-Palestine activism
Activism in Israel

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

176
Total

200

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 Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): End of trimester exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No
Group Work Assignment: Weekly Debates Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10 Graded No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Essay Week 8 Graded No
30
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


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?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 09:00 - 10:50
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