PLSC 300 - Topics: Politics of the Middle East
Spring 2009
Professor: Karim Mezran
Texts (required)
- William Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edition, Westview Press, 2004
- Al Aswany, Alaa, The Yacoubian Building, Harper Perennial 2006
- Karim Mezran, Negotiating National Identity, Pellicani Editore, Rome, 2002
- Karl Yambert, ed., The Contemporary Middle East, Westview Press, 2006
Course Description:
After an examination of the historical evolution of the region from the decline of the 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 identity expression.
Course Objectives:- · To provide an understanding of the historical evolution of the region in its entirety as well as in the singularity of each state
- · To provide enough notions to enable students to understand the complexity of the societies of the region and dismiss easy stereotyping
- · To equip students with the necessary conceptual tools to understand the development of social and political movements
- · To provide an overview of the international constraints and influences that have and still do, play a role in the region
Requirements:
The final grade will be determined as follows: midterm examination (25% of the grade); final exam (40% of the grade); term paper (25% of the grade); class participation (10% of the grade).
The term paper should be 10-12 pages long and will consist on a report on a book assigned by the instructor among those listed below. The papers are due on the last day of class, no exception made.
WEEK 1 The Development of the Islamic Civilization to the
Eighteenth Century
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 1, 2, 3
Westview reader, chs 1 and 2
WEEK 2 The Middle East in the 19th Century. The Ottoman Empire,
Egypt, and Iran during the era of the Tanzimat
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 4, 5, 6,7
WEEK 3 The response of the Islamic society and the Young Turks.
The First World War, Iran and Turkey
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 8, 9,10
Albert Hourani, Chapter 6, ‘Muhammad Abduh’, in
Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age
WEEK 4 A Peace to End all Peace. The Middle East in the Interwar
Period. Arab Nationalism and the struggle for independence
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 11, 12
Mezran, Chapter 1
Westview reader, ch. 3
WEEK 5 The Palestine Mandate and the Birth of the State of Israel.
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapter 13
WEEK 6 North Africa, from Nationalism to Independence
Required Readings Mezran, Negotiating National Identity
WEEK 7 The Middle East in the age of Nasser: Democracy and
Authoritarianism
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 14, 15, 16
WEEK 8 The Middle East from the 1970s to the 1990s. The
Consolidation of authoritarian rule in the Arab world.
The Lebanese civil war.
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 18, 19, 21
WEEK 9 The Iranian Revolution and the Resurgence of Islam.
Islamic Fundamentalism from the Muslim Brotherhood to
Al Qaida. Contemporary evolution of radicalism.
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapter 20
Westview reader, chs., 11, 12, 18
WEEK 10 Israel and the Palestinians from 1948 to 2000. The Oslo
Peace Accords and their Demise.
Required Readings Cleveland, Chapters 17, 22, 23
Westview reader, chs. 5,7,8,9
WEEK 11 Political Liberalization and Democratization in the Arab
World. A vision for the future.
Required Readings Brynen, Korany and Noble, chapter 1, ‘Theoretical
Perspectives on Arab Liberalization and Democratization’
John Esposito, ‘Clash of Civilizations?’, in Munoz ed.
Islam, Modernism, and the West.
Iliya Harik, ‘Democratic Thought in the Arab World’, in
Butterworth and Zartman eds. Between the State and Islam
WEEK 12 The Middle East and the USA
Required Readings Cleveland, ch. 24
Westview reader, chs., 19, 20, 21
WEEK 13 Review and Final Exam
BOOKS FOR BOOK REPORT ASSIGNMENT
- Grossman, David, The Yellow Wind
- Oz, Amos, Black Box
- Yakhlif, Yahya, A Lake Beyond the Wind
- Oufkir, Malika, Stolen Lives
- Barakat, Hoda, The Stone of Laughter
- Khadra, Yasmina, In the Name of God
- Nasr Allah, Ibrahim, Prairies of Fever
- Habibi, Imil, The Secret Life of Saeed: the Pessoptimist
- Idlibi, Ulfat, Sabriya: Damascus Bitter Sweet
- Munif, Abd el Rahman, Cities of Salt
- Shehadeh, Raja, Strangers in the House: Coming of Age in Occupied Palestine
- Djebar, Assia, Algerian White
- Salih, Taieb, Season of Migration to the North
- Kanafani, Ghassan, Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories
- Shaykh, Hanan, The Story of Zahra
- Ajami,
