Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (390-3-1)

Topic

Politics of the Middle East

Instructors

Wendy Pearlman
8474912259
Scott Hall #204
Office Hours: http://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/wendy-pearlman.html

Meeting Info

Harris Hall 107: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Politics of the Middle East

This course explores the comparative politics of the Middle East and North Africa. The first half of the course focuses on the historical and institutional context of politics and government in the region, roughly from World War I until the eve of the 2011 Arab Uprisings. Here we examine the emergence of independent nation-states, the consolidation of regimes, issues of identity and religion, and patterns in the relationship between state, society, and economy. We compare explanations for the endurance of authoritarian regimes in Arab countries, as well as the political system in Turkey. The second half of the course concentrates on dynamics of mobilization and conflict. Here we explore the Iranian revolution and making of the Islamic Republic. Turning to Arab states, we examine the 2011 uprisings and political developments in their aftermath. We also study the origins and evolution over the struggle for Israel and Palestine. The two halves of the course are interconnected, and students are encouraged and expected to use the material presented each session to inform their engagement with material presented during the sessions that follow.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

1. Acquire and demonstrate foundational knowledge about the politics, economics, struggles, and transformations of the modern Middle East and North Africa from the late Ottoman Empire to the present;
2. Explore the structures and processes that shape the formation and resilience of political regimes, the relationships between state and society, the salience of political identities, and the trajectories of different social movements;
3. Apply general scholarly theories and concepts to recognize how features of the region's politics compares to politics elsewhere;
4. Evaluate, discuss, and reflect upon how politics in the region is shaped by history and institutions, on the one hand, and dynamic contestation among multiple identities, interests, and relationships, on the other;
5. Identify alternative explanations for key developments in the region and use evidence to assess and critique the validity of those explanations;
6. Compare and contrast countries in the region and assess how these countries have changed over time.

Teaching Method

Lecture & discussion section

Evaluation Method

While this is subject to change, the expectation is grades to be based on the following:

Attendance, preparation of readings, and class/section participation (15%)
Map quiz (4%)
"Discussion" blog posts (6%)
Mid-term exam (25%)
Essay (25%)
Final exam (25%)

Class Materials (Required)

Michele Penner Angrist, ed. Politics and Society of the Contemporary Middle East, 3rd Edition (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2019). ISBN 978-1-62637-805-6. [This newest edition is required]
Sandy Tolan, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East (New York: Bloomsbury, 2006). ISBN 978-1582343433. [Any edition is fine]

Class Attributes

Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area

Associated Classes

DIS - Parkes Hall 222: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

DIS - Parkes Hall 215: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

DIS - University Hall 102: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM

DIS - Parkes Hall 222: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM

DIS - Parkes Hall 215: Fri 2:00PM - 2:50PM

DIS - Parkes Hall 212: Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM