Current Politics in the
Middle East
IREU
330
Spring
2016
THURSDAY
14:00 - 17:00
Instructor: Tugrul
Keskin
Office: Department of Political Science and
International Relations, 304
Cell: (533) 607-8465
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00 - 4:30 PM or by appointment
E-mail: tugrulkeskin@maltepe.edu.tr
(PLEASE include “Middle East” in the
subject line)
Colonialism is an idea born in the West that drives Western countries
– like France, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain - to occupy countries outside
of Europe.
Ahmed Ben Bella
Course Description and Objective:
The objective of
this course is to understand basic social, political and economic aspects and
features of the Middle East in the 20th century; therefore, you will
be introduced to Islamic movements, and concepts of ethnic polarities, the
emergence and collapse of empires, economic underdevelopment, the emergence of
the nation-state, European colonization and imperialism, and the revitalization
of religious fundamentalism in the Middle East. It is difficult to understand
Middle Eastern societies and political actors without first exploring
fundamental principles regarding the history of the region. Islam is certainly
one of the most dominant factors of the region; therefore, we will review the
birth of Islam and its influence on society, politics and the economy.
This course will
be taught from a native and non-Orientalist perspective and therefore will
challenge you to forget what you have learned so far through newspapers, TV,
and other Orientalist sources about the Middle East, because the reality of the
region is quite different than what you have learned so far. Native and
non-native perspectives represent a different picture of the Middle East, based
on divergent experiences and interests of social and political actors. This
dynamic can be described as a relationship between the oppressed and oppressor,
both with divergent understandings of the world, much like in the case of
Algeria in the 1950s. French occupied Algeria perceived itself as a liberator,
whereas the Algerians viewed the French army and civilians as a colonialist
power. This is similar to the British occupation of Iraq and Egypt; therefore,
both sides, have their own story regarding the social, political and economic
dimensions of the region. The truth is a relative concept and depends on our
own experiences; this course will therefore try to teach you the story of the
Middle East from the native perspective, which is based on my experiences and
knowledge.
The Middle East is
a complicated and complex term, and the region itself has no clear boundaries,
because the term originated in the West, within Western academia. The Middle
East is something that Western policy makers and scholars refer to without
understanding the real meaning of the term. The Western media portrays images
of the Middle East through TV, newspapers and stories—Biblical stories, for
instance—and we believe the meaning provided through media images to be correct
and assume that the Middle East is a mystical place or an imagined space.
However, this has distorted the political, social and economic realities of the
Middle East. The image or knowledge that we have about the Middle East is not
real but is imposed by the media. This is very similar to the use of the term
‘Africa.’ Where is Africa and where is the Middle East? How do we draw the
lines between Africa and the Middle East? Where does the Middle East begin and
where does it end? Are Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan part
of Africa or are they part of the Middle East? If they are part of the Middle
East, what are the criteria for belonging to this geographic unit? Or is the
Middle East considered to belong within the geographic designation of ‘Africa?’
How about Afghanistan and Pakistan, or Iran?
In this course, we
will attempt to understand the basic social, political and economic context of
the Modern Middle East, and and I hope that you will enjoy learning different
perspectives.
Course Philosophy:
The goal of this course is to become familiar with the state
and society in Modern Middle East. The success of this course depends on your
continued and sustained reading and participation. The course will be based on
a four-dimensional method of learning, and this includes inquiry and critical
thinking; communication; and will draw on the diversity of human experience;
and ethics and social responsibility. First, I would like you to critically
analyze what you learn in this class or have learned so far through the media
and your education, because in today’s world, truth is a relative concept.
Throughout human history, critical thinking is one of the most important
factors that have contributed to human development. In order to become
active, self-motivated, and empowered learners and future leaders, you will
need to have the ability to think critically, and therefore your criticism,
feedback and suggestions are necessary. Second, I would like for you to enhance
your writing and oral communication skills in this course. Therefore, it is
important to clearly elaborate your arguments in class discussion as well as in
the written assignments.
Third, we are each part of the human mosaic, and all have
different experiences based on our unique social, political and economic
differences. We can all learn from and respect each other and benefit from our
diversity. Please try to learn from and understand those with different
perspectives from your own. Lastly, we need to learn that we are all part of
this intellectual community and part of a larger society, and all have social
and ethical responsibilities to our family, community, classmates, and
humanity. We live in a globalized world and therefore, we need to be aware of
events in our community, and the world today. In order to enhance our
knowledge, we must critically examine our social, political and economic
environment in order to apply this knowledge to our experience.
Required
Book:
1.
Mehran Kamrava. The Modern Middle East: A Political History since the First World War. University of California Press, 2011. ISBN:
9780520241503
Other
Readings will be sent it to you by email.
Recommended Books:
1. Fazlur Rahman.
2002. Islam. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
2.
Edward
W. Said. Orientalism. Vintage, 1979.
3.
Tugrul
Keskin, The Sociology of Islam:
Secularism, Economy and Politics. Ithaca Press, 2011. ISBN:
978-0-86372-371-1
4.
The
Arab Awakening, The Nation Magazine: Special Issue, September 2011. You will
find it on D2L.
5.
Ziauddin
Sardar, Orientalism. Open University Press, 1999.
6.
James
L. Gelvin, The Modern Middle East: A History. Oxford University Press,
2007. ISBN13: 9780195327595.
7.
Ira
M. Lapidus. A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge University Press,
2002. ISBN-13: 9780521779333 | ISBN-10: 0521779332
8.
David
Kenneth Fieldhouse. Western Imperialism in the Middle East 1914-1958. Oxford
University Press, 2006.
9.
Walter
Reid. Empire of Sands: How Britain Shaped the Middle East. Birlinn, 2011.
10. Peter Shambrook. French imperialism in
Syria, 1927-1936. Ithaca Press, 1998.
Recommended Documentaries:
·
Why We Fight - A Film By Eugene Jarecki
·
On
Orientalism-Edward Said
·
The
Power of Nightmares: Part I: Baby It's Cold Outside
·
The
Power of Nightmares: Part II: The Phantom Victory
·
The
Power of Nightmares: Part III: The Shadows in the Cave
·
Talking to Iran
·
The
Birth Of Israel (2008)
·
West Bank Story 2005 Directed by Ari Sandel
·
Education
City (Qatar)
·
Inside Egypt
Recommended Movies:
·
Lion of the Desert (1981)
Course Requirements:
To prevent confusion later, please read the following information:
Grades: Your grade for this course will be based
on your performance on the following components, shown below with their dates
and respective weights.
Item Date Weight (%)
Quizzes
(5) 30.0
Short Analytical Paper May 15 20.0
Class Participation/Attendance 10.0
Newspaper Articles 10.0
Final Exam: You will take the final exam on
Thursday, May 26th. I will ask 30 multiple-choice/true and false
questions and you will have two hours to finish the exam. If you have any
questions or concerns, please let me know as soon as possible.
Quizzes: You will have 5 quizzes. The quizzes will
have 12 questions from each week’s class readings and discussions. Each Quiz is
worth 6 points and each question is worth 0.5 point. You will find the schedule
of quizzes below. Please carefully review the quiz schedule. If you have
schedule conflict, drop the class. If you have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Analytical Paper: In this requirement, you will select a
country and will critically analyze it based on our textbook. This paper should
be at least 2000 words in length. You must provide a word count at the
end of your paper. The paper is due on Sunday May 15th. Everyone
will select a different country. Your selection must be approved and registered
by me; therefore, you must contact me directly regarding your selection. The
deadline for selecting/registering your country with me is Sunday, April 3rd.
The deadline for submitting your review is Sunday May 15th. Late
submissions will not be accepted.
You
will use the following format in your paper (Country Analysis):
1.
Introduction (At least 100 words)
2.
A Brief History of the country: Before WW I, (At least 500
words)
A Brief History of
Colonialism in the country: Who colonized the country and how long did they
stay……
3.
Social and Cultural Structure: Ethnicity, race, gender,
population, education level, urbanization (At least 500 words)
4.
Political Structure: Independence, monarchy, dictatorship,
parliamentary democracy, military rule…. (At least 400 words)
5.
Economic Structure: Foreign debt, World Bank influence,
privatization, social welfare and health system …… (At least 400 Words)
6.
Future
Trajectories and Conclusion (At least 100 words)
Attendance: Regular attendance is one of the most
important parameters to successful completion of the course requirements. If
you miss more than 4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade. Excuses will not be permitted for any reason.
Class Participation: Each student must read the course
materials before they attend class and I expect them to participate in class
discussion. Class participation in the form of informed questions and comments
will be taken into consideration when determining your final grade.
Additionally, the class participation grade also depends on class attendance.
Newspaper Articles:
During the semester, you
can bring 10 newspaper articles related with our class subjects. You cannot bring
more than one article in the same week. You will have to summarize these
articles in class and will find the recommended newspapers listed on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.it/,
under the external links section.
Newspaper articles sent by email will not be accepted. Please bring it to
class, the first page of the printed/hard copy of the article. You can only
bring an article from the selected newspapers, posted on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot
and you will find them under links section. Some of the recommended newspapers
are The Guardian, Al-Jazeera, Democracynow.org, Financial Times, The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal, Pravda, Haaretz, China Daily, and the
Economist. Please do not bring articles from Turkish newspapers!
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Coming late to class: Late comers will not be accepted
to class, so be on time. If you are late for a class, please do not disturb
your classmates and me and do not come at all. Please also do
not send an email or call me regarding your class attendance. If there is a
medical need, bring an official letter from a doctor. Whatever the reason is,
if you cannot come to class, this is your responsibility. If you miss more than
4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Laptop and cell phone
policy: No laptops
or cell phones will be allowed in this class. Please turn your cell phone
off before you come to class. If you use the Internet/laptop or your cell phone
during class, you will be asked to leave.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:
- Why a leading professor of new media just banned technology use in class
- Why you should take notes by hand — not on a laptop
- To Remember a Lecture Better, Take Notes by Hand
Responsibility: You and/or your parents pay tuition for this
class; therefore, you have responsibility to yourself and/or your parents.
Passing or failing the class is not the main objective, rather that you learn
and improve your knowledge. Please read and try to understand the main concepts
of this class. If you are having difficulty, please do not hesitate to see me
and discuss your concerns!
Each year, almost half a
million people graduate from American public universities (see http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/).
As you will see from the statistics, the job market is very competitive;
therefore, students need to improve their knowledge, skill, and experience in
order to find a job they want. Learning is a lifelong process. An academic
institution like Maltepe University will provide you with an educational
discipline and methodology; everything else is up to you. You should study and
improve your skills, in order to compete with the rest of the graduates. While
you are in the program, you should apply for internships to obtain relevant
experiences before you graduate. Therefore, if you need a letter of
recommendation for an internship or job, please do not hesitate to ask me, if
you receive at least an A, A- or B+ grade from my class. Please also remember
that an undergraduate degree might not be enough to find the job you want;
therefore, you might need to apply to graduate school. In order to apply to
graduate school, you will also need to have a letter of recommendation. I am
also happy to advise you on graduate school or provide a letter of
recommendation if you receive an A, A- or B+ grade.
No Laptops and cell phones will be allowed in this class.
Course Timeline
|
WEEK 1
|
· What is Orientalism?
· A great scholar:
Edward Said
· Part I. A Political
History of the Middle East
· Please watch this
movie: Lion of the Desert (1981)
· Documentary: Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet 2005 a film by Michael Schwarz http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/
|
|
WEEK 2
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
1.
From Islam to the Great War
|
|
WEEK 3
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
2.
From Territories to Independent States
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 4
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
3.
The Age of Nationalism
|
|
WEEK 5
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
4.
The Arab-Israeli Wars
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 6
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
5.
The Iranian Revolution
· Documentary:
The Birth Of Israel (2008)
|
|
WEEK 7
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
6.
The Gulf Wars and Beyond
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 8
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
Part
II. Issues in Middle Eastern Politics
7. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
·
Documentary: West Bank
Story 2005 Directed by Ari Sandel
|
|
WEEK 9
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
8.
The Challenge of Economic Development
·
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part I: Baby It's Cold
Outside
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 10
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
9.
States and Their Opponents
·
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part II: The Phantom Victory
|
|
WEEK 11
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
10. The Question of Democracy
·
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part III: The Shadows in
the Cave
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 12
|
The Modern
Middle East: A Political History since the First World War
11.
Challenges Facing the Middle East
· Documentary: 30 Days as a Muslim, a 2006 film
by Morgan Spurlock
|
|
WEEK 13
|
Sociology of
Islam and Muslim Societies – Tugrul Keskin
Arab Spring –
Tugrul Keskin
|
|
WEEK 14
|
China and the Middle East – Tugrul Keskin
|
|
|
FINAL
26 Mayis
2016
Persembe
|
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