SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

POLI454

Course Code: POLI454
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 5

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Bachelor's Degree

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Professor Banu Eligür

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

Obtain knowledge on democracy, government-opposition relations, religion-state relations, population growth, urbanization, political economy, identity politics, civil society, and gender by focusing on state-society relations in the Middle East.
Analyze the above-mentioned concepts comparatively in the Middle East and North African countries (Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Algeria, the Palestinian Authority and Israel) and apply this knowledge.
Achieve a comprehensive knowledge about state-society relations in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
By applying the aforementioned comparative politics concepts in no. 1 to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa improve their analytical and critical thinking and discussion abilities.
Attains the necessary knowledge for pursuing an internship and a career planning in the field of the Middle East and North Africa.

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

No recommended optional programme components.

Course Description

This course provides an overview of contemporary Middle East politics by focusing the relationship between state and society. The first part of the course gives students a general idea about the state and society relations in the Middle East by focusing on democracy, government and opposition, religion and politics, population growth, urbanization, political economy, identity politics, civil society, and gender. The second part of the course analyzes state and society relations through these concepts in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Algeria, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel).

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction to the Course
2^nd Week	Democracy, Government and Opposition, and Religion and Politics in the Middle East
3^rd Week	Democracy, Government and Opposition, and Religion and Politics in the Middle East
4^th Week	Population Growth, Urbanization, and Political Economy in the Middle East
5^th Week	Identity Politics and Civil Society in the Middle East
6^th Week	Identity Politics and Civil Society in the Middle East
7^th Week	Midterm Exam
8^th Week	Gender in the Middle East
9^th Week	Egypt
10^th Week	Jordan
11^th Week	Iran
12^th Week	Algeria
13^th Week	The Palestinian Authority
14^th Week	Israel

Recommended or Required Reading

Jillian Schwedler and Deborah J. Gerner (eds.), Understanding the Contemporary Middle East 3rd ed. (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008). (On reserve at Başkent University library)
Nils A. Butenschon, Uri Davis, and Manuel Hassassian (eds.), Citizenship and the State in the Middle East: Approaches and Applications (New York: Syracuse University Press, 2000). (On reserve at Başkent University library)
Paul Aarts and Francesco Cavatorta (eds.), Civil Society in Syrian & Iran: Activism in Authoritarian Contexts (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2013). (On reserve at Başkent University library)
Michele Penner Angrist (ed.), Politics & Society in the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010). (Selected chapters are on Moodle web-site)
Quintan Wiktorowicz, The Management of Islamic Activism: Salafis, the Muslim Brotherhood, and State Power in Jordan (New York: SUNY Press, 2001) (On reserve at Başkent University library)
Carrie Rosefsky Wickham, Mobilizing Islam: Religion, Activism, and Political Change in Egypt (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002) (On reserve at Başkent University library)

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Questions/Answers

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Mid-term	1	30
Assignment	1	5
Project	1	25
Total(%)		60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		40
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam	1	1.5	1.5
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	2	28
Preparation for Final exam	1	35	35
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam	1	20	20
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam	1	1.5	1.5
Homework	1	5	5
Project	1	20	20
Total Work Load			153
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			5.1
ECTS Credit of the Course			5

Language of Instruction

English

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
K1
K2
K3
K4					X
K5	X	X	X
K6	X	X
K7
K8
K9
K10
K11		X	X	X
K12	X	X	X
K13