Government and Politics of the Middle East

Course Overview

This is an introductory course that investigates social and political change in the Middle East. It examines the social, economic, political, and ideological structures of the contemporary Middle East with an emphasis on the regional impact of the rise and fall of oil revenues, the centrality of the state, the rise of political Islam, and the impact of the “War on Terrorism.” It also examines the implications of the 2011 Arab uprisings and ensuing political change. This course employs a macro-political/sociological approach that situates the region in the global political economy and introduces students to its problematics and historical-cultural specificity.

The course is analytically divided into five parts. The first introduces the student to the political sociology of the "Developing World" with special reference to Middle Eastern societies. The second examines the social and political history of the region and of its cultural specificities. The third assesses the character, stages, and consequences of European imperialism on the region. The fourth examines the structure and dynamics of the contemporary Middle East, including the questions of ethnicity, religious sects, and social class and their intersection. In this section, the issues of gender and family are considered. In this part, the course analyzes the passing of the old order as a consequence of oil-based wealth. The rapid rise and fall of oil revenues and the social, economic, political, and ideological consequences of such change, including the rise of political Islam and the response to the “war on terrorism,” are discussed. Most significantly, the expanded role and functions of the state in the post-independence period will be highlighted, including their social implications. The fifth and final part of the course assesses the future of the region in terms of prospects for political liberalization, more uprisings/”revolutions,” the social impact of the current economic reforms, and the impact of the “war on terrorism.”