George Mason University
Department of International and Public Affairs
Government and Politics of the Middle East
GOVT 332
Fall 2012
Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 pm – 7:10 pm
Office: Robinson A 227
Office Hours: Tuesday: 2:30 - 4:30 pm & by Appointment
Taught by Bassam Haddad
Email: bhaddad@gmu.edu
Mobile: 703-887-5257
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.”
Requirements and Grading
Students are expected to attend lectures, see the films, participate in classroom discussions and in other group activity. Students are expected to keep up with the weekly assigned readings. In conjunction with the course, students are expected to read daily newspaper articles on the Middle East (including on Islam, Arab/non-Arab relations, Iran, Turkey, Israel) in The Washington Post and/or The New York Times. In addition, students should also review two periodicals, Middle East Report and The Economist, all of which are available on newsstands and at the GMU Library and/or on the web. The first few minutes of each class period may be directed at discussion of current events, especially if relevant to course content. A list of Arabic and other Middle Eastern novels and other works of fiction in translation will be made available.
Because participation may be hindered by class size, you will have periodic “beginning of class pop questions” (PQs). You will be asked one question based on the reading for that day at the beginning of some classes, for which you’ll have 3-5 minutes to furnish an answer. Your answers will not be graded formally (you’ll get two points for correct answers, 1 point for somewhat correct answers, or nothing for incorrect answers), but will serve as an additional indicator for your participation grade: they can help you if your answers reveal a strong familiarity with the reading. Students who wish to maintain a B or above are encouraged to take these questions seriously as a way of boosting their participation grade. Further specification regarding reading assignments will be announced in class.
Grade Distribution
Quizzes/Assignments/Participation 20%
Midterm Exam 35%
Final Exam 45%
Course Website [CW]
All the information related to the course will be on the Course Website that I have designed for this class. The URL and password will be given in class. Students are expected to check the website regularly for information and updates.
Attendance
Class participation will be essential in this course, the more so because we meet only once a week. Therefore, class attendance is a must. If you have 4 unexcused absences, you run the risk of failing the course. Missing two classes without a legitimate/written justification will automatically affect your grade simply because you will not be able to participate! Take coming to class and participating seriously based on an informed reading of the assigned material, not what you “know” about the Middle East.
Services for Students with Difference
If you have a documented difference (learning, physical, psychological) for which you are or may be requesting reasonable academic adjustments, you are encouraged to inform me as early as possible in the semester. I, personally, would be happy to accommodate all your legitimate requests regarding such matters, with or without documentation.
Academic Honesty
“The pursuit of knowledge can only take place in an atmosphere of honesty, integrity, and mutual trust.” In order to accomplish this, we must all be “committed to a policy that regards the highest degree of academic honesty as the norm.” Academic dishonesty is not tolerated at George Mason University, nor is it in this course. Based on University policy, such acts of dishonesty may result in a failing grade for the relevant assignment or a failing grade for the course. If you are not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, please inquire in or outside class (http://www.gmu.edo/catalog/apolicies/#Anchor12). If you are writing an essay or a paper and you neglected to footnote the source of a statement or an idea, you are committing academic dishonesty. This is called plagiarism, and it is subject to punitive measures.
Course Materials
Required Texts
Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, latest edition), (Paperback) ISBN 1-58826-062-3
Optional Text (for those not as familiar with the Middle East)
Fred Halliday, 100 Myths About the Middle East (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005), (Paperback) ISBN 0-520-24721-3
Other Articles
Other articles/links will be made available to you in class, or electronically on the Course Website [CW].
The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus according to changing circumstances.
Course Outline [Go to the Weekly Readings page here]