The course will address the evolution of Islamic political doctrine, with a focus on contemporary phenomena such as that of jihadism, salafism, political Islam, post-Islamism, and the relationship between oppositional Islamic parties and government across a range of settings. These themes will be analyzed by looking at how local contexts, analyzed through a historical lens, intersect with trans-regional phenomena triggered by the new media and migration.
teacher profile teaching materials
All the available teaching materials, the announcements and all that is related to this course will be circulated to the registered students via e-mail, and posted on the lecturer’s departmental webpage (bit.ly/dsu-gervasio)
This course is taught in English.
1. R. Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, Routledge: London & New York: 2004.
2. J. Chalcraft, The Arab Uprisings of 2011 in Historical Perspective in The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle-Eastern and North African History, 2016 (available as a pdf file on the course website).
3. One of the following, except for students enrolled in International Studies, or International Relations (Dept of Political Science), who will choose two:
a. G. Achcar, The People Want. A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising, London: Saqi, 2013.
b. L. Anceschi, G. Gervasio & A. Teti (eds), Informal Power in the Greater Middle East. Hidden Geographies, London: Routledge, 2014 & 2016.
c. A. Bayat, Revolution without Revolutionaries: Making Sense of the Arab Spring, Stanford: Stanford UP, 2017.
d. F. Cavatorta & L. Storm (eds), Political Parties in the Arab World: Continuity and Change, Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2018.
e. S. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East, Oxford: Oxford UP, 2017.
f. F. A. Gerges, ISIS: A History, Princeton: Princeton UP, 2017.
g. A. Khalil (ed), Gender, Women and the Arab Spring, London & NY: Routledge, 2015.
h. H. Kraetzschmar & P. Rivetti (eds), Islamists and the Politics of the Arab Uprisings: Governance, Pluralisation and Contention, Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2018.
i. R. Owen, The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life, Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2014.
j. Ch. Tripp, The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East, Cambridge, Cambridge UP, 2013.
IMPORTANT! Students without any prior knowledge of the History of the MENA, must read one of the following textbooks:
a. W. Cleveland & M. Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East, Boulder: Westview Press, 2016,
b. Betty Anderson, A History of the Modern Middle East, Stanford: Stanford UP, 2016.
Fruizione: 20710170 History and politics of the Middle East and North Africa in Storia e società LM-84 GERVASIO GENNARO
Programme
The course examines the historical and political trajectory of the Middle East and North Africa from the Colonial Era until today. The students will be introduced to the debate on Orientalism, its role in the colonial era, and its relevance until today. A particular focus will be on the post-colonial era. Among the topics covered there will be: State formation, the role of ideologies (both secular and religious) in the shaping of the region, the intra-regional and international relations of the Region and the so-called ‘Arab Spring’. Students are expected to actively participate to the course.All the available teaching materials, the announcements and all that is related to this course will be circulated to the registered students via e-mail, and posted on the lecturer’s departmental webpage (bit.ly/dsu-gervasio)
This course is taught in English.
Core Documentation
1. R. Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, Routledge: London & New York: 2004.
2. J. Chalcraft, The Arab Uprisings of 2011 in Historical Perspective in The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle-Eastern and North African History, 2016 (available as a pdf file on the course website).
3. One of the following, except for students enrolled in International Studies, or International Relations (Dept of Political Science), who will choose two:
a. G. Achcar, The People Want. A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising, London: Saqi, 2013.
b. L. Anceschi, G. Gervasio & A. Teti (eds), Informal Power in the Greater Middle East. Hidden Geographies, London: Routledge, 2014 & 2016.
c. A. Bayat, Revolution without Revolutionaries: Making Sense of the Arab Spring, Stanford: Stanford UP, 2017.
d. F. Cavatorta & L. Storm (eds), Political Parties in the Arab World: Continuity and Change, Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2018.
e. S. Cook, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East, Oxford: Oxford UP, 2017.
f. F. A. Gerges, ISIS: A History, Princeton: Princeton UP, 2017.
g. A. Khalil (ed), Gender, Women and the Arab Spring, London & NY: Routledge, 2015.
h. H. Kraetzschmar & P. Rivetti (eds), Islamists and the Politics of the Arab Uprisings: Governance, Pluralisation and Contention, Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2018.
i. R. Owen, The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life, Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2014.
j. Ch. Tripp, The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East, Cambridge, Cambridge UP, 2013.
IMPORTANT! Students without any prior knowledge of the History of the MENA, must read one of the following textbooks:
a. W. Cleveland & M. Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East, Boulder: Westview Press, 2016,
b. Betty Anderson, A History of the Modern Middle East, Stanford: Stanford UP, 2016.
Type of delivery of the course
Lectures, in class discussions and presentations.Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommendedType of evaluation
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 1. FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE COURSE (“FREQUENTANTI”) In-Class Presentation 33.3% Final Exam 66.6% IN-CLASS PRESENTATION: Attending Students students are asked to select a topic from those covered in the course (a full list will be circulated ASAP) and to make a short presentation (approximately 12/15 minutes) either in group or independently, to the class in an agreed slot (to be allocated ASAP) and to submit a short paper (one page maximum) summarising their presentation. 2. FOR THOSE NOT ATTENDING THE COURSE (“NON FREQUENTANTI”) Research Essay 33.3% Final Exam 66.6% RESEARCH ESSAY The students will freely choose one essay topic among the topics of the course and ask for lecturer’s approval orally or via e-mail. Essay Guide: The Essay must be 2000 to 3000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography. Essays with less or more words will be penalised. The essay will assess your ability to research the literature, form a thesis, analyse the available material and then present a coherent and compelling argument as a polished academic essay. Essays should refer to a range of material in addition to the required reading and be correctly and consistently referenced. Students are expected to do their own research. The basis of this additional material should be academic works ie: chapters in edited books or academic articles in recognised journals. Wikipedia, and similar web-based resources, are not acceptable sources for the essay. The Essay needs to be 1,5 or double spaced and possibly including in-text quotations (eg. Sadat, 1977: 200) and a final bibliography. Submission Instructions: Students must submit their papers possibly in hard copy (otherwise via e-mail attachment) at least one week before the date of the oral exam. Late submissions will not be allowed. FINAL EXAM: Oral Final Exams will be held in the Exam Sessions. Advice on what to expect will be given during classes by the Lecturer.