An introduction to the crisis-ridden affairs of the Middle East and North Africa, including spillover into the wider world. Political regimes and sources of war and terrorism across the region.
The paper explores the comparative politics and international relations of Middle Eastern countries, including non-state and sub-state entities. We investigate state, nation, sectarianism, gender, autocracy, and democracy in the Middle Eastern context. The paper accords special attention to the post-2010 Arab uprisings, the continuing Syria and Iraq crises, jihadism, and Israeli-Palestinian affairs.
| Paper title | Tyranny, Terror and the Politics of the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Paper code | POLS210 |
| Subject | Politics |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | First Semester |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $886.35 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $3,766.35 |
- Prerequisite
- One 100-level POLS paper or 72 points.
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
- An interest in national and international affairs is an advantage.
- Contact
- politics@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
- Professor William Harris
- Textbooks
Recommended readings
- Fawcett, Louise (ed.) The International Relations of the Middle East. 4th edition, Oxford (2016)
- Gasiorowski, M and Yom, S (eds.) The Government and Politics of the Middle East. 8th edition, Westview (2016)
- Harris, W. The Levant: A Fractured Mosaic. 4th edition, Markus Wiener (2015)
- Schwedler, J (ed.) Understanding the Contemporary Middle East. 4th edition, Rienner (2014)
- MacQueen, B. An Introduction to Middle East Politics. Sage (2013)
- Course outline
View a sample course outline for POLS 210. (Students taking this paper should refer to blackboard for the current course outline)
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical
thinking, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Nuanced understanding of a different political and cultural environment.
Timetable
An introduction to the crisis-ridden affairs of the Middle East and North Africa, including spillover into the wider world. Political regimes and sources of war and terrorism across the region.
The main concepts and themes covered in the paper include the nature and impacts of tyranny, the drivers of conflict and the struggle for political participation. The course also explores the opportunities and threats to Middle Eastern societies, including the economic, environmental, social-demographic, political and geopolitical problems faced by overwhelmingly youthful populations in this vital region positioned at the centre of global affairs.
| Paper title | Politics of the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Paper code | POLS210 |
| Subject | Politics |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Second Semester |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $904.05 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $3,954.75 |
- Prerequisite
- One 100-level POLS paper or 72 points.
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
- An interest in national and international affairs is an advantage.
- Contact
- politics@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
Recommended readings
- Hinnebusch, R. & Gani, J. (eds.) The Routledge Handbook to the Middle East and North African State and States System (2019).
- Harris, W. The Levant: A Fractured Mosaic. 4th edition, Markus Wiener (2015)
- Sadiki, Larbi (ed.) Routledge Handbook of the Arab Spring: Rethinking Democratization (2015).
- Rowe, Paul (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Minorities in the Middle East (2018)
- Harris, W. Quicksilver War: Syria, Iraq and the Spiral of Conflict (2018)
- Gasiorowski, M and Yom, S (eds.) The Government and Politics of the Middle East. 8th edition, Westview (2016)
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical
thinking, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Reliable and balanced empirical knowledge of the political structures and actors of the Middle East; An emerging theoretical capacity for explaining and interpreting the politics of a crucial region to global affairs.
