COURSE UNIT TITLE

Offered By

International Relations

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MÜGE AKNUR

Offered to

Political Science and International Relations
International Relations

Course Objective

The course aims at introducing the students to the domestic politics of the Middle East. It will focus on a variety of themes including the colonial rule, post-colonial state formation and nation building in the region, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the political economy of the region, the rise Islamic movements, persistence of authoritarian rule, political liberalization as well as Arab Spring.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Recomended or Required Reading

Beverley Milton-Edwards, Contemporary Politics in the Middle East, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2000.
David S. Sorenson, An Introduction to the Modern Middle East, Boulder, CO.: Westview Press, 2008.
William Ochsenwald and Sydney Nettleton Fisher, The Middle East, A History, Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004.
Melani Commett, The Political Economy of Development in the Middle East, in The Middle East, eds., Ellen Lust, (14th
, edition) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, CQ Press, 2017.
Robert Lee and Lihi Ben Shitrit, Religion, Society and Politics in the Middle East, , in The Middle East, eds., Ellen Lust,
(14th edition) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, CQ Press, 2017, pp. 205-241.
Müge Aknur, The Muslim Brotherhood in Politics in Egypt: From Moderation to Authorianism , Uluslararası Hukuk ve
Politika, 9, 33 (2013).
Daniel Brumber, Democratization in the Arab World The Trap of Liberalized Autocracy, Journal of Democracy, 13, 4
(2002).
Eva Bellin, The Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Exceptionalism in Comparative Perspectives,
Comparative Politics, 36. 2 (2004).
Rex Brynen, Pete W. Moore, Bassel F. Salloukh, Marie-Joelle Zahar, Beyond the Arab Spring: Authoritarianism and
Democratization in the Arab World, Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2012.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecture
2. Individual or Group Work (Researching and presenting a paper)
3. Exams

Assessment Methods

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. To be able to understand the colonial period of the Middle East and its impact on current politics.
2. To be able to analyze the state formation in the region, rise of Arab nationalism, rise of political Islam, political economy of the region and the persistence of authoritarianism.
3. To be able to analyze a subject such as (Islamist groups or rentier states or authoritarianism in the region) individually or within a group.
4. To show analytical capacity in writing the term paper and presenting it.
5. To be able to use the library electronic databases and the internet properly.

The Rubric used for the Evaluation of the Term Paper and its Presentations.
a) Poor (0%) b) Fair (40%) c) Good (60%) d) Very good (80%) e) Excellent (100%)

Term Paper Evaluation Criteria (Total Points 100):

1) Introduction -Justification of the subject choice- 10 Points a) An introduction is not provided b) An introduction is insufficiently provided c) An introduction is offered although the order is unclear d) An introduction is sufficiently provided e) The subject under examination is thoroughly presented, and the sequence in which it will be examined throughout the paper is well described.

2) Theoretical Framework - 10 Points a) Theoretical framework is not explained b) Theoretical framework is explained weakly and inadequately c) Theoretical framework is offered, but its relevance to the issue is not properly proved d) Theoretical framework is superficially examined and its relevance to the issue is properly explained e) Theoretical framework is thoroughly analyzed, and its relevance to the topic under examination is clarified.

3) Historical Background - 10 Points a) Historical background is not examined b) Historical background is examined insufficiently c) Historical background is examined either briefly or in too much details d) Historical background is examined sufficiently e) Historical background is adequately and accurately examined.

4) Case Study - 25 points a) Case study is analyzed superficially b) Case study is not sufficiently examined c) Analysis of the case study has some weaknesses d) Case study is analyzed sufficiently e) Case study is properly and adequately analyzed with the help of the theoretical framework.

5) Conclusion -15 points a) No conclusion provided b) Conclusion provided is insufficient and inconsistent c) Conclusion is adequate but composed in a disorganized way d) An explanatory and systematic conclusion is written e) Conclusion is developed coherently and analytically, within the scheme of theoretical framework.

6) Citation in the text and references (APA style) -15 points a) No citation in the text and no bibliography provided b) APA citation and reference style is not used c) APA style is written with major mistakes d) APA style is written with minor mistakes e) Both citations in the text and in the references are written correctly according to APA style.

7) Types of references 15 points a) Only internet sources are shown as references b) Internet sources and translation of Turkish books are shown as references c) Journal articles and books from the internet are shown as references d) Journal articles and books from less known publishers are shown as references e) Journal articles from electronic data bases and books published in prestigious publishers are shown as references.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Attending at least 70 % of lectures is mandatory.
2. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action.
3. Participation in class discussions and group presentations are compulsory.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

muge.aknur@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes