COURSE UNIT TITLE

: INTRODUCTION TO THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
IRL 5064 INTRODUCTION TO THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST ELECTIVE 3 0 0 7

Offered By

International Relations (English)

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SEVILAY ZEHRA AKSOY

Offered to

International Relations (English)

Course Objective

This course aims to introduce students to the politics and especially international relations of the Middle East. In this context, the construction of Westphalian state sovereignty in the Middle East in the post-Ottoman period will be analyzed, covering chronologically the Western colonialism, the processes of decolonization and state formation, the fundamentals of the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, and the peace process. And lastly, but not the least, the international politics of the Gulf and oil politics will also be examined.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   To be familiar with the historical processes behind the construction of modern states in the Middle East. (Knowledge)
2   To be able to point out the relationship between different state types and foreign policy behaviour in the region. (Knowledge)
3   To be knowledgeable about the causes, consequences and repercussions of the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts. (Knowledge)
4   To be familiar with the evolution of the Middle East peace process. (Knowledge)
5   To describe and explain the post-WWII developments in the Persian Gulf (e.g. the Iranian revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf War, the 2003 Gulf War, etc). (Knowledge)
6   To identify the role played by oil in the domestic and external relations of predominantly Gulf countries. (Knowledge)
7   To be able to make power-point presentations in the class. (Professional)
8   To be able to engage in discussions with the rest of students as well as the lecturer. (Professional)
9   To be able to get access independently to the relevant resources, including IR and media material. (Transferable)

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 The conceptual definition and significance of the Middle East
2 Western colonialism in the Middle East in the post-WWI era: features of the colonial rule and state-making in the Middle East - I
3 Western colonialism in the Middle East in the post-WWI era: features of the colonial rule and state-making in the Middle East - II
4 State-formation and international behaviour - I
5 State-formation and international behaviour - II
6 The Arab-Israeli conflict: Wars (1948-1967)
7 Midterm
8 The Arab-Israeli conflict: Wars (1970-1990)
9 The Palestinian-Israeli conflict
10 Peace deals - Madrid and Oslo
11 Peace deals - The post-Oslo period
12 The international politics of the Gulf
13 The political economy of dependency: oil
14 General overview

Recomended or Required Reading

Various books, book chapters and articles.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Individual and/ or group presentations
2. Lecture
3. Discussion

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 PRS PRESENTATION
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 + PRS * 0.30 + FIN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.30 + PRS * 0.30 + RST* 0.40


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. Will describe and explain the impact of historical processes (Western colonialism, decolonization, the creation of the state of Israel, etc.) on the state formation process and regional politics of the Middle East.
2. Will describe and explain the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, and the peace process.
3. Will describe and explain some of the major post-WWII developments in the Persian Gulf.
4. Will describe and explain the domestic, regional and international dimensions of oil politics.
5. Will use IT knowledge to prepare power-point presentations.
6. Will be able to express views in a clear, precise and self-confident manner.
7. Will use library and internet sources.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Students are expected to attend at least 70% of the classes.
2. Students must avoid plagiarism (i.e. using someone else's academic work without proper acknowledgement, including copying from the internet or using internet sources without proper acknowledgement).

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

e-mail: sevilayz.aksoy@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Ders Anlatımı 13 3 39
Preparing presentations 2 12 24
Preparation for final exam 1 36 36
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 12 5 60
Preparation for midterm exam 1 20 20
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 3 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 184

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10
LO.14
LO.22
LO.34
LO.44
LO.54
LO.64
LO.75
LO.85
LO.94

CONTACT INFORMATION
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Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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