International Politics: ME

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course examines contemporary issues in the international politics of the Middle East and introduces students to core theoretical debates and interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to understanding current developments. Rather than being organized around traditional schools of thought, the course is structured around major questions and key issues emerging from different subregions within the region itself. It critically addresses biases in the field by examining the imperial and colonial origins of the study of international relations and incorporates perspectives from a diverse range of scholars from and working on the region. The course explores questions such as: What constitutes mainstream perspectives in the field? What critiques are offered by alternative and critical approaches? Why is the field of international relations often described as hegemonic, Western-centric, imperialist, or racist? How do new scholarly voices contribute to decentering and decolonizing the field? What emerging perspectives are shaping contemporary understandings of the region? Through a combination of conceptual, historical, and political analysis, students are encouraged to examine the relationships between domestic politics and regional and international processes; war and peace-making; foreign policy analysis; security politics; and the strategic importance of key resources such as gas, oil, water, and food. While not intended to be exhaustive, the course provides a broad and interdisciplinary framework that enables students to engage with a wide range of conceptual and empirical issues and to understand how these issues intersect and interact in shaping the international politics of the Middle East.