Mid-East Politics

(3-6 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course studies the historical, political, and social developments in the Middle East, which is taken to comprise Israel, Turkey, North Africa, the Levant, and the Persian Gulf states. The emphasis of the course is on comparing political phenomena across the region. The historical span of the course begins before the establishment of the modern state system and traces the evolution and historical trajectory of Arab nationalism, the treatment of women, colonization, and Pan-Islamism in the region. By understanding the geographical and cultural landscape of the Middle East and the impact of colonization, this course will give students a greater understanding of the historical background of the region and allow them to make connections between pre-World War I events and the current events in the Middle East.