SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS Voyage: Summer 2013 Discipline: Political Science PLCP 3410: Politics of Middle East and North Africa Division: Upper Faculty Name: Scott Hibbard Pre-requisites: None. Introduction to Comparative Politics or Introduction to International Relations recommended. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will provide an introduction to the field of Comparative Politics and the Middle East. It will begin with a brief overview of the historical evolution of the region, and of such basic concepts as states, nations, state-formation, authoritarianism and democracy. The course will then examine these ideas in the context of the modern Middle East. Particular attention will be given to the persistence of authoritarianism, the role of religion in public life, and the events associated with the so-called "Arab Spring." The classes will alternate between broad thematic issues, and a review of particular case studies. Many of the cases that we will examine in the course are countries that will be visited during the Summer program. The course will conclude with an analysis of the regional politics, U.S. foreign policy in the region and the Iraq war and its legacy. COURSE OBJECTIVES To develop a working knowledge of the politics and social trends which inform the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (the so-called MENA region, as well as the international dynamics that shape the region. A second key objective is to understand the issues and conflicts of the region from diverse perspectives. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Ellen Lust (editor) TITLE: The Middle East PUBLISHER: Congressional Quarterly Press ISBN #: 9781604265484 DATE/EDITION: 2010/12 th Edition AUTHOR: James Gelvin, TITLE: The Arab Spring: What Everyone Needs to Know PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN #: 978-0199891771 DATE/EDITION: March 2012 1
TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE C1- June 18: Introduction/Making of the Modern Middle East Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 1 C2- June 19: Nations, States and State Formation Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 2 and 4 C3- June 20: Political Economy and Development of ME Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 3 United Nations Development Program 2002 Report on Arab Human Development* C4- June 21: Moroccan Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 18 June 22-June 25: Casablanca C5- June 26: Algerian Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 9 Additional Material -Film: Battle For Algiers (1965)* C6- June 27: Tunisian Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 23 C7- June 28: The Arab Spring Part I Gelvin, The Arab Spring, Chapter 1 and 2 June 29- July 2: Tunis C8- July 3: The Arab Spring Part II Gelvin, The Arab Spring, Chapters 3 and 4 C9- July 4: Libyan Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 17 C10- July 5: Egyptian Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 10 2
-Nasser 56* July 6-10: Alexandria C11- July 11: Islam and Politics Part I -Scott Hibbard, Islam and the State Part 1, in McCloud et. al., An Introduction to Islam in the 21 st Century (Blackwell Publishing, Forthcoming)* John Esposito, Islam and Politics C12- July 12:Turkish Politics and Society Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 24 July 13-27: Istanbul C13- July 18: Islam and Politics Part 2 -Scott Hibbard, Islam and the State Part 2, in McCloud et. al., An Introduction to Islam in the 21 st Century (Blackwell Publishing, forthcoming)* C14- July 19: Saudi Arabia Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 21 -Gelven, The Arab Spring, Chapter 5 Frontline Documentary: House of Saud* July 20-23: Piraeus C15- July 24: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 6 July 25: Study Day and Sea Olympics C16- July 26: International Politics of the Region Part 1 Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 8 -European Commission s European Neighborhood Policy: http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm# July 27-31: Marseilles C17- August 1: Migration, Islam and Europe Part 1 -Justin Vaisse, Muslims in Europe: A Short Introduction (Brookings Institution)* -Steffen Angenendt, Paul Barrett, et. al, Muslim Integration: Challenging Conventional Wisdom in Europe and the US, (CSIS Publication, September 2007), selections.* 3
-Tamara Wittes, Europe, The United State and Middle Eastern Democracy: Repairing the Breach, Brookings Institution Paper, January 2009, selections.* -Muslims in the European Union: Discrimination and Islamophobia, EUMC 2006* C18- August 2: Migration, Islam and Europe Part 2 -Tariq Ramadan, Swiss Minaret Ban: Can Europe Learn to Trust its Muslim Citizens, Christian Science Monitor, December 1, 2009 - Where Boys Grow up to be Jihadis, New York Times Magazine, November 25, 2007.* August 3-5: Livorno August 6-9: Civitavecchia C19- August 10: Iraq and the Iraq War Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 12 -Vali Nasr, When the Shiites Rise, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2006.* Frontline Documentary: Bush s War* -President Bush, President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 7, 2002. -Fouad Ajami, Iraq and the Arab s Future, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2003* -Raymond Hinnebusch, The U.S. Invasion of Iraq: Explanations and Implications, Critique, January 2010.* -Larry Diamond, What Went Wrong in Iraq, Foreign Affairs (September 2004)* C20- August 11: Iran Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 11 -Film: Persepolis August 12-15: Barcelona C21- August 16: Syria Readings: Lust, The Middle East, Chapter 22 -Malise Ruven, Storm over Syria, The New York Review of Books, June 9, 2011.* C22- August 17: International Politics of the Region Part 2 -Gause and Lustick, America and the Regional Powers in a Transforming Middle East, Middle East Policy, Summer 2012.* -William Quandt, New US Policies for a New Middle East? in The Contemporary Middle East: A Westview Reader (Westview Press, 2012).* 4
-Mohammad Ayoob, The Arab Spring, Its Geostrategic Significance, Middle East Policy, Fall 2012.* C23- August 18: The Future Gelvin, The Arab Spring, Chapter 6 August 19: Study Day C24-August 20: Final Exams August 21: Packing and Reflection August 22: Southampton FIELD WORK FIELD LAB (At least 20 percent of the contact hours for each course, to be led by the instructor.) -Morocco: Politics, Democracy and Reform: Lecture/panel on Moroccan Politics, Democracy and the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (ERC), followed by a visit to the Moroccan Parliament. -Egypt, Islam and Democracy: Panel presentation on the Arab Spring of local academics and experts, followed by a tour of Midan Tahrir (which served as a center for the 2010 protests), a visit to the Egyptian Majles (House of Parliament), and the al-ahram center. - Turkish-Syrian Relations and the Syrian uprising: Lecture/panel discussion on Turkish-Syrian relations in light of the Syrian uprising. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS -Paper on the any aspect of the Arab Spring and its legacy. This could entail a focus on the prospects (and requirements) for democracy, or an analysis of the violent response by particular regimes (Libya, Syria, or Bahrain). The paper should draw extensively from the field labs, and the presentations that are featured in the labs. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Each student is expected to read the assigned material before class and to be prepared to discuss its contents each week. Class attendance and participation is mandatory, and will comprise 10 percent of your grade. There are also six short writing assignments (1 to 2 pages, double spaced), analyzing a given class reading due prior to class (worth 25 percent of your grade), and one longer paper (7 8 pages double spaced) drawing from your field labs (combined 40 percent of grade). There will also be a final exam (worth 50 percent). All papers must be submitted via the course intranet system. 5
The required texts listed above will be available in the college bookstore, or on reserve in the ship library. Asterisked readings (*) will be available on the ship intranet system. Additional Material is NOT required reading. RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Ellen Lust (editor) TITLE: The Middle East PUBLISHER: Congressional Quarterly Press ISBN #: 9781604265484 DATE/EDITION: 2010/12 th Edition AUTHOR: James Gelvin, TITLE: The Arab Spring: What Everyone Needs to Know PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN #: 978-0199891771 DATE/EDITION: March 2012 AUTHOR: Lin Moueihed and Alex Warren TITLE: The Battle for the Arab Spring: Revolution, Counter-Revolution and the Making of a New Era PUBLISHER: Yale University Press ISBN: 978-0-300-18086-2 DATE/EDITION: 2012 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS Please see bibliographic information for articles and book chapters are listed above. I will provide electronic versions of all articles referenced in the syllabus. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES None. HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 6