Political Science and International Relations (With Thesis)

PSIR 558 | Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Name

Middle East Politics

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
PSIR 558	Fall/Spring	3	0	3	7.5

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Elective
Course Level	Second Cycle
Mode of Delivery	-
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	-
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	-
Course Lecturer(s)	Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Serhun Al
Assistant(s)	Araş. Gör. BATIKAN BULUT

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to provide the students a holistic understanding of Middle Eastern politics. In this pursuit a historical overview will be utilized to disentangle the dynamics behind nationstate formation and underline the unique features of the Middle East as region in the worldsystem. A secondary objective of this course is to challenge conventional wisdom towards the region by making use of certain conceptual interventions.

Learning Outcomes

#	Content	PC Sub	* Contribution Level
#	Content	PC Sub	1	2	3	4	5
1	The students who succeeded in this course; will be able to examine the historical background of the Middle East region.
2	will be able to analyze the Middle East's political, economic and ideological position within the context of local actors, regional powers and international allies.
3	will be able to explain both historical and current background of problems of peace, stability and democratization in the Middle East.
4	will be able to discuss the states in the Middle East within the conceptual framework of nation-state and failed state.
5	will be able to discuss the reasons of minorities, ethnic conflicts and sectarian rivalries in the Middle East and the Arab world.

Course Description

The course will begin with a historical overview of the remapping of the Middle East. In addition a comparative historical analysis will help to locate the Middle East within the larger world historical context. Finally, a review of contemporary developments in world politics will provide information on major conceptual issues such as Orientalism, the rise of political Islam, Islamophobia and more.

Course Category	Core Courses
	Major Area Courses	X
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation	Learning Outcome
1	Introduction
2	The Transformation Era	Cleveland Ch. 4 Forging a New Synthesis, Ch. 7 The Response of Islamic Society, Ch. 9 WWI and the End of the Ottoman Order
3	WWI and the Disintegration of the Empire	Fromkin Part I At the Crossroads of History
4	The Colonial Heritage	Fromkin Part III Britain is drawn into the M. Eastern Quagmire Part V The Allies at the Nadir of Their Fortunes
5	Waves of Independence	Cleveland Part III The Struggle for Independence: The Interwar Era to the End of WWII
6	Independent Middle East	Cleveland Part IV The Independent M. East from the End of WWII to the 1970s
7	Midterm Exam
8	New Dynamics, New Challenges	Cleveland Part V A Time of Upheaval and Renewal: The Middle East from the 1970s to the 2000s
9	New Dynamics, New Challenges	Cleveland Part V A Time of Upheaval and Renewal: The Middle East from the 1970s to the 2000s
10	Orientalism	Lockman Ch. 6 Said’s Orientalism: a book and its aftermath, Ch. 7 After Orientalism?
11	Islam	Esposito and Burgat Introduction, Ch. 3 Islam and Civil Society
12	Islam in Europe	Esposito and Burgat Ch. 8 The Growing Islamization of Europe, Ch. 10 Muslim Minorities in Europe: the Silent Revolution
13	Student presentations
14	Student presentations
15	student presentations
16	Review of the semester

Course Notes/Textbooks

All course readings are available at the University Library and as open sources.

Suggested Readings/Materials

A History of the Modern Middle East William L. Cleveland and Martin Bunton, Westview Press, 2009.

A Peace to End All Peace David Fromkin, Holt and Co., 2001.

Contending Visions of the Middle East Zachary Lockman, Cambridge UP, 2004.

Modernizing Islam: Religion in the Public Sphere in Europe and the Middle East John L. Esposito and Francois Burgat (eds.)

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Semester Activities	Number	Weighting	LO 1	LO 2	LO 3	LO 4	LO 5
Participation	1	10
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments	1	20
Presentation / Jury	1	10
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm	1	30
Final Exam	1	30
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade	4	70
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade	1	30
Total

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	13	7	91
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments	1	20	20
Presentation / Jury	1	25	25
Project			0
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms	1	20	20
Final Exam	1	21	21
		Total	225

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

#	PC Sub	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	PC Sub	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to improve theoretical and conceptual proficiencies on Political Science and International Relations and use them competently.		-	-	-	-	-
2	To be able to evaluate critically the relationships between various factors in the field of Political Science and International Relations such as structures, actors, institutions and culture.		-	-	-	-	X
3	To be able to determine and question the theoretical and empirical gaps in Political Science and International Relations literature.		-	-	-	-	-
4	To be able to identify the political and cultural conditions that generate discrimination mechanisms based on race, ethnicity, gender and religion at national and international levels.		-	-	X	-	-
5	To be able to gather and analyze data by using scientific research methods.		-	-	-	-	-
6	To be able to analyze and evaluate the historical continuity and changes observed in the relations between the actors and institutions of national and international politics.		-	-	X	-	-
7	To be able to present individual research and contemporary developments in Political Science and International Relations in written, oral, and visual forms.		-	X	-	-	-
8	To be able to take responsibility in generating solutions to the problems that arise in relation to the politics in daily life.		-	-	X	-	-
9	To be able to determine the institutional and political instruments for conflict resolution in domestic and international politics.		-	-	-	-	-
10	To be able to prepare a thesis/term project about Political Science and International Relations based on scientific criteria.		-	-	-	-	-
11	To be able to follow new research and developments in Political Science and International Relations and participate the debates in academic meetings through a foreign language.		-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to have ethical, social and scientific values in the stages throughout the processes of gathering, interpreting, disseminating and implementing data relevant to Political Science and International Relations.		-	-	-	-	-