77918 - History and international Relations of The Middle East

Learning outcomes

The course examines the historical development of the International Relations of the Middle East from the early XIX century to current events. At the end of the course, students will acquire a better understanding of: The patterns of interaction between local institutions (Empires, nation-states, regional organizations, sub and trans-national groups) and their counterparts in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa; The interaction between regional and global patterns of economic development; The influence of international factors on the patterns of state-building in the Middle East. Eventually, students will acquire the necessary tools to analyze critically the interaction between the agency of local and regional forces and international and global dynamics affecting the region. Students will also master the historiographic and political debate concerning the region; and will be able to elaborate analytical and interpretative products about the Middle East and its role in international politics.

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, along the "Y" system, as detailed in the following program.The aim is to combine the safety of all students together with the best possible interaction with the Professor and among students. Flexibility and changes on the structure of the course might take place due to emergency contingencies as well as suggestions from students.

Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the class. Active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies might occur once agreed with the Professor.

Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

 

Section A.

Lectures (12 hours) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. Students will be divided in two groups according to their preferences and according to rules concerning the current pandemic emergency:

A1. One group will do the lectures in classroom (12 hours), 3 weeks, from September 21 to October 7.

A2. Another group will do the lecture remotely on MS TEAMS (12 hours), 3 weeks, from October 12 to 28:

Section B.

B. Seminars (20 hours in remote on MS TEAMS) aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. 5 weeks, from November 2 to December 2, 2020.

 

Section A1 and A2

An Introduction to the international Middle East: topics and dynamics.

During the first 3+3 weeks both Groups A and B of students (attending and online) will be provided with the same introduction to the international history and relations of the Middle East. Here below the topics for each lecture:

• Review of International Studies on the Middle East: Historiography and IR Literature
• Categories and Dynamics of Different Universalisms in the Middle East
• Hierarchies and Orders in the Modern Middle East
• Patterns of Development in the Middle East
• Uprisings, Revolts and Revolutions in the Middle East since 2011
• Wars and the International Relations of the Middle East since 2011

 

Section B. Power and Politics of International Integration in the Middle East and North Africa

This section will take place online for all students and aims at analysing the patterns of integration of the Middle East and North Africa into the different political and economic orders of the XXth and XXI centuries. Dynamics of hegemony and resistance within and without the area will be highlighted through the case-studies of: B1.the connections between recurring "Debt Crisis" and Structural Reforms in the economy and institutions of the area; B2. Power and Integration in the Mediterranean Space

B1. The International Political Economy of the "Debt crisis" of the 1980s and 2000s in the Middle East and North Africa: 2 Weeks (8 hours)

• Debt Crisis and Reforms in the XIX centuries: the Precedent
• Debt Crisis and Reforms in the 1980s-1990s: Origins and Negotiations
• Debt Crisis and Reforms in the 1980s-1990s: Accommodating and Domesticating Structural Reforms
• Debt Crisis in the 2000s: Origins and Politics

B2. The International Relations of the "Mediterranean Space" between the XIX and XXI centuries: 3 weeks (12 hours).

• The International History and Politics of the "Mediterranean Space"
• The MENA in the Mediterranean space: Frameworks and Policies in Arab states, Turkey and Israel.
• The EC/EU in the Mediterranean: Frameworks and Policies
• The US in the Mediterranean: Frameworks and Policies
• Russia in the Mediterranean: Frameworks and Policies
• China in the Mediterranean: Frameworks and Policies

Readings/Bibliography

For those students who have not approached the history of modern Middle East before, it is highly recommended the study of James L. Gelvin, The Modern Middle East: A History, Third Edition. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Alternatively, Marcella Emiliani, Medio Oriente: una storia dal 1918 al 1991 e MedioOriente: una storia dal 1991 a oggi, Laterza, Bari, 2012.

All students must study the Main Textbook as well as the Readings provided by the Professor on the Unibo online platform (IOL-Insegnamenti online) since early September.

 

Main Textbook

Raymond Hinnebusch, The International Politics of the Middle East, Manchester University Press, Manchester, UK, 2nd edition, 2015

 

Readings

Compulsory readings, which related to the specific topics of single lectures, will be uploaded on the web platform Insegnamenti Online (iol.unibo.it) since early September 2020.

These readings will provide students with more differentiated analysis on the topics under scrutiny, with two aims: first, to let them acknowledge the current scientific debate; second, to stimulate active participation to in-depth discussions during classes, both with Professor and colleagues.

 List of Readings.

Sections A1 and A2

Fred Lawson, "International Relations Theory and the Middle East" in Louise Fawcett (eds.), International Relations of the Middle East, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013

Amira Bennison, "Muslim Universalism and Western Globalization" in A.G. Hopkins (eds.), Globalization in History and History in Globalization, Pimlico, London, 2002

Raymond Hinnebusch, "The Middle East in World Hierarchy. Imperialism and Resistance", Journal of International Relations and Development, 14, 2011, pp. 213–246

Pfeifer, Karen, "Social Structure of Accumulation Theory for the Arab World: The Economies of Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait in the Regional System" (2010). Economics: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA, https://scholarworks.smith.edu/eco_facpubs/21

Morten Valborn, André Bank, "The New Arab Cold War: rediscovering the Arab dimension of Middle East regional politics", Review of International Studies, 2011, pp. 1-22

Raymond Hinnebusch, "Structure over Agency: The Arab Uprising and the Regional Struggle for Power" in Sypridon Litsas and Aristotle Tziampiris eds. The Eastern Mediterranean in Transition, Ashgate, London, 2015, pp. 119-132

Section B1

PAMUK, ŞEVKET, and JEFFREY G. WILLIAMSON. "Ottoman De-industrialization, 1800–1913: Assessing the Magnitude, Impact, and Response." The Economic History Review 64, no. S1 (2011): 159-84. Accessed July 29, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/27919538.

PPT and Drafts by Massimiliano Trentin

Orient XXI, Dossier on Debt Crisis in the MENA Region, 2019

 Section B2

Massimiliano Trentin, "Power and Integration. An Historical Overview on Euro- Mediterranean Relations", Marmara University Journal of Political Science, 6, 2018, DOI: 10.14782/ipsus.421020

Richard Gillespie and Frédéric Volpi, "Introduction: the growing international relevance of Mediterranean politics" in Richard Gillespie and Frédéric Volpi eds., Routledge Handbook of Mediterranean politics, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, 2018

Selected Papers on the Mediterranean provided by the research project MEDRESET http://www.medreset.eu as well as by scientific literature

Teaching methods

Assessment methods

The final result is made by one Written Exam:

• 1 Open questions concerning the main Textobook
• 1 Open question concerning Section B of the programme

 

COVID-19 ALERT!

In case of new contingency plans for the COVID-19 EMERGENCY the Exam might shift to the system of TAKE HOME - OPEN BOOK.

STEPS:

1. Enroll to Alma Esami.

2. You will receive an invitation by Microsoft Teams to participate to the exam on the related date.

3. The Professor will provide you and explain the Exam: text, questions and rules of delivery. Time for Q&A.

4. You will submit your Written Essay to the Professor 48 hours later by email.

5. In order to control the originality of your work, every essay will be checked against any form of plagiarism by the softwares of the University of Bologna. The full bibliography (books and readings) of the course are included.

6. Results will be published within the next 15 days at max in the web page of the Professor, section "Avvisi/Latest News". You will have 7 days to accept or refuse the results. Afterwards, results will be registered. Only and exclusively, those who refuse their results must write an email to the professor before 7 days.

7. ANY DELAY BEYOND THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE AS WELL AS ANY FORM OF PLAGIARISM WILL INVALIDATE THE FULL ESSAY AND WILL BE NOTIFIED TO AUTHORITIES IN CHARGE.

Teaching tools

The course will make use of ppt and audio-visuals whenever necessary.

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Trentin