31709 - International Relations of the Middle East

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with an overview of the system of international relations in of the Middle East. At the end of the course students will be knowledgeble about the main issues and problems of MENA Internatioanal Relations Studies: main factors  in State and Nation building processes in the area (identity, religion, natural resources); the main regional conflicts and their interaction with global conflicts such as the Cold War, or the global war on terror; roots of domestic political instability in the region, in both Middle Eastern secular republics and theocratic Gulf States, and their impact on regional confictuality and international relations. 

Course contents

The curse is made of fine sections:

1. Introduction to the history and international relations of the Middle East. 8hrs Trentin

2. Patterns of regional and international relations: The Cold War in the Middle East as a case-study. 8hrs Trentin

3. 2. Patterns of regional and international relations: the "New Cold War in the Middle East". 8hrs Trentin

4. 2. Patterns of international relations: the Arab-Israeli Conflict. 8 hrs Leopardi

5. 2. Patterns of regional and international relations: Political Islam in international relations. 8 hrs Leopardi

Readings/Bibliography

Main Text

James L. Gelvin, Storia del medio oriente moderno, Torino, Einaudi, 2009

 

Readings as for the different sections. (File in AMSCampus)

 

Section 1.

1. 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.

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

3. Raymond Hinnebusch, “The Arab Uprisings and The MENA Regional States System”, Uluslararası İlişkiler, 11, 42, Summer 2014, p. 7-27.

Section 2.

1. Peter Sluglett, "The Cold War in the Middle East" in Louise Fawcett (eds.), International Relations of the Middle East, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

2. Nathan Citino, "The Ottoman Legacy in the Middle East", International Journal of Middle East Studies, 40, 2008, pp. 579–597.

3. Massimiliano Trentin, "Tough negotiations'. The two Germanys in Syria and Iraq, 1963-74", Cold War History, 8, 3, pp. 353-380.

Section 3.

1. Raymond Hinnebusch, "The Sectarian Revolution in the Middle East", R/evolutions: Global Trends and Regional Issues, 4, 1, 2016, pp. 120-152

2. Valbjørn, M., A. Bank. “ A New Arab Cold War: rediscovering the Arab dimension of Middle East regional politics”, Review of International Studies, vol.38, n. 1, 2012, pp. 3–24.

3. Ruth Hanau Santini, "A New Regional Cold War in the Middle East and North Africa: Regional Security Complex Theory Revisited", The International Spectator, vol. 52, n.4, 2017, pp. 93-111

Sezione 4:

1. Paul Chamberlin, "The Struggle Against Oppression Everywhere: The Global Politics of Palestinian Liberation, Middle Eastern" Studies, 47:1, 2011, pp. 25-41.

2. Avi Shlaim, "The Iron Wall Revisited", Journal of Palestine Studies, 41:2, 2012, pp. 80-98.

3. Khaled Hroub, "Hamas: Political Thought and Practice", Washington D.C., Institute for Palestine Studies, 2000. (Capitolo 4: "Hamas' Political Relations").

Sezione 5:

1. Joel Beinin and Joe Stork, "On the Modernity, Historical Specificity, and International Context of Political Islam" pp 3-25 in "Political Islam. Essays from Middle East Report", eds. Joel Beinin and Joe Stork, London and New York I.B. Tauris, 1997.

2. M. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, "Velayat-e-Faqih (Supreme Leader) and Iranian Foreign Policy: An Historical Analysis", Strategic Analysis, 36:1, 2012, pp. 112-127.

3. Fred Lawson, "Le risposte regionali all'ascesa dell'IS: la trasformazione delle alleanze e le rivalità di lunga durata" pp. 155-182; Massimiliano Trentin, Cogliere l'occasione: l'Organizzazione dello Stato Islamico nella lotta per il Medio Oriente", pp. 183-210 in Massimiliano Trentin, "L'ultimo califfato. L'organizzazione dello Stato islamico in Medio Oriente", Bologna Il Mulino, 2017.

 

The following resources can be used productively to research on various topics in history, politics and international relations of the Modern Middle East.

http://jadaliyya.com [http://jadaliyya.com/] [ indipendent e-by ASI, Arab Studies Institute]

http://merip.org [http://merip.org/] [Middle East Research and Information Project]

http://w3fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/ [MESA homepage]

http://www.albawaba.com/ [Albawaba Middle East gateway]

http://www.mideast.org/ [Middle East Institute]

http://menic.utexas.edu/menic.html [Centre for ME Studies, Univ of Texas at Austin]

http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/ [Al-Ahram Weekly]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/ [BBC World Service]

 

Academic journal specialized in Middle Eastern Studies:

Afriche e Orienti

British Journal of Middle East Studies

Bulletin (British Society of Middle Eastern Studies)

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

International Journal of Middle East Studies

Journal of Palestine Studies

Middle East Report

MERIP Middle East Report

MERIP Reports

Access to these journal is free for all UNIBO students via the University Library System (see how to connect by remote to the Uni server in order to access these resources when you're not on campus

http://www.sba.unibo.it/it/almare/servizi-e-strumenti-almare/connessione-da-remoto

Teaching methods

Lectures 

Assessment methods

Written Exam (100% final grade) made of 3 questions:

1 question on the Main Text; 2 questions on the different sections.

Teaching tools

Maps, Slides, PC 

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Trentin

See the website of Francesco Saverio Leopardi