94473 - Contemporary History of North Africa and Middle East

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the regions of the Middle East and North Africa in the 20th and 21st centuries. It takes a historical approach to examining the nature of political authority, the complex relationship between Islam and politics during the profound secularization of the 20th century, and the successive resurgence of religious themes in national and global politics. The course also aims to examine the challenges of democracy, the legacy of the past in national and transnational belonging, and the founding of political institutions in the MENA region, with an emphasis on the post-Cold War context. By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the contemporary history of these regions, focusing on social, economic and political issues and the main theories and concepts concerning the formation of contemporary Arab states.

Course contents

The course examines the history of the Middle East and North Africa from the lens of natural resources and energy, and will be structured around four main sections. The first sets the scene for the rest of the course, focusing on the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the acceleration of European imperialism. We then move on to a second section devoted to the struggle for decolonization and the related issues of development and nationalism (the Suez Crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the construction of the Aswan Dam; Algeria’s industrialization efforts;...) Thirdly, we examine the rise of globalization and political Islam together with that of oil as the king commodity (the rise of Saudi Arabia as a regional power; the Iranian Revolution; the failure of democratic projects in the region; the Gulf War;...). Finally, we turn to the green transition and its implications for internal development strategies in both oil-rich (such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar) and oil-poor countries (such as Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt). It will also examine how these shifts are reshaping the role of the MENA region in global politics and the world economy.

The course is structured around four main sections: 

Part I: The fall of the Ottoman Empire and the invention of the Middle East (1914-1945)

Part Two: Development and Nationalisms in the Anti-colonial Struggles (1945-1979) 

Part Three: Political Islam, oil and globalization (1979-2010s)

Part Four: MENA Beyond Oil? Political and Economic Consequences and Outlooks of the Green Transition (2010s-present)

Readings/Bibliography

Achcar, Gilbert. 2003. L’Orient incandescent : L’islam, l’Afghanistan, la Palestine: Le Moyen-Orient au miroir marxiste. Lausanne: Page 2 Editions. (extraits)

———. 2017. Le choc des barbaries : terrorismes et désordre mondial. Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Québec : Paris: M-EDITEUR. (extraits)

———. 2017. Symptômes Morbides: La Rechute Du Soulèvement Arabe (Trad. de l’anglais par Julien Salingue), Paris, Sindbad-Actes Sud.

Amin, Samir. 2015. Le monde arabe dans la longue durée: Le “printemps” arabe ? Enlarged édition. Montreuil: Le Temps des Cerises. (extraits)

Chomsky, Noam, and Gilbert Achcar. 2007. La poudrière du Moyen-Orient. Paris: Fayard. (extraits)

Dieckhoff, Alain. 2022. Israël-Palestine : une guerre sans fin? - 2e édition. Paris: Armand Colin.

Gellner, Ernest. 1989. Nations et nationalisme. Paris: Payot.

Lebdioui, Amir. 2024. Survival of the Greenest: Economic Transformation in a Climate-conscious World. 

Prashad, Vijay, Omar Benderra, and Marianne Champagne. 2019. Une histoire politique du tiers-monde. Editions Ecosociété. (extraits)

Rodinson, Maxime. 1966. Islam et Capitalisme. Paris: Seuil. (extraits)

———. 2014. L’Islam, politique et croyance. Fayard. (extraits)

Teaching methods

This seminar consists of lectures. Active participation is strongly encouraged.

Assessment methods

For attending students:

- An intermediate written test (at the end of the second part) consisting of an essay (2 hours - 40%).
- A final oral exam (30 min - 60%).

For non-attending students:

- A final essay to be written in the examination room (4 hours - 100%)

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The ability of the student to achieve a coherent and comprehensive understanding of the topics addressed by the course, to critically assess them and to use an appropriate language will be evaluated with the highest grades (A = 27-30 con lode).

A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course's contents together with gaps and deficiencies in terms of language, critical and/or logical skills will result in grades ranging from good (B = 24-26) to satisfactory (C = 21-23).

A low level of knowledge of the course’s contents together with gaps and deficiencies in terms of language, critical and/or logical skills will be considered as ‘barely passing' (D = 18-20) or result in a failing grade (F).

Teaching tools

All readings will be available on "Virtuale." All official communication outside of the classroom will be sent to students' unibo email accounts.

 

Students with a form of disability or specific learning disabilities (DSA) who are requesting academic adjustments or compensatory tools are invited to communicate their needs to the instructor in order to properly address them and agree on the appropriate measures with the competent bodies.

Office hours

See the website of Antoine Pierre Charles Dolcerocca