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The Middle east– the region between the Mediterranean Sea and Afghanistan, from North Africa to the Caucasus – is not just centrally located but also historically significant. As the birthplace of the world’s largest religions, as well as numerous other inventions and knowledge, it continues to draw popular attention and even admiration. For many others however, the term Middle East conjures images of impoverishment, radicalism, violence, and conflict. Given the region’s continued importance, how should we understand the modern Middle East? How did this once prosperous and rich area become fraught with conflict and violence? What were the main historical trends and political events that shaped the region as we know it today, and who are the current geopolitical challenges that hold the keys to the future?
In discussing these questions, we will look both at recent and past events, review the current geopolitical situation, and look at hidden driving forces that lie under current events. The classes will be based on a mix of lectures, open debate, videos and text analysis to better understand the region’s social and political dynamics the classes will be based on a mix of lectures, open debate, videos and text analysis. Poslední úprava: Reichard Ariel, Ph.D. (04.02.2025)
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The course is focused on presenting the current challenges of the Middle East region. It will explain various factors that formed its political character, will present current geopolitical situation and will provide understanding on driving forces behind the major defining characteristics of the region. The course consists of 12 weekly sessions, mixing lectures and seminars on selected topics. Attendance is required. Poslední úprava: Reichard Ariel, Ph.D. (04.02.2025)
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Required and part of the suggested literature is available via Moodle for the students enrolled in the course. Required: 2) Slater, J. (2006). Lost Opportunities for Peace in the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Israel and Syria, 1948-2001. International Security 27/1, pp. 79-106. 3) Aras, B., Yorulmazlar, E. (2017). Mideast Geopolitics: The Struggle For a New Order. Middle East Policy, 24/2. Gause II, E. G. (2014). Beyond Sectarianism: The New Middle East Cold War. Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper. 4) Lynch, M. (2016). The New Arab Wars: Uprisings and Anarchy in the Middle East. New York: Public Affairs. 5) Robinson, G. E. (2017). The Four Waves of Global Jihad: 1979-2017. Middle East Policy 24/3, pp. 70-88. 6) Hansen, S. J., Gaas, M. H., Bary, I. (2017). The Muslim Brotherhood Movement in the Arab Winter. International Security Programme Discussion Paper. 7) Talmadge, C. (2013). The Puzzle of Personalist Performance: Iraqi Battlefield Effectiveness in the Iran-Iraq War. Security Studies 22/2, pp. 180-221 Craven-Matthews, C., Englebert, P. (2017). A Potemkin state in the Sahel? The empirical and the fictional in Malian state reconstruction. African Security. 8) Winckler, O. (2013). The “Arab Spring”: Socioeconomic Aspects. Middle East Policy 20/4, pp. 68-87. 9) https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/12/the-battle-for-iran/549446/?utm_source=twb 10) Solomon, H. (2015). Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Africa: Fighting Insurgency from Al-Shabaab, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 4. Pashakhanlou, A. H. (2017). Decapitation in Libya: Winning the Conflict and Losing the Peace. The Washington Quarterly 40/4, pp. 135-149. 11) Estelle, E. (2017). The General´s Trap in Libya. The Critical Threats. Lawson, F. H. (2017). Egypt versus Ethiopia: The Conflict over the Nile Metastasizes. The International Spectator
Suggested: Freilich, C. D. (2017). Can Israel Survive Without America? Survival, 59/4, pp. 135-150. Hokayem, E., Roberts, D. B. (2016). The War in Yemen. Survival 58/6, pp. 157-186. Hopkinson, W. (2017). The new geopolitics of terror: demons and dragons. London: Routledge. Lacher, W. (2017). Was Libya´s Collapse Predictable? Survival 59/2, pp. 139-152. Lister, C. (2017). Al-Qaeda Versus ISIS: Competing Jihadist Brands in the Middle East. MEI Policy Paper. Lister, C. (2015). The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency. Oxford: Oxford University Press. White, P. (2015). The PKK: Coming Down from the Mountains. London: Zed Books. Poslední úprava: Frantová Michaela, PhDr. (27.06.2019)
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Assignments: 1. Active participation in class debates (15%); 2. Midterm Quiz (20%) 3. Presentations in class (15%); 4. Final Term Essay (50%) Evaluation is performed in accordance to the Dean’s Provision. Poslední úprava: Reichard Ariel, Ph.D. (15.02.2025)
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See updated Sylabbus for complete list of reading and assignments: Week 1: 17.02.2025 – Introduction: What is the “middle east” and why study it?
Week 2: 24.02.2025 – Overview: Demographics, Religion, Ideology
Week 3: 03.03.2025
Week 4: 10.03.2025 – The Modern Middle East in the 20th Century – a short history (Part I)
Week 5: 17.03.2025 – The Modern Middle East in the 20th Century – a short history (Part II)
Week 6: 24.03.2025 – “Source of the Region’s Problems?” The Israeli Palestinian conflict Week 7: 31.03.2025 – Politics in the Arab world (Part I)
Week 8: 07.04.2025 – Politics in the Arab world (Part II) Week 9: 14.04.2025 – Minority Politics in the Middle East
Week 10: 28.04.2025 – The Role of Religion: Sunni-Shiia divide
Week 11: 05.05.2025 – Foreign Involvement and Global (Geo)politics in the Middle East
Week 12: 12.05.2025 – Democratization and Authoritarianism: Politics after the Arab Spring
Week 13: 19.05.2025 – Conclusion: The Future of the Middle East?
Poslední úprava: Reichard Ariel, Ph.D. (11.02.2025)
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