Module ARA3140 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA3140: The Kurds: History and Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Aims
This module will introduce you to the history of the Kurds, the largest stateless nation and the largest group in the Middle East after Arabs, Persians and Turks. They have recently begun to play a prominent role in the complex politics of the Middle East, which is difficult to understand without a grasp of the Kurds’ long and complicated history. The course aims to give an understanding of the history of the Kurds, to identify the major actors in this history, and to help you analyse their political development from a range of perspectives. The module will encourage you to critically examine the history of the Kurds and their politics, considering issues of social organisation, nationalism, political party formation, identity, political economy, regional relations, and international relations.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate understanding of the historical development of the different parts of Kurdistan. 2. Demonstrate ability to analyse political and social structures of these parts of Kurdistan. 3. Demonstrate comprehension of the Kurds regional position. 4. Demonstrate objective analysis of the Kurds interaction with the dominant states of the region. |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. Discuss and analyze historical material. 6. Critically evaluate a range of historical resources. 7. Apply a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a particular ethnic group. |
Personal and Key Skills | 8. Plan and produce work to a deadline 9. Develop a short reasoned argument in answer to a question 10. Undertake a limited degree of research, including finding material online, to prepare a written report |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of a syllabus is as follows:
1: An introduction to the history of the Kurds (pre-modern and modern history)
2: The Kurds between two empires (the Ottomans and the Safavids)
3: The first World War and the Kurds
4: The Kurds of Iran
5: The Kurds of Iraq
6: The Kurds of Turkey
7: The Kurds of Syria
8: Kurdish nationalism and the question of identity
9: The Kurds of Diaspora
10: The future of the Kurds
11: Review
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | Weekly 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar |
Guided Independent study | 128 |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).