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 |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
van Bruinessen, Martin (1992), Agha, sheikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan, Zed Books: London & New Jersey. McDowall, David (1996), A Modern History of the Kurds, London: I.B. Tauris.
Stansfield, Gareth (2003), Iraqi Kurdistan: Political Development and Emergent Democracy, London & New York: Routledge
Curzon. Vali, Abbas (ed.) (2003), Essays on the Origins of Kurdish Nationalism, Costa Mesa: Mazda.
Mojab, Shahrzad (2001), Women of a Non-State Nation: The Kurds, Costa Mesa: Mazda.
Ollson, Robert (1989), The Emergence of Kurdish Nationalism and the Sheikh Said Rebellion, 1880-1925, Texas: University of Texas Press.