Module POL2038 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2038: International Relations, War and Peace in the Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to:
-
familiarise you with the key issues and main developments in the politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict;
-
introduce you to the literature on the conflict and to contradictory interpretations of the conflict;
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introduce you to the main issues concerning the politics of the Middle East peace process;
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introduce you to the basic data and the relevant literature available; and
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familiarise you with a range of perspectives held by different authors on the process.
The module will also aim to:
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sharpen your presentational skills (e.g. argumentation, discussion, presentations);
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introduce you to the complexities and skills required for effective diplomacy;
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improve your written skills through briefing papers and essays; and
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develop your appreciation of team work and openness to other’s ideas.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate a knowledge of key issues in contemporary Middle East politics; 2. demonstrate an understanding of the actors, dynamics and trends in the peace process in the Middle East; 3. demonstrate an understanding of the peace process negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians; 4. demonstrate a knowledge of key issues in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict: refugees, settlements, Jerusalem, one state-two state solution; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. demonstrate an ability to find, use and analyse secondary and primary data relevant to specific issue areas; 6. demonstrate an ability to place contemporary political issues into larger contexts; 7. deploy critical arguments in analysing political issues and evaluating sources; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. demonstrate independent and group work including the presentation of material for group discussion articulating and defending positions on tutorial topics; 9. demonstrate analytical skills and the ability to digest, select and organise material; 10. produce well organised and coherent essays to a deadline. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
The Arab-Israeli conflict and introduction to Library Resources
Historiography 1: the British Mandate and the Palestinian revolt of 1936
Historiography 2: The New Historians and 1948
The War Years 1: Israeli expansion in 1956 and 1967
The War Years 2: The Wars of 1973 and 1982
The Rise of Palestinian Nationalism and arm struggle
Israeli State and Society
Changing the Balance of Power
The Palestinian Arab minority in Israel
The Road to Peace: Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accords
Permanent Status Issues 1: The future of Jerusalem
Permanent Status Issues 2: The Palestinian Refugees.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures to be supplemented by student group work where students learn from each other through group discussions, individual and collaborative presentations and a simulated negotiation exercise. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour tutorials |
| Guided Independent study | 123.5 | Independent study: 60 hours reading for tutorials; 10 hours team discussions; and 53.5 hours reading and completing assignments. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussions during tutorials | Throughout module delivery | 1-4, 8 | Verbal |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-7, 9-10 | Written |
| Essay 2 | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-7, 9-10 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-7, 9-10 | August/September assessment period |
| Essay 2 | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-7, 9-10 | August/September assessment period |
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.
Gerner, D. (ed), Understanding the Contemporary Middle East , Boulder, Lynne Rienner, 2000.
Kimmerling B., and Migdal, J., The Palestinian People: A History , Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2003
Dumper, Mick The Future for Palestinian Refugees (Lynne Reinner, 2007)
Fischbach, Michael, The Peace Process and the Palestinian Refugee Claims (United States Institute for Peace, 2006)
Brynen Rex, and El-Rifai, Roula, Palestinian Refugees: Challenges of Repatriation and Development (I.B.Tauris, 2007)
Dumper, M., The Politics of Jerusalem Since 1967 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997)
Klein, Menachem, Jerusalem: The Contested City (Hurst, 2001)
Watson G., The Oslo Accords: International Law and the Israeli-Palestinian Agreements , Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000
Goldscheider, C. (2002) Israel’s Changing Society Population, Ethnicity and Development , Second Edition, (Boulder, Colorado: WestView Press)
Murphy, E. C. and Jones, C. (2002) Israel: Challenges to Identity, Democracy and the State , (London : Routledge.)
