Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2038: International Relations, War and Peace in the Middle East

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

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 ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
26.5123.50

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity16.511 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 activity1010 x 1 hour tutorials
Guided Independent study 123.5Independent 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).