Module ARAM147 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ARAM147: The Kurds: History and Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
This module will introduce you to the social and political history of the Kurds, the largest stateless nation and the largest group in the Middle East after Arabs, Persians and Turks. They have begun to play a prominent role in the complex politics and social transformation of the Middle East, which are difficult to understand without a grasp of the Kurds’ long and complicated history. The module aims to give you an understanding of the social and political history of the Kurds in relation to the global context, and to help you analyse their political organisation and the evolution of the society from a range of perspectives. The module will encourage you to critically examine the social and political history of the Kurds, considering issues of social organisation, nationalism, political party formation, identity and religion, migration, diaspora, and mobility, gender, political economy, regional and international relations.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a critical approach to the historiography of the Kurds and Kurdistan 2. Objectively examine the position of the Kurds in the Middle East and the interaction between the Kurds and the dominant states of the region, as well as the position of non-state people in world history and politics 3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the transformation of the Kurdish society in its global context 4. Apply and discuss a wide range of theories such as state-building and ethnic politics; nationalism; political economy; social change; gender; migration |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. Discuss and analyse historical material, including primary sources 6. Embrace a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a particular ethno-national group. 7. Discuss and engage with a range of methodological approaches as well as variety of genres, i.e. historical, political or anthropological and sociological texts, (auto)biographical writings and fictions. 8. Undertake a study from a multi-disciplinary perspective |
| Personal and Key Skills | 9. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment 10. Engage in independent study and work effectively in group with limited guidance 11. Communicate complex ideas verbally and in written 12. Engage critically with a variety of materials and sources (e.g. web, video, text, fiction archives) |
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 Historiography of the Kurds and Kurdistan
The Kurds between two empires (the Ottomans and the Safavids)
Kurds and Kurdistan in the first World War
Kurdish nationalism and the question of identity
Religious identities and politics in Kurdistan
The Kurdish national movement and the states (Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria)
Kurds, actors of Middle-Eastern Regional politics
The Diasporisation of the Kurdish People
The Kurdish political movement and transformation of gender roles
Kurdistan, war, and the global economy
War and the transformation of society in Kurdistan
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 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 Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 88 | Weekly Readings (8 hours/week) |
| Guided independent study | 22 | Class/Seminar Preparation (2 hours/ week) |
| Guided independent study | 58 | Project (30 hours researching/coordinating; 28 hours writing/realisation) |
| Guided independent study | 70 | Essay (35 hours reading and researching /35 hours writing) |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Reading and writing up the book review |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class discussions and presentations | Weekly | 1-4; 11 | Verbal feedback |
| Project Proposal | 1200 words | 1-4; 9; 11 | Oral and Written Feedback |
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 | 50 | 4,000 words | 1-12 | Written (and verbal by appointment with student) |
| Project | 30 | 10-15 minutes class presentation; materials for submission (images/films/slides; or short essay TBD on individual basis with module convenor) | 1-12 | Written and verbal |
| Academic Book Review | 20 | 1500 words | 1-12 | Written (and verbal by appointment with student) |
| 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 | Essay (4,000 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
| Project | Project, including short 1000-word reflective essay (to replace class presentation) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
| Academic Book Review | Academic book review (1500 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
