Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ARAM198: Political Economy of the Gulf

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The main objective of the module is to provide you with specialised knowledge and critical understanding of the main themes and dynamics in the political economy of the Gulf, at the domestic, regional and global levels. This module aims particularly at exploring how politics and economy inform each other, at developing an understanding of processes of economic change in the Gulf monarchies and Iran, and of the way these processes have shaped the existing political realities of the broader Middle East. The module will thus equip you to analyse and make informed and critical evaluation of the contemporary politics and economy of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Identify and critically assess the main issues in the political economy of the Gulf, including the politics of economic development; the main economic factors in domestic and regional politics; the political economy of oil; and the changing role of the Gulf in the global economy. 2. Locate, appraise and use main sources of information and data relating to the Gulf countries 3. Use different analytical approaches and concepts towards the study of the Gulf's political economies and social systems, and to make informed judgements regarding the similarities and contrasts of different Gulf polities.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Analyse and assess academic texts and prevailing notions critically; 5. Connect political and economic factors and dynamics in their domestic-international linkages; 6. Draw from broader concepts in political economy and to compare the Gulf with other regions of the world; 7. Embrace a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Personal and Key Skills	8. Demonstrate skills of reasoned and supported argumentation in writing and in oral presentation; 9. Demonstrate skills of independent research and teamwork; 10. Demonstrate skills of finding, analysing and synthesising information from a range of source

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:

Politics of oil and rent in the Gulf: Economic structure, political effects

Political economy of Saudi Arabia

Political economy of Iran

The 'Dubai model' and political economy of the smaller Gulf states

Labour market and citizenship

Business and politics in the Gulf

The question of water and environment in the Arabian Peninsula

Gulfization of the Middle East political economy

The GCC states in the global economy

Diversification and economic reform: Towards a post-oil Gulf?

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	Lectures/Seminars
Guided independent study	110	Reading for lectures/seminars
Guided independent study	70	Preparation and writing of summative essay
Guided independent study	70	Preparation of 2 x individual presentations
Guided independent study	28	Further reading and reflection

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Other Learning Resources

Middle East Economic Digest (MEED)

Gulf States Newsletter

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.

Achcar, G. The People Want. A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising (London: Saqi, 2013)

Beblawi, H. and G. Luciani. The Rentier State (London: Croom Helm, 1987)

Cammett, M., I. Diwan, A. Richards and J. Waterbury. A Political Economy of the Middle East (Oxford: Westview, 4^th edition, 2015)

Crystal, J. Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

Dresch, P. and J. Piscatori (eds.), Monarchies and Nations: Globalization and Identity in the Arab States of the Gulf (London: I.B. Tauris, 2005)

Gause, F. G. Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States (New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994)

Hanieh, A. Money, Markets and Monarchies. The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Henry, C. M. and R. Springborg. Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2^nd edition, 2010)

Hertog, S. Princes, Brokers, and Bureaucrats: Oil and the State in Saudi Arabia (Ithaca [NY]: Cornell University Press, 2010)

Keshavarzian, Bazaar and State in Iran: The Politics of the Tehran Marketplace (Cambridge University Press, 2007)

Khalaf, A., O. Alshehabi and A. Hanieh. Transit States. Labour, Migration and Citizenship in the Gulf (London: Pluto Press, 2014)

Naqeeb (al-), K. Society and State in the Gulf and Arab Peninsula (London: Routledge, 1990)