Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ARAM221: The Palestine Question: Past and Present

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to introduce you to one of the most important issue in the politics of the region and in the world at large. In doing so, it aims to enable you to understand the ways in which the scholarly debate on this issue has developed and how the production of academic knowledge can improve understandings of the origins of the conflict in Israel and Palestine and the possible scenarios about its future.

It will also introduce you to the intriguing world of power and knowledge. You will acquaint yourself with recent theoretical and conceptual insights into this question.

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. Critically understand the nature and importance of the scholarly research on topical issues at the top of the international agenda. 2. Reflect critically on the scholarly research on the Palestine Question
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Analyse and identify the role of narratives in scholarly studies of the Middle East 4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the interdisciplinary methods upon which Area Studies and Middle East Studies are based; 5. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of a scholarly treatment of a topical issue such as the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Personal and Key Skills	6. Demonstrate close reading, critical and analytical skills through readings, class discussions and presentations 7. Organise data effectively to produce a coherent argument to a deadline, both orally and in writing.

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:

Palestine through the Ages: From the Roman times to Our times.

The Battle of the Narratives: Conceptual and Methodological Aspects.

The Settler Colonial paradigm versus the National Conflict paradigm.

The Zionist Narrative

The Palestinian Narrative

The Post-Zionist Challenge

New Developments in Palestinian Historiography

The Palestinian Refugee questions and its impact on the Palestine Question.

The Role of the Palestinian minority in Israel

The Peace Process and Its Discontents

The One State versus the Two States Solution

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 Activity	22	11 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study	77	Weekly reading (7 hours per week)
Guided Independent Study	22	Class preparation (2 hours per week)
Guided independent study	179	Preparation and writing of essay 1 (100 hours), essay 2 (50 hours), and book review (29 hours)

Online Resources

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