Module ARAM244 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ARAM244: Politics and Economics of the Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The module will consist of 11 sessions which will emphasize different aspects of Middle East politics and economics, focusing in particular on the main actors and institutions in the region and the challenges and opportunities facing these. 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 Uprisings: placing the module in context
- Poverty and inequality
- Crony capitalism
- Arab militaries: economic and political interference
- Competitive authoritarianism
- Governments and parliaments
- Political parties
- Essay workshop (synopsis-based)
- Women in parliament
- Trade unions
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 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 22 | 11x2-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 synopsis (44 hours) and essay (135 hours) |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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.
Brown, Nathan (2001) Constitutions in a Nonconstitutional World. New York: State University of New York Press.
Cavatorta, Francesco and Lise Storm (eds) (2018) Political Parties in the Arab World. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Diwan, Ishac, Adeel Malik and Izak Atiyas (eds) (2019) Crony Capitalism in the Middle East. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hinnebusch, Raymond and Jasmine Gani (eds) (2019) The Routledge Handbook to the Middle East and North African State and States System. London: Routledge.
Krishnan, Nandini, Gabriel Lara Ibarra, Ambar Narayan, Sailesh Tiwari and Tara Vishwanath (2016) Uneven Odds, Unequal Outcomes: Inequality of Opportunity in the Arab Region. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way (2011) Competitive Authoritarianism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
