Module POC2090 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POC2090: Violence, Conflict and Religion in the Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.
Module Aims
This module will:
1. Provide you with the basis for developing a systematic understanding of the current political and security challenges to the Middle East.
2. Develop an advanced understanding of the socio-political and historical processes, and major political, social, ideological and religious factors that have led, or contributed, to the current instabilities in the Middle East.
3. Introduce you to a variety of different theoretical perspectives to studying the region's politics and some of the principal academic debates surrounding the study of the region.
4. Enable you to practice your analytical and presentation skills in both written and oral form.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate an advanced understanding and awareness of the important political and security challenges in the contemporary Middle East; 2. develop an appreciation of the socio-political and historical process and factors that have led, or contributed, to the current instabilities in the region; 3. recognise some of the main concepts and debates surrounding the study of the Middle East, and discuss them in relation to the current events in the region; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. locate and engage with an array of material, involving web-based data, academic journals and news sources, in order to develop in-depth knowledge of particular issues; 5. formulate, articulate, and defend your own well-structured or reasoned arguments in the light of appropriate evidence; 6. abstract theoretical ideas and concepts to actual events and outcomes; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. formulate and present information and critical analysis, in both written and oral forms, in a coherent manner; 8. deliver presentations to peers; 9. understand assessment criteria, engage in critical yet constructive peer-evaluation and produce feedback and suggestions for improvement; 10. use ICT as a tool for accessing appropriate resources; 11. work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer reviews of presentations | 5 minutes | 1-6, 9 | Oral |
| Examination practice sessions | 300-500 words | 1-7,11 | Oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 65 | 35 |
...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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student-led Seminar | 35 | 15 min per student | 1-10 | Verbal and Written |
| Examination | 65 | 1.5 hours | 1-7,9-11 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student-led Seminar | Presentation Report (1000 words) | 1-7, 9,10 | August/September assessment period |
| Examination | 1.5 hours | 1-7, 9-11 | August/September assessment period |
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.
Cammett, M. (2015) A Political Economy of the Middle East. Boulder: Westview Press
Dalacoura, K. (2011) Islamist Terrorism and Democracy in the Middle East. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press
Fawcett, L. (ed) (2009) International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Halliday, F. (1996) Islam and the Myth of Confrontation: Religion and Politics in the Middle East, London: I. B. Tauris
Halliday, Fred (2005) The Middle East in International Relations: Power Politics & Ideology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Kamrava, M. (2011)The Modern Middle East: A Political History Since the First World War. London: California University Press Ltd.
Milton-Edwards, B. (2006) Contemporary Politics in the Middle East. Cambridge: Polity
Said, E. (1978) Orientalism, New York: Vintage Books.
