Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3136: The History and Political Development of Iraq

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

Module Aims

The purpose of this module is to develop an understanding of the modern history and politics of one of the most critical state actors in Middle East politics. The module aims to generate among students an appreciation of how social, economic, political, and international forces have met in Iraq, culminating in the contemporary post-2003 situation. The module aims to make students familiar with the latest scholarship on Iraq, and engage with actual actors who will be invited to selected lectures.

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 Skills1. Demonstrate understanding of Iraq's historical development;
2. Assess and analyze Iraq's internal political and social structures;
3. Demonstrate comprehension of Iraq's position in the region;
4. Analyze and assess Iraq's economy;
5. Examine Saddam Hussein's emergence and rule, the Gulf wars, the international sanctions, and the 'regime change';
6. Apply and discuss theories of state-building, nationalism, political economy, and democratic transition.
Discipline-Specific Skills7. Discuss and analyze historical material;
8. Critically evaluate the forces of state and nation formation;
9. Embrace a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a particular country;
10. Undertake a study from a multi-disciplinary perspective;
11. Employ visual aids in project work.
Personal and Key Skills12. Demonstrate skills in time management;
13. Demonstrate skills in using information technology;
14. Demonstrate oral and written communication skills;
15. Demonstrate abilities to work effectively in study groups with limited guidance;
16. Demonstrate skills to plan and produce course-work to a deadline.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Week 1: General Presentation of the Module, and Iraq before Iraq.

Week 2: The British Mandate: State Formation, Land and People of Modern Iraq.

Week 3: Monarchical Iraq, 1932-1958.

Week 4: Republican Iraq I: Qassim and the Arab Nationalists, 1958-68.

Week 5: Republican Iraq II: Ba‘th Party Rule, 1968-1990.

Week 6: Iraq’s Economy I (1970s- end 1980s): the Rise of a New State Bourgeoisie under Ba‘th Rule.

Week 7: The Gulf War and its Consequences: Sanctions, Intifada and KRG Formation.

Week 8: Saddam Hussein’s Strategy of Survival: Tribal/Religious Revival, Clannish Policies and Elites’ Management.

Week 9: Iraq’s Economy II (1990s): Sanctions and Economic Breakdown.

Week 10: Regime Change, Iraq post-2003.

Week 11: Conclusion: Iraq Dictatorship or Democracy?

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity 22Lectures and seminars.
Guided Independent Study128Private study outside the classroom including wider reading, presentation preparation, essay preparation.

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.

Abdul-Jabar, Faleh and Hosham Dawod, eds. Tribes and Power. Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Middle East. London: Saqi, 2003.

Abdul-Jabar, Faleh, ed. Ayatollahs, Sufis and Ideologues: State, Religion and Social Movements in Iraq. London: Saqi Books, 2002.

Alnasrawi, Abbas. Iraq’s Burdens: Oil, Sanctions and Underdevelopment. London: Greenwood, 2002.

Anderson, Liam and Gareth Stansfield. The Future of Iraq: Dictatorship, Democracy or Division? New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

Baram, Amatzia. Building Toward Crisis: Saddam Husayn’s Strategy for Survival. Washington, D.C.: Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1998.

Baram, Amatzia. Culture, History and Ideology in the Formation of Ba‘thist Iraq, 1968-89. London : Macmillan /St Antony’s College, Oxford, 1991.

Batatu, Hanna. The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements in Iraq. London: Saqi, 2004.
Dodge, Toby. Iraq’s Future: the Aftermath of regime change. London: Routledge for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2005.

Dodge, Toby and Steven Simon, eds. Iraq at the Crossroads: State and Society in the Shadow of Regime Change. London: IISS/OUP, 2003.

Dodge, Toby. Inventing Iraq. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.

Farouk-Sluglett, Marion and Peter Sluglett. Iraq Since 1958: from Revolution to Dictatorship. London : I. B. Tauris, 1990.

Marr, Phebe. The Modern History of Iraq (2nd edition). Boulder CO: Westview, 2004.

Niblock, Tim. "Pariah States" and Sanctions in the Middle East: Iraq, Libya and Sudan. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2001.

Tripp, Charles. A History of Iraq (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Visser, Reidar. A Responsible End? The United States and the Iraqi Transition, 2005-2010. Charlottesville, VA: Just World Books, 2010.