Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3140: The Kurds: History and Politics

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

Module Aims

This module will introduce you to the social and political history of the Kurds, the largest stateless nation and the largest group in the Middle East after Arabs, Persians and Turks. They have begun to play a prominent role in the complex politics and social transformation of the Middle East, which are difficult to understand without a grasp of the Kurds’ long and complicated history. The module aims to give you an understanding of the social and political history of the Kurds in relation to the global context, and to help you analyse their political organisation and the evolution of the society from a range of perspectives. The module will encourage you to critically examine the social and political history of the Kurds, considering issues of social organisation, nationalism, political party formation, identity and religion, migration, diaspora, and mobility, gender, political economy, regional and international relations.

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 a detailed understanding of the political historical developments of the different parts in Kurdistan in a global context.
2. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the social and economical transformation of Kurdistan and Kurdish society since the late 19th century
3. Demonstrate objective analysis of the Kurds’ interaction with the dominant states of the region.
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Discuss and analyze historical material.
5. Apply a multi-disciplinary approach in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a particular ethno-national group.
6. Distinguish between a range of methodological approaches as well as variety of genres, i.e. historical, political or anthropological and sociological texts, (auto)biographical writings and fiction.
Personal and Key Skills7. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment.
8. Analyze and assess literature and various resources critically
9. Engage in independent study in group or individually