Module ARA3045 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA3045: War, Violence and Revolution in the Modern Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to equip you with a good knowledge of the history of the Middle East in the modern period, along with a detailed understanding of the ways in which violence and war have been formative of modern polities and societies in the region. It aims to ensure that you are able to directly connect theoretical literatures on war, revolution and violence to specific case studies, and to develop strong capabilities in comparative historical analysis, source analyses and the development of complex forms of written argumentation.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate both a detailed understanding of the modern Middle East and an ability to connect and compare seemingly discrete national and local histories from across the region and the time period studied; 2. demonstrate familiarity with the major scholars working in the theoretical fields of war, revolution and violence, and on the region; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. critically engage with theoretical debates on war, revolution and violence and an ability to apply such theories to the Middle East; 4. analyse case studies looking at key examples of wars, revolutions and genocide; 5. demonstrate a systematic understanding of the interdisciplinary methods which Area Studies and Middle East Studies are based upon; 6. engage with, research and complete one essay which displays an ability to analyse one single country or to compare two or more states; |
Personal and Key Skills | 7. critically engage with theoretical literature and apply it to the context under discussion; and 8. contextualise sources, rank them according to relevance, write coherent and structured arguments. |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Submission of essay plans | 500 words | 1, 5, 6, 8 | Tutorials in and outside class. |
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 |
---|---|---|
60 | 0 | 40 |
...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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Essay | 60 | 3000 words | 1-8 | Written and oral |
Group presentation 1 | 20 | 15 minutes | 1-4, 7-8 | Oral, in class |
Group presentation 2 | 20 | 15 minutes | 1-4, 7-8 | Oral, in class |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Essay | Essay (3,000 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Group presentation 1 | Written summary of presentation (2000 words) | 1-4, 7, 8 | August/September reassessment period |
Group presentation 2 | Written summary of presentation (2000 words) | 1-4, 7, 8 | August/September reassessment 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.
Makdisi, U. and Silverstein, P. (eds) 2006. Memory and Violence in the Middle East and North Africa. Bloomington: University of Indiana Press.
Neep, D., 2013, Occupying Syria under the French Mandate: Insurgency, Space and State Formation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Arendt, H. 1970, On Violence. New York: Harcourt and Brace.