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PIR-20094 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

PIR-20094 - The International Politics of the Middle East: A Century of War and Diplomacy
Coordinator: Naveed Sheikh Room: CBB2.019 Tel: +44 1782 7 33400
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Yes

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

N/A


Barred Combinations

N/A


Description for 2022/23


Aims
This module aims to deliver a broad-based introduction to the history, politics and international relations of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Students will gain familiarity with key facts in the political history, geography, and demography of the MENA region, attain knowledge about the different political conflicts in parts of the Middle East since approximately 1920, together with an understanding of the key ideologies, alignments and organisations in the Middle East. In particular, the module aims to facilitate critical evaluations of the causes, contexts and manifestations of political conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/pir-20094/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

gain a broad-based insight into the history of the Middle East since the collapse of the Ottoman empire until the contemporary period: 1
obtain a critical and interdisciplinary appreciation of a variety of ways in which the regional and international politics of the Middle East and North Africa can be analysed: 1,2
obtain a literature-based understanding of the central aspects of the geopolitics, diplomacy, civil conflicts and ideological contests across the Middle East: 1,2
be able to critically evaluate key debates about the international politics of the Middle East region, among the public as well as in academic and policy circles: 1,2
analyse causes, contexts and manifestations of political conflict (including, but not limited to, wars) in the Middle East and North Africa: 1,2

Study hours

lectures: 10 x 1-hour lectures (10 hours)
tutorials: 10 x 1-hour tutorials (10 hours)
preparation for tutorials: (40 hours)
researching and compiling poster: (30 hours)
researching and writing essay: (60 hours)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 75%
A 1,650-word essay on a set essay question
A 1,650-word essay on a set essay question from a list provided in the module guide.

2: Poster Presentation weighted 25%
A 350 word poster
Students will produce an A3-sized poster that engages with one of the set problems studied in this module. The word length is 350 words (plus illustrations).

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023