Politics of the Middle East

This course offers a comprehensive historical, social, and economic background for understanding the contemporary politics of the Middle East. While providing a historical framework and up-to-date analysis of contemporary events, the course also introduces key theories and concepts and applies them to a Middle Eastern context. Firstly, the course offers a historical and chronological overview of the principal developments in the politics of the Middle East within the broader context of an evolving international system. Secondly, the course considers region-specific conflicts and issues-the Arab-Israel crisis, wars in the Gulf, and U.S. and European policy-and examines them from a comparative and international perspective. Thirdly, the course provides a regionally sensitive perspective by looking at major themes, including the political economy of the oil, democratization, and Islamic political movements. Prerequisite: POSC 100 or permission of the instructor.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland reserves the right to provide some or all of the course content through alternative methods of course delivery, including remote methods of delivery, and it reserves the right to change the method of delivery at any time before or during the academic term, in the event of a health or safety emergency or similar situation when it determines, in its sole discretion, that such change is necessary and in the best interests of the College and the campus community.