IRLS660  - Seminar in Middle East Politics and Security

This course examines evolution of the contemporary Middle East politics. It studies political, social, and cultural, interactions both within and among the countries located in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, the Persian Gulf region, and the North Africa. The course aims to present detailed and multidimensional analysis of the political attitudes and behaviors of prominent players biased through religious motives, regimes, patterns of patrimonial leadership, and diverse aspirations and goals of traditional social groups rooted in the Middle East. In this framework, focusing, first, on the birth and rise of Islam and religious motives in social life, the course sets the stage for historic developments which brought about structural dilemmas of today. Emphasizing on the period starting with the industrial revolution early in the nineteenth century, it also draws attention to the political economic motives of the region shaped by petroleum as well as the rise of mass politics. Correspondingly, involvement of the great powers into the politics of region is, in the final analysis, another topic that adds up flavor to the discussions and perspectives related to the Middle East politics. Finally, it takes up the analysis of current developments, like the U.S. led Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and democratization efforts in the Broader Middle East area in the context of U.S. war on terror.