Undergraduate MUR-POL334-2019

Middle East Politics and Security

Register the way social and cultural trends impact Middle East politics and security. Map the events that formed the region's modern states. Follow the rise of religious radicalism. Address the War on Terror and the demonstrations of the Arab Spring.

From

$820 $1,070

Your upfront cost: $0

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Duration

13 weeks

Student rating

4.17

Study method

100% online

Available loans

FEE-HELP
HECS-HELP

Assessments

Subjects may require attendance

Prior study

Not required

Study terms

26 Aug 2019
25 Nov 2019
31 Aug 2020
30 Nov 2020

This research-based university in Perth has a strong interdisciplinary focus and a reputation for outstanding teaching and ground-breaking research. With more than 22,000 students and 2,000 staff from over 90 countries, and campuses in Dubai and Singapore, Murdoch embraces free thinking, shared ideas and knowledge to make a difference, and Open Universities Australia is certainly part of that.

University ranking

2019
2020

Subject details

What you'll learn

This subject aims to achieve the following specific learning outcomes:

Knowledge: Students will learn important moments, events and ideas relating to the development of modern Middle East politics and security issues.
Comprehension: They will understand how these relate to underlying cultural, social, and religious trends in the region and to broader forces such as imperialism, conflict, and radicalism.
Analysis: They will be able to judge whether these trends and forces make the Middle East unique or exceptional.
Argument: They will be able to construct arguments that both draw on specific historical and contemporary examples and evaluate differing perspectives on key Middle Eastern issues relating to politics and security.

This subject also aims to achieve the following generic learning outcomes:

Prioritising material: Students will learn how to manage a large amount of empirical material and order it in a comprehensible manner.
Synthesis: Students will be able to draw on the material presented in lectures and the readings to make connections and draw conclusions.
Critical thinking: Students will learn how to look at contested interpretations of history, culture, politics and security and to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
Communication: Through tutorials and essays, students will learn how to present their ideas, both verbally and in writing, in a structured and clear way.

Topics covered

- Week One: Introduction
- Week Two: People, Society and Politics
- Week Three: Religion, Ethnicity, Gender and Class
- Week Four: Empires and Imperialism
- Week Five: States and Nationalism
- Week Six: The Cold War and the US as Hyperpower
- Week Seven: Political Economies
- Week Eight: Conflict in the Region
- Week Nine: Political Change and Reform
- Week Ten: Political Islam
- Week Eleven: Religious Radicalism and Terrorism
- Week Twelve: Securities and Insecurities - the Arab Spring and Daesh (ISIS)
- Week Thirteen: Conclusion
Study resources
- Instructional methods
  - Discussion forum/Discussion Board
  - Online assignment submission
- Online materials
  - Online Assessment
  - Audio-Video streaming
  - Resources and Links

Entry requirements

No eligibility requirements

Special requirements

No special requirements

Description

This subject covers key issues in Middle East politics and security today. The first part addresses regional complexities in terms of people, society, politics and geopolitics. The second part examines nationalism; the emergence of the modern states; the origins of conflict; and debates around political change and reform, including the role of political Islam and the emergence of religious radicalism. The final part considers contemporary challenges: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; ‘war on terror’; Arab Spring; and rise of Daesh/Islamic State.

Assessments

Online discussion/participation (20%)
Essay (2,500 words) (40%)
Invigilated Exam (40%)

Textbooks

Current study term (25 Aug 19 to 24 Nov 19)

Click on the titles of the listed books below to find out more:

Understanding the Contemporary Middle East, 4th ed.

Jillian Schwedler

Required

Next study term (24 Nov 19 to 23 Feb 20)

Textbooks are not required.

Related degrees

undergraduate MUR-STC-DEG-2019

Bachelor of Arts Security Terrorism and Counter-terrorism

3 available majors

Part I (Level 1) Core units - Major
PART II (Level 3) Core units - Major
PART II (Level 2) Core units - Major

undergraduate MUR-ART-DEG-2019

Bachelor of Arts

4 available majors

Major in Community Development
Major in International Aid and Development
Major in Security, Terrorism and Counter-terrorism
Major in Sustainable Development