GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Schar School of Policy and Government
GOVT632: The Politics and Societies of the Middle East spring 2023 Wednesday 4:30 pm – 7:10 pm, HoRIZON 5018
Taught by Bassam Haddad E-mail: [email protected] | Tel: (703) 887-5257 | Twitter: @4Bassam Office: Aquia 314 Provisional Office hours: Tuesday, 5:00 - 7:00pm; and by appointment
Please use this link to sign up for office hour, go to my bio page on this site or just click the icon below!
Overview This course is an advanced survey of the politics and society of the Middle East. It covers salient and central themes in the history, politics, culture, and economics of the region, and addresses a number of methodological debates raised in, and by, the field. The course is analytically divided into five parts. The first introduces students to the political sociology of the "Developing World" with special reference to Middle Eastern societies as well as the topic of how the Middle East was studied historically. The second overviews the social and political history of the region and of its cultural specificities. The third assesses the character, stages, and consequences of European imperialism and formation of modern states in the region. The fourth examines the structure and dynamics of contemporary Middle Eastern societies, including the questions of ethnicity, religious sects, and social class and their intersection. In this section, the issues of gender and family are closely examined. The second section analyzes the impact of state-led growth and/or post-colonial development on Middle Eastern societies. The fifth and final part of the course assesses the future of the region in light of the Arab uprisings of 2011, particularly in terms of prospects for political transition and liberalization, the social impact of the current economic reforms, the growing developmental gap, the increasing radicalization and militarization of some Islamist groups/movements, and the impact of globalization and the “war on terrorism.”
Assignments Your grade for this class will be determined by the following assessed components (weighted as specified):
Presentations and Effective* Participation: 25% Response Paper and Assignments: 20% Midterm Exam: 25% Final Paper/Project: 30%
*Effective participation means productive interventions based on the readings and the ability to lead class discussions when assigned that role. Full details of all assignments are available in the relevant website section.
Attendance Class participation will be essential in this course, the more so because we meet only once a week. Therefore, class attendance is a must. Unexcused absences will not reflect well in your participation grade. Missing 3 classes (unexcused) will affect your final grade because you would not benefit from classroom lectures, presentations, discussions, and q&a.
Services for Students with Difference If you have a documented difference (learning, physical, psychological) for which you are or may be requesting reasonable academic adjustments, you are encouraged to inform me as early as possible in the semester. I, personally, would be happy to accommodate all your legitimate requests regarding such matters, with or without documentation.
Academic Integrity “The pursuit of knowledge can only take place in an atmosphere of honesty, integrity, and mutual trust.” In order to accomplish this, we must all be “committed to a policy that regards the highest degree of academic honesty as the norm.” Academic dishonesty is not tolerated at George Mason University, nor is it in this course. Based on University policy, such acts of dishonesty may result in a failing grade for the relevant assignment or a failing grade for the course.
Required Books (partial list. The full list will be determined after the first class has been held)
Joel Beinin, Bassam Haddad, Sherene Seikaly, A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa (Stanford University Press, 2020). Paperback or Kindle version. [not in GMU Bookstore]
Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Lynne Rienner, 2013), (Paperback) Fourth Edition, ISBN-13: 978-1588269102
Bassam Haddad, Business Networks: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience in Syria (Stanford University Press, 2012). (Paperback) ISBN: 9780804785068
Course Outline
Class Introduction + Introduction to Middle East Politics
The Middle East: An Overview of Salient Issues and Themes
Politics and Society in the Middle East: Historical Background
Classic Orientalism and Other "Essentialisms:" The Study of the “East”
The Arab Uprisings: Causes, Dynamics, Prospects
Politics, the State, and Authoritarian Rule
Case-Study: The Egyptian Uprising
Political Economy of (Post-Colonial) Development
Case-Study: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience in Syria
Religion and Politics: Islamism and its Discontents
Social Dynamics: Family and Women
The Israel-Palestine Conflict
Looking Forward: Reimagining the Middle East
The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus