POL2634 Middle East PoliticsBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
POL2634 Middle East Politics Spring
Fall
3 0 3 6
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: The aim of this course is to introduce students to the major political structures and questions in Middle Eastern politics. The first section examines the origins of Middle Eastern states and introduces you to critical structures like religion, tribes, and the family. In the second section, we examine why authoritarianism has persisted in the region, and how it is linked to other issues like nationalism, militarism, and rentierism. The third section assesses the degree to which civil society and social movements—including the revolutionary movements of the ‘Arab Spring’—have challenged longstanding regimes and state structures. And in the fourth and final section, we consider the future of Middle Eastern politics by evaluating some of the lingering concerns and the emerging prospects for liberalization and reform.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;
I. Analyze the Middle East utilizing both historical and theoretical concepts
II. Understand the role of ideology and religion, oil in the Middle East
III. Compare and contrast Middle East countries’ foreign policies
IV. Evaluate the economic, cultural and demographic changes in the Middle East
V. Recognize national and international factors in Middle East foreign policy making process

Course Content

Ancient civilizations; the role of religion; the legacies of colonialism; the Middle East regional system, the impact of the international system on the middle east, the challenge of security in the region.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) An Introduction to the Middle East
2) Ancient Middle East: Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians.
3) Great Empires: Persian Empire, Carthage, Rome Empire, Egypt and Hellenism.
4) Religion in the Middle East: Christianity and Judaism
5) Rise of Islam: The “Golden Age”, Rashidun Caliphate and Split in Islam.
6) Spread of Islam: Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid and Ayyubid Dynasties.
7) Reconquista in Spain, Andalusia and The Crusades.
8) Mongol, Seljuq and Byzantine Empires influences in the Middle East.
9) Rise of the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman’s influence in the Middle East
10) I. World War, Interwar Period, Second World War and the consequences: Impact of the war on the Jewish public and the region, increasing sympathy towards the Jewish public and Zionism and twice Promised Land.
11) Modern Middle East: Historic moments, assessments of specific events.
12) September 11 Attacks: Foreign Policies of the Middle East States, US Post-September 11.
13) The new world order, new approaches and analysis of current issues.
14) Review

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: William L. Cleveland – Modern Middle East History
Louise Fawcett - International Relations of the Middle East
Raymond Hinnebusch & Anoushiravan Ehteshami - The Foreign Policies of the Middle East States
Ian J. Bickerton - The Arab-Israeli Conflict
Laura Zittrain Eisenberg & Neil Caplan- Negotiating Arab - Israeli Peace
David S. Sorenson - Interpreting the Middle East
Robert D. Lee – Religion and Politics in the Middle East
Peter Mansfield – A History of the Middle East
Bernard Lewis – The Middle East
Benjamin MacQueen - An Introduction to Middle East Politics
References: William L. Cleveland – Modern Middle East History
Louise Fawcett - International Relations of the Middle East
Raymond Hinnebusch & Anoushiravan Ehteshami - The Foreign Policies of the Middle East States
Ian J. Bickerton - The Arab-Israeli Conflict
Laura Zittrain Eisenberg & Neil Caplan- Negotiating Arab - Israeli Peace
David S. Sorenson - Interpreting the Middle East
Robert D. Lee – Religion and Politics in the Middle East
Peter Mansfield – A History of the Middle East
Bernard Lewis – The Middle East
Benjamin MacQueen - An Introduction to Middle East Politics

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 14 % 20
Midterms 1 % 40
Final 1 % 40
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 14 42
Study Hours Out of Class 14 104
Midterms 1 2
Final 1 2
Total Workload 150

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Knowledge of photographic and video media and ability to use basic, intermediate and advanced techniques of these media.
2) Ability to understand, analyze and evaluate theories, concepts and uses of photography and video.
3) Ability to employ theoretical knowledge in the areas of the use of photography and video.
4) Familiarity with and ability to review the historical literature in theoretical and practical studies in photography and video.
5) Ability in problem solving in relation to projects in photography and video.
6) Ability to generate innovative responses to particular and novel requirements in photography and video.
7) Understanding and appreciation of the roles and potentials of the image across visual culture
8) Ability to communicate distinctively by means of photographic and video images.
9) Experience of image post-production processes and ability to develop creative outcomes through this knowledge.
10) Knowledge of and ability to participate in the processes of production, distribution and use of photography and video in the media.
11) Ability to understand, analyze and evaluate global, regional and local problematics in visual culture.
12) Knowledge of and ability to make a significant contribution to the goals of public communication.
13) Enhancing creativity via interdisciplinary methods to develop skills for realizing projects.
14) Gaining general knowledge about the points of intersection of communication, art and technology.