Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)

Course Description Status: Approved

Course Description Version: 25/26.R.1.00

Description Period: 2025./26 academic year rudens semestris

Study Course Accepted: -

Study Course Description

International Relations of the Middle East

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
PZK_141
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Toms Rātfelders
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts

Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv

About Study Course

Objective

The aim of the Middle East international relations course is to introduce students to the main historical events of the international relations of the Middle East region in the 20th century and their connection with the present day. The events discussed in the course will be considered in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of international relations, which will give students an understanding of the place of the Middle East region in modern international relations research, and will also allow them to apply the knowledge gained in other courses in the analysis of the actions of the countries of the region in the international system. At the same time, students will also be introduced to research concepts of the international relations of the Third World and post-colonial countries - "omnibalancing", "regime security", "Arab Street", etc. They will supplement the Western perspective on international relations discussed earlier in the study and will allow a better understanding of the aspects of the foreign policy formation of Middle Eastern countries.

Preliminary Knowledge

No specific knowledge of the Middle East is required.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1.As a result of the course, students will have knowledge that will allow them to identify the main events of international relations in the Middle East of the 20th century and understand their impact on the situation in the region today. The student should also be able to identify the main international players involved in the region (USA, Russia, China, EU, etc.) and their foreign policy interests. Will be understood the peculiarities of the Middle East regional system and its influence on national decision-making processes.

Skills

1.Within the framework of the course, students' critical thinking skills and the ability to process a large amount of information are developed. In the context of simulation games, debating, teamwork and consensus-seeking skills will also be developed, which can be useful both in work in public administration and international institutions, as well as in the private sector.

Competences

1.Students will be able to navigate the main theoretical concepts of international relations in the Middle East and will be able to apply them both in the analysis of the political processes of the region and also in the research of international relations.

Assessment

Individual work

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Individual work
-
-
The study process includes a number of independent works, which are introduced to the student at the beginning of the study course.

Examination

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Examination
-
-
By prior arrangement, students are required to produce an individual report on the political development of a Middle Eastern (actor) country in the 20th century. A maximum of 2 students may write about one country. The report should clearly identify the country's main political developments in the 20th century (at the student's discretion), identify the main trends and directions in foreign policy (foreign policy strategy), and briefly explain how the country's foreign policy decision-making mechanism works. Length: 10-12 pages (excluding references and reading list).
2.

Examination
-
-
To get the final assessment, students must attend seminars, take tests, prepare research papers, produce a report and pass an exam.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Part 1

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Introduction. The importance of the Middle East and the regional system in contemporary international relations.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Theoretical traditions in Middle Eastern international relations research: realism, liberalism, constructivism.

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Why is there so much conflict in the Middle East?

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The Birth of the Modern Middle East: World War I, the Ottoman Empire, the Arab Revolts, the Sykes-Picot Treaty, the creation of the Mandates.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Arab nationalism and the Arab Cold War period: The Nasser factor, attempts at realignment, the Six Day War (1967).

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Why has it not been possible to create a united Arab state?

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The collapse of Arab nationalism and the rise of statehood: the Yom Kippur War (1973), the rise of Islamist influence, the Islamic Revolution of Iran (1979).

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Period of US "hegemony" in the Middle East: Gulf War (1990), Iraq and Iran issues, invasion of Iraq (2003).

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The Arab Spring and the Future of the Middle East Region.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Middle East and external players: USA, Russia, EU (including Latvia), China.

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Simulation game: Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Simulation Game: Syrian Civil War.
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
24 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

(Blackwell companions to world history) Youssef M. Choueiri. A Companion to the History of the Middle East. Wiley-Blackwell (2005).pdf

2.

Benjamin MacQueen. An Introduction to Middle East Politics. Sage Publications Ltd, (2018).pdf

3.

Atlas of the Middle East.pdf

4.

Ellen Lust. The Middle East. CQ Press (2019).pdf

5.

Eugene Rogan. The Fall of the Ottomans. The Great War in the Middle East. Basic Books (2015).pdf

6.

Heather Deegan. Third Worlds. The Politics of the Middle East and Africa-Routledge. (1996).pdf

7.

Hinnebusch. Foreign Policies of Middle East States.pdf

8.

Jackson.pdf

9.

louise fawcett. international relations of middle east. Oxford University Press, (2016).pdf

10.

Mark Gasiorowski. The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa.pdf

11.

Mehran Kamrava. The Modern Middle East_ A Political History since the First World War. University of California Press, (2005).pdf

12.

MEPolicyCouncil. What-Where Middle East.pdf

13.

Peter Mansfield, Nicolas Pelham. A History of the Middle East. Penguin, (2019).epub

14.

Raymond Hinnebusch. The International Politics of the Middle East. Regional International Politics Series. (2003).pdf

15.

Raymond Hinnebusch, Jasmine Gani. The Routledge Handbook to the Middle East and North African State and States System. Taylor Francis Group (2020).pdf

16.

Roger Owen. State, Power Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East. 2nd Edition (2000).pdf

17.

Subaltern realism.pdf

18.

The International Relations of the Persian Gulf by F. Gregory Gause, III (z-lib.org).pdf

19.

William L Cleveland, Martin Bunton. A History of the Modern Middle East. 4th Edition-Westview Press (2008).pdf