MES4520 ¨C Topics in Middle East Politics and Society II

Course content

This course focuses on one or more central topics in the field of Middle East politics and society. These topics are predominantly related to past or ongoing research activities in the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages and may include topics such as democratization, state-society relations, Islamist movements, minorities, ethno-nationalist conflicts, insurgencies, gender issues, and the use of social media in the Middle East.

Topic 2025: Jihadi and non-jihadi insurgencies in the MENA region

The course does not overlap with MES4500 ¨C Topics in Middle East Politics and Society I.

Examples of topics that have been given in MES4520:

• Gender and Revolutions: Rethinking the "Women Question" in the Modern Middle East

• Dimensions of security in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Political fault lines in post-revolutionary Iran

• Jihadi and non-jihadi insurgencies in the MENA region

• Topic Spring 2024:?War contexts: The background for the war in Gaza

  • The course examines ways to understand the background for the Hamas - Israel war that unfolded in Autumn 2023. Three books illuminating different aspects of the situation leading up to the war will be discussed.

Learning outcome

The course is based on the reading, analysis and discussion of sources in English and, whenever possible, in a Middle Eastern language. You will learn to:

• analyse primary sources in English translation (or Arabic/Persian/Turkish original for those who know the language).

• present of your own analysis of texts for an audience.

• write an academic essay built on both original and secondary sources.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Formal prerequisite knowledge

MES4000 ¨C Theory, Methodology and Project Description in Middle East- and South Asia Studies

Teaching

The course is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars organised as 10 classes of 2 hours each throughout the semester. The course presupposes active participation.

Compulsory activity:?

1. Oral presentation of 12-15 minutes at one of the seminars.
   • The presentation should include slides and handouts.
   • The topic of the oral presentation cannot overlap with the theme chosen for the term paper or the given topic for the short discussion paper.
2. A draft sketch of the term paper.
   • The sketch should be at least two pages long and must include a working title, a research question, a tentative outline of the argument, and a bibliography.
   • The draft sketch is to be submitted in Canvas by the first week of April 2025.
   • This must be approved by the teacher in order to take the exam.

All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.?

Approval of the compulsory draft of the term paper is only valid for the current semester. If you retake the course, you must submit a new draft in the semester in which you are taking the exam.?

You will find more information about the requirements for the compulsory assignments and the submission deadline in Canvas.?

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Absence from compulsory activities:?

• Here you will find information about compulsory activities at the Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages.?

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities, to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.?

More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:?

• Common guidelines relating to compulsory activities - University of Oslo (uio.no)?

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Access to teaching?

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.?

Examination

Portfolio exam.

The exam will be a portfolio consisting of:

1. Term paper.
   • The term paper should consist of 10 pages. One standard page is approximately 2300 characters without spaces, including references. The front page and bibliography are not included in the page count.?
2. A discussion paper on a topic given by the instructor.?
   • The discussion paper should consist of 3 - 4 pages. One standard page is approximately 2300 characters without spaces, including references. The front page and bibliography are not included in the page count.
3. The slides & handout used for the obligatory class presentation.

Detailed information regarding the exam format will be announced on Canvas.?

You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.

You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.?

All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.?

You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.?

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.