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SOAS University of London: Politics of the Middle East

Institution SOAS University of London View institution profile
Department Politics and International Studies View department profile
Web www.soas.ac.uk
Email study@soas.ac.uk
Telephone 020 7898 4700
Study type Taught

Summary

Politics and international relations in the Middle East display many of the characteristic features of the modern world. Contentious legacies of imperial map-making fuel frontier disputes and throw into question the legitimacy of the territorial nation state. Governments have been repeatedly challenged by populations tired of the old rationales for authoritarian rule and angered by its repressive effects. The politics of national identity, sometimes bound up with ideas of religious identity, have been given new urgency by class conflict, by military occupation and by the growth of the security state. Meanwhile, the long history of external intervention in the states of the region has heightened domestic and regional tensions.

The degree offers students an opportunity to study politics in the region through a number of disciplinary approaches, such as political sociology (class, gender, ethnicity and sect), comparative politics (state power, political economy of development, democratic openings and nationalism), and international politics (war, international political economy, regionalism and dependency). At the same time, it provides thematic courses that encourage students to look at political processes in the region from distinct perspectives, such as the study of political violence, the examination of the politics of resistance and the understanding of Islamic political ideologies and political movements.

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work. Students are expected to read extensively, to make a number of presentations and to engage actively in seminar discussions. They are also expected to write substantial papers, guided by their course tutors, but requiring significant independent work.

MSc

Teaching and research in the Department of Politics and International Studies is distinguished by a critical approach to the study of the politics of the Global South. SOAS Politics programmes engage with the developments and realities of African, Asian and Middle Eastern domestic and international politics, while also offering different perspectives for understanding these realities.

Postgraduate degrees include:

Real-world relevance

In the wide-range …

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