The course concentrates on the contemporary politics of the Arab world, Iran, Turkey and Israel, with some reference to Afghanistan. It examines the political development and dynamics of the major countries involved at national and regional levels. This is done in the context of four major variables - Islam, oil, the Arab-Israeli conflict and other regional disputes, and major power involvement - and the consequences of the interaction of these variables for the region in world politics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. learn about the evolution of State and Society in the Middle East against the backdrop of Islam, oil, inter-state conflicts and major power intervention as the dominant variables;
2. develop the ability to understand the relations between the dominant variables and assess their implications in a thematic fashion for the Middle East;
3. critically analyse the political dynamics of a number of key Middle Eastern states as significant case studies, and judge for themselves why the Middle East region is, on the one hand, very significant and, on the other, volatile;
4. advance arguments based on both historical and contemporary understanding of the Middle East from varying perspectives; and
5. present their ideas, both verbally and in writing, in a structured and clear way.

Research-Led Teaching

I have conducted several fieldworks in the region, (such as Iran, Egypt, & the UAE) on some of the key topics in this course and also I have published my findings in some the most reputable academic journals (such as, International Migration Review, the Middle East Journal, & BJMES). My research findings and outcomes shall be employed in this course to provide students with research informed teachings.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

N/A

Examination Material or equipment

N/A

Required Resources

N/A

Recommended Resources

N/A

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written feedback on the major essay, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the work and how the final mark was arrived at.
• Some more general feedback on essay performance and the spread of the marks may be provided to the class at one of the tutorials.
• No feedback is provided on the final examination, although students are welcome to access their paper in accordance with ANU and College Policies, which may provide some feedback and related insights, e.g. the marks gained for each question or section. 

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Additional referencing requirements

Major essays must be thoroughly researched and all applicable facts, ideas, quotes and points must be fully cited. The citation/referencing system used is not prescribed: provided that students follow an accepted convention such as the Chicago, Harvard, or Cambridge systems of citation, they may choose whichever they prefer.

All essays must include a bibliography or list of references, above and beyond any citation that appear in test or notes in the essay itself.

The Jacky Anne Sutton Prize

This prize was established in honour of Jacky Anne Sutton, a PhD student in the Centre of Arab and Islamic Studies, College of Arts and Social Sciences.

The prize will be awarded to the student with the best results in the course Politics in the Middle East.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Understanding the Middle East: Theoretical Approaches; Themes & Trends
2	The Making of Modern Middle East: How has the Middle East been Constructed?
3	Geopolitical Importance of the Middle East and Global Powers
4	Nationalism, Ethnicity & Religious Minorities: The Societal Security Challenges
5	Authoritarianism: Political Insecurities Within & Beyond the State
6	Week 6: Political Islam, Fundamentalism and Political Violence	Research essay due (40%)
7	Women, Youth and Internal Socio-economic Challenges
8	Globalisation and the Changing Middle East
9	Israel-Palestine Conflict & its Impact on the Region
10	Middle East and the Great Power Politics
11	Iran & the New Middle East Security Architecture
12	Territorial Disputes & Natural resources: Conflicts of Interests	Final essay due (50%)

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial assessment	10 %	*	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Research Essay (2000 words)	40 %	08/09/2023	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Final Essay (3000 words)	50 %	03/11/2023	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

N/A

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial assessment

Students are expected not only to attend weekly tutorials throughout the semester, but to make contributions during the discussions. 10% of the total mark will cover attendance plus participation. In-class participation may test some of the ‘Specific Learning Outcomes’ and some of the ‘General Skills’. Please note that the tutorial assessment is not open to re-appraisal.

Value: 10%

Assessment Task 2

Research Essay (2000 words)

The essay will relate to themes covered in the course, and will test students on 1-4 of the ‘Specific Learning Outcomes’ depending on the question chosen, plus 6-9 of the ‘General Learning Outcomes’. The essay must be 2000 words in length. An additional 10% allowance will apply.

The essay must be on a topic selected from the list of essay questions (to be accessed via Wattle).

The essay will be assessed on:

• Whether and how well the question is answered;
• Whether and how well an argument is presented;
• The factual accuracy of the essay;
• The depth and sophistication of research demonstrated in the essay;
• Whether academic conventions have been followed; and
• The technical quality of the essay.

Word limit: 2000 words

Value: 40%

Assessment Task 3

Final Essay (3000 words)

The essay must be on a topic selected from the list of essay questions (to be accessed via Wattle).

The exam will test students on ‘Specific Learning Outcomes’ 1-4 and ‘General Learning outcomes’ 6-9. The essay must be 3000 words in length. An additional 10% allowance will apply. Questions will be accessible via Wattle.

Value: 50%

The essay will be assessed on:

• Whether and how well the question is answered;
• Whether and how well an argument is presented;
• The factual accuracy of the essay;
• The depth and sophistication of research demonstrated in the essay;
• Whether academic conventions have been followed; and
• The technical quality of the essay.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

All essays submitted by the due date will be assessed and returned as soon as possible, before the final examination. Students will be notified when essays have been marked and are available to view on Turnitin.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

There is no scope for students to resubmit assignments such as the major essay.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students