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Course Syllabus

Bachelor 2025/2026

Politics and Society in the Middle East

Type: Elective course (Political Science and World Politics)
Delivered by: Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences
When: 3 year, 3, 4 module
Open to: students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors: Ильина Анна Михайловна, Kseniia Nicheuhina, Maxim Savinykh
Language: English
ECTS credits: 3
Contact hours: 48

Course Syllabus

Full SyllabusAsk Question

Abstract

This course will focus on the recent history and politics of the Middle East. Through lectures and seminars, the course describes the political and societal dynamics of the region, offering students a nuanced understanding of the key processes. Key themes include conceptualizations of the region, state building, ethnicity, etc.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The primary goal of this class is to provide students with an overview of the major contemporary issues and tendencies in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Analyses post-colonial transformation in the MENA states
  • applies the concepts of state building and state fragility; ethnicity, language, nationhood, nation building and nationalism; (ethnic) conflict and violence to analysis of the MENA politics and societies
  • understands the role of gender, family, religion, formal and informal networks and institutions in state-society relations in the MENA
  • develops knowledge of conflicts and conflict resolution in the MENA has an overview of historic and political background of all the MENA is able to critically analyse current political and societal situation in the MENA understands the role of different global actors in the region understands the role of tradition and informality institutions, culture, religion in the MENA
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • The Caliphate and the Rise of Islam
  • Egypt and the Ottomans
  • Colonialism in the MENA
  • Independence
  • State-building and domestic political systems in Mashriq
  • State-building and domestic political systems in Maghreb
  • State-building and domestic political systems In Israel, Iran, Turkey
  • Contemporary conflicts in the MENA
  • Religion
  • Gender and family
  • Civil Society
  • The MENA in international relations
  • Global governance in the MENA
  • Culture and art in the MENA
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Book Review (up to 1500 words)
    Students need to read a book from the list provided by the course instructor and write a short book review (1000-1500 words). The review is due 10 days prior to the exam period in the module 3.
  • non-blocking Team analytical report (1000 words)
    Students need to write an analytical commentary on a recent political or societal development in one of the MENA countries on a domestic level. Topic needs to be approved by the instructor by the week 3.
  • non-blocking Presentation
    Students should form small teams of three or four people. The presentation should cover a foreign policy topic in the MENA region, such as relations between regional actors or local countries' relations with external states. Presenters are supposed to cover required and optional readings and, preferably, use other non-assigned sources for their analysis of the chosen topic in order to make a genuinely original contribution. For group presentation – please use the core readings and two readings of your choice from the optional list assigned for each class.
  • non-blocking In-class participation
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2025/2026 4th module
    0.2 * Book Review (up to 1500 words) + 0.5 * In-class participation + 0.15 * Presentation + 0.15 * Team analytical report (1000 words)
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • A new anthropology of Islam, Bowen, J. R., 2012
  • Bank, A. (DE-576)187604169. (2015). Comparative Area Studies and Middle East Politics after the Arab Uprisings / André Bank. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.444964142
  • Geiger, M., & Pécoud, A. (2014). International Organisations and the Politics of Migration. Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 40(6), 865–887. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.855071
  • Smith, L. V. (2016). Drawing Borders in the Middle East after the Great War: Political Geography and ‘Subject Peoples.’ First World War Studies, 7(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475020.2016.1159594

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • A fresh look at Islam in a multi-faith world : a philosophy for success through education, Wilkinson, M. L. N., 2015
  • A history of Islamic societies, Lapidus, I. M., 2014
  • Collected Essays on International Investments and on International Organizations, Seidl-Hohenveldern, I., 1998
  • Controlling institutions : international organizations and the global economy, Stone, R. W., 2011
  • Cooperation of international organizations in the fight against terrorism in North-East Africa 20... : автореф. дис. ... канд. истор. наук : 5.6.7., Mugabi, Brian, 2024

Authors

  • SAVINYKH MAKSIM ALEKSANDROVICH