The Middle East in the International Political Economy

Admission requirements

Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the right information bar.
If you are interested in taking this course, but NOT a student of (one of) the listed programme(s), please contact the Coordinator of Studies.

Students who do not have a background in Middle East studies or in the political economy of the Middle East are expected to read the following two books prior to the start of the course:
1. Melani Cammett, Ishac Diwan, Alan Richards, and John Waterbury. A Political Economy of the Middle East, 4th Edition. Boulder: Westview Press, 2015 (Available online via Leiden Library catalogue);
2. Adam Hanieh. Lineages of Revolt: Issues of Contemporary Capitalism in the Middle East. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2013 (Available online via Leiden Library catalogue).

Description

This course analyses the Middle East in the Global Political Economy. Overall, it surveys the field of international political economy (IPE) and examines the interactions of the Middle East within the global economic order. It seeks to familiarise students with the various roles of commodities, labour, and finance across the region. In so doing, it not only examines that which is unique about the political economy of the region but also the ways in which the region is more integrated and less exceptional than often purported. The course begins with a theoretical orientation to the field of IPE, and proceeds to situate the region within the field in historical and contemporary debates. The remainder of the course progresses thematically, examining topics such as oil and energy markets, trade, financial crisis, labour, global value chains, and integration.

Course objectives

• Understand the broad theoretical debates within the field of Global Political Economy

• Evaluate the role of various Middle Eastern states in the GPE

• Assess the impact of oil on the region

• Examine flows of capital, labour, and technology across the region

• Deepen understanding of the various economic challenges and opportunities facing the region, considering historical and potential future trajectories

• Articulate how changes in the global economic order and technological innovation impact domestic, regional, and international economic development

• Discuss historical and contemporary trends in the Middle East, and the region’s interactions with the global economic order

• Analyse the impact of global, transnational, state, and non-state actors on domestic and regional development

• Interpret the constraints, challenges, and prospects for greater economic integration

• Critically identify and assess questions and developments relevant to IPE in the region, examine them with the scholarly rigor expected at the MA level, and formulate research questions and projects around these puzzles and problems

• Apply knowledge gained to critically assess scholarship and IPE developments in the region, and communicate their interpretations in written and verbal forms

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

• Seminar

Attendance and active participation are obligatory for seminars. Students are required to prepare for and attend all sessions. The course is offered as part of a full-time program of studies, and therefore work commitments, holidays, or overseas travel do not constitute valid reasons for absence. The lecturer should be informed in writing of any classes to be missed for a valid reason (i.e., due to unforeseen circumstances that are beyond the student’s control, such as documented illness, family bereavement, problems with residence permits, victim of crime, or railway delays). In case of a justified absence, it is up to the Lecturer to decide whether the missed class should be made up with an extra assignment. The maximum of such absences during a semester is two. Please note that you are required to provide documentation that supports your case for absence where possible. Absence without notification and approval could result in a grade deduction, or in work not being marked and a failing grade for the course.

Assessment method

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to be familiar with Leiden University policies on plagiarism and academic integrity.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It is assumed that students' work is their own work with all sources used properly indicated and documented in the text (with quotations and/or citations). Students may not substantially reuse any work they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation.
Assignment(s) must be submitted to Brightspace through Turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.

Assessment

The final mark for this course is formed by the weighted average.
In order to pass the course, students must obtain an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher.
The course is an integrated whole. All assessment parts must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years. (The paper deadline mentioned in uSis is a fictional date for administration purposes only. The actual date will be communicated by the convenor of the course.)

Resit

Students must complete the assignment on time. No paper will be accepted more than 4 days after the due date, including weekends. In order to pass the course, students must obtain an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher. Only if the total weighted average is insufficient (5.49 or lower), the insufficient grade is the result of an insufficient paper and the final version of the paper was submitted on time, a re-sit of the paper is possible. The deadline for this version will be determined in consultation.
Late submissions will result in a deduction of paper grades as follows: 1-24 hs late = -0.5; 24-48 hs late = -1.0; 48-72 hs late = -1.5; 72-96 hs late = -2.0.
A re-sit for other course components is not possible.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

Articles and book chapters can be found on the library catalogue or online. All reading materials must be read in advance of class. Students should arrive at class having examined the material thoroughly, and therefore ready to engage thoughtfully in seminar discussions.
Tentative Seminar Topics / Seminar topics may include:

• Analysing the Global Political Economy

• Situating the Middle East in the GPE: Beyond Exceptionalism

• Globalization: Forces, Trends, and Development

• Colonial Legacies and Interactions in the Global Economy

• Hydrocarbons and Energy Markets

• Global Institutions and Business Politics: State, Society, and Region

• Labour Flows and Migration

• Integration and Regionalism

• Production and Power: From Local Production to Global Value Chains

• Trade and Foreign Direct Investment

• The Future of Work and Platform Economies

• Gender, work, and the global political economy

• Global Finance, Sovereign Wealth Funds, and Commodity Markets

• Dealing with Crises: Financial Crisis and Political Upheaval

Registration

Students from MA programmes listed under Part of in the right information bar, will be informed by their Coordinator of Studies on the enrolment procedure. After admission they will be registered by the Education Administration Office Vrieshof, one week prior to the start of the first semester.

Contact

• For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

• For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: De Vrieshof.

Remarks

Not applicable.