Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
If you are interested in taking this course, but NOT a student of (one of) the listed programme(s), please contact the Education Coordinator.
Description
This course offers an interdisciplinary study of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula and its connectivity with the wider West Asian and Indian Ocean geographies. With a view of social, spatial, political, economic, and cultural lineages and linkages, the course offers dynamic readings with diverse theoretical and methodological approaches for a critical and rounded perspective on the region. By starting with the Arabian peninsula, the course bridges Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian Ocean worlds, and adds texture and new focal points to our study of the region. The peninsula’s connections with Persia, South Asia, and East Africa have been just as significant to the histories and present relations of power, class, and mobilities as the Ottoman Empire and Arabic-speaking world have been over time. Themes in various years may include migration; cultural production; labour, environmental, and/or socio-cultural politics; authoritarianism and surveillance; power politics in the international order; financial and military interventions; logistics and infrastructures; and history(ies) of markets and networks.
Course objectives
Become acquainted with Gulf and Arabian Peninsula studies, and the central approaches, debates, and frameworks.
Discuss historical and contemporary trends in the Arabian Peninsula, and its interactions with Middle Eastern, Indian Ocean, Asian, European, and American geographies and powers.
Critically identify and assess questions, puzzles, and developments relevant the study of the region, examine these with the scholarly rigor expected at the MA (or ResMA) level, and formulate research questions and projects around these.
Develop skills to evaluate and critique research making use of (a selection of) theoretical, ontological, and methodological positions.
Learn how to do and present research and conduct peer review.
Develop and present short feasible research projects.
Organise and implement an academic conference.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Engagement (e.g. active, informed participation; presentation; discussant duties; short, written assignments - details in syllabus) | 60% |
| Final assessment | 40% |
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.
Students must complete the assignment on time. 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. No paper will be accepted more than 4 days after the due date, including weekends.
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.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
The required and recommended reading list will be available on Brightspace. Articles and book chapters can be found on the Leiden 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.
To prepare for the course, students are encouraged to read: Peterson, J. (ed) (2016). The Emergence of the Gulf States: Studies in Modern History. Bloomsbury. Available electronically via Leiden Library Catalogue.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory for:
MA Middle Eastern Studies students: the number of places is limited and the principle is first come, first served. Priority is given to students who started with the MA programme in 2023-2024.
MA Middle Eastern Studies (research) students who opt for the Research MA version of the course. The number of places is limited and the principle is first come, first served.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Students from the other MA programmes listed under Part of in the information bar on the right, need to contact their study adviser for information on the enrolment procedure. After admission they will be registered by the Education Administration Office Vrieshof.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: De Vrieshof.
Remarks
Please note that the additional course information is an integral part of this course description.