Admission requirements
This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies programme.
Limited places are also open for exchange students.
Please note: this course takes place in The Hague. Traveling between University buildings from Leiden to The Hague may take about 45 minutes.
Description
The goal of this course is to introduce students to major intellectual, political, social and cultural issues and practices in the Middle East from late 18th century until the present. The emphasis throughout will be on identifying the ways in which specific events and long-term processes such as the impact of colonialism and nationalist movements, political Islam, political liberalization, the role of non-state actors, gender, ethnicity, class, and popular culture have informed social and political realities in the contemporary Middle East. The second half of the course will deal with contemporary issues ranging from the Arab-Israeli conflict, the impact of the Iranian Revolution, the emergence of Islamic movements, and the recent Arab revolutions. In addition, the class will be based on various types of readings ranging from primary documents, historical narratives, and historiography, to works of fiction and movies. This is intended to familiarize students with the craft of historical work and the process of creating the historiographies of the Modern Middle East.
Course objectives
The student has:
Acquired knowledge and understanding of history, its processes, structure, actors, factors, and events, and has familiarised him- / herself with the academic understanding of history and the history specific to the chosen area, with an emphasis on the last two centuries. Furthermore, the student has acquired a basic understanding of the theories used in the field of History and those with specific relevance to the Area History. Finally the student has acquired basic research skills, which he/she has put into practice for the first time in the shape of a small individual research project.
Acquired knowledge and understanding of the concepts and conceptual structures relevant for the study of history from an area perspective, i.e. local, national, regional but also transnational and from a comparative, international, and global perspective.
A basic understanding of the methodologies used in the field of History. Both the methods and theories will be explained and activated through exercises based on the handbook common to all Area History courses and used for the overall History track in the programme. Robert Williams, The Historian's Toolbox; A Student's Guide to the Theory and Craft of History* will be the common frame of reference. The student will make a first attempt to put into practice one relevant method in an individual research project.
The student also has:
Acquired a comprehensive understanding of the historical, political, social, and cultural developments of the Middle East.
Acquired familiarity with the main debates in the histiography of the region, as well as the research methods used to investigate and explain trends and events of the contemporary Middle East.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Lectures are held every week, with the exception of the midterm exam week. Weekly lectures will cover issues both inside and outside the readings.
This class’ powerpoint slides are limited to visual aids (no class notes) that complement the week’s readings and lecture themes. Therefore it is essential that you keep up with the readings weekly and attend class every week. During lecture, we sometimes engage in in-class activities that will benefit your grade.
Tutorials
Tutorials are held once every two weeks, with the exception of the midterm exam week. Attending all tutorial sessions is compulsory. If you are unable to attend a session, please inform your Tutorial-lecturer in advance. Being absent at more than two of the tutorial sessions will result in a lowering of your tutorial grade (40% of the end grade) with 1 point for each session missed after the first two sessions. Please note that being absent at any tutorial session may have a negative impact on the grade of the assignment due for that particular tutorial session. This is at the discretion of the Tutorial-lecturer.
Skills Lab
There are four skills lab sessions that supplement the tutorials. These sessions will focus on the fundamental academic skills necessary for successfully writing a research paper. Attending the sessions is compulsory. Being absent at more than one of the tutorial sessions will result in a lowering of your tutorial grade (40% of the end grade) with 1 point for each session missed after the first session.
Assessment method
Assessment
Final Remindo/Ans Exam:
Remindo examination.Final Wikipedia project:
Tutorial work
Weighing
| Partial grade | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 40% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Final Project | 30% |
Each student will be graded on the basis of three formal assignments: (1) final cumulative remindo/ans exam (30%) (2) wikipedia final project (30%) (3) tutorial (40%).
Final cumulative remindo/ans exam will be based on lectures, required readings, and additional required assignments (i.e. films) throughout the course.
Final project: Your ultimate objective: The editing, researching, and contributing or creating of a new Wikipedia entry(s) that fits the themes of our course—developed, written, and posted.
You will be responsible for either overhauling an existing or creating a new Wikipedia entry(s). This is in addition to and separate from your weekly Wikipedia work, which is intended to help you navigate and train and familiarize yourself with the interface.
The gained skills from using Wikipedia in the classroom equip students to make an impact and participate in societal debates after graduation and in their future careers. Insufficient entries on the non-West and Global South (Rosenzweig, 2006, Muller and Damen, 2014) mean Wikipedia is ideal for motivating students and to create impact (Nix, 2010). Their edits and articles fill a need, contribute to the real world, and are accessible globally and immediately (Seligman, 2013). U.S. professors using Wikipedia report greater student engagement and motivation; students felt they benefited the public, even after graduating (Roth, Davis, Carver; 2013). As a former student noted, “Writing a Wikipedia entry was totally different from what I did for other BA and MA courses at Leiden. It’s one of the great strengths of this course.”
Further information will be discussed in class.
End Grade
To successfully complete the course, please take note of the following:
The end grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of Tutorial grade, Cumulative Final exam grade, and Final project grade.
The weighted average of the Cumulative Final exam grade and the Final project grade needs to be 5.5 or higher.
This means that failing project grades cannot be compensated with a high Tutorial grade.
Resit
If the end grade is insufficient (lower than a 6.0), or the weighted average of Final Exam and Final project is lower than 5.5, there is a possibility of replacing the final exam grade in the form of a resit remindo/Ans exam. Resits for the tutorial and the wikipedia project are not possible.
Please note that if the Resit Exam grade and wikipedia project grade are lower than 5.5, you will not pass the course, regardless of the tutorial grade.
Retaking a passing grade
Please consult the Course and Examination Regulations 2024 – 2025.
Exam review 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 organised.
Reading list
Anderson, Betty. A History of the Modern Middle East: Rulers, Rebels, and Rogues. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2016.
And additional readings to be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through My Studymap is mandatory.
Please also register for the Skills Lab workgroup (5181VSLW) through My Studymap.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration Exchange
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Student Affairs Office for BA International Studies
Remarks
All other information.