This course examines in detail the debates over political obedience, engagement and dissent in the Muslim societies of the Middle East. It begins by an examination of modern Islamic thought and considers diverse views of the state, authority, pluralism, and citizenship. It assesses the importance of political culture and structural factors to both the maintenance and the radical reform of non-participatory political orders. In doing so, it critically examines essentialist and exceptionalist assumptions about Middle Eastern and Muslim societies, the degree to which authoritarianism is engrained, the position of Islamist movements, the reasons for and constraints on popular protest, and the possibilities of externally-influenced political transformations. While the course is organised thematically, examples are drawn from a number of specific cases and theoretical insights on authoritarianism, democracy and protest are invoked in order to relate the specificity of Middle Eastern Muslim societies to broader debates.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- understand key theoretical issues concerning the processes of political authoritarianism, democratisation and protest;
- analyse the ways in which Muslim societies, particularly in the Middle East, have dealt with demands for greater political participation, political obedience, engagement and pluralism;
- critically analyse debates about, and schools of thought on, key factors affecting political authoritarianism, democratisation and protest, such as culture, civil society, economics, the media, and elections;
- assess the roles of Islamist ideologies and movements in the political process; and
- gain insight to the radical reform of non-participatory political orders, and the content and analytical frameworks of a select group of readings.
Indicative Assessment
1 x 4,000 word essay, 50% LOs 1-51 x in-class oral presentation, 10 minutes, 10% LOs 1& 3- 4
1 x 3 hour in-class examination, 40% LOs 1- 3 & 5
The ANU uses 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. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 25 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 2 hours of seminars per week for 11 weeks and 3 hours of exam for 1 week; and
b) 105 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
John L. Esposito and John O. Voll, Islam and Democracy. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.Larry Diamon, Marc F. Plattner, and Daniel Brumberg, Islam and Democracy in the Middle East. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $4200 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
