The Gulf is contested political terrain. Even its very nomenclature – ‘Persian’ or ‘Arab’/’Arabian’ – is subject to controversy. The security of regional countries is influenced by a complicated web of strategic, political and cultural variables. It is also a key focus for the national security strategy of the United States. Notwithstanding the diversity of the region, the countries within it face a unique set of social, political, and economic challenges, particularly in comparison to other developing regions. The central focus of the course will be the forces for continuity and change in the Gulf, and the interaction of domestic and external actors and factors shaping the Gulf security environment. It will review internal political and economic trends, the dealings of Gulf states with each other, and their relations with other regional and extra-regional powers. It will, finally, consider broader concerns such as over food security, water scarcity, and dependence on migrant workers.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- identify domestic and external actors and factors shaping the security environment of the Gulf;
- demonstrate an understanding of the global strategic importance of Gulf energy reserves;
- demonstrate an understanding of the security perceptions of the United States and regional countries, and the challenges they face;
- debate critically the ideas and theories that have been advanced to understand Gulf politics, political economy and international relations, and to deal with core unresolved regional issues; and
- analyse alternative futures for the region, their strategic implications and prospects for developing regional security architecture.
Indicative Assessment
- Major essay (4000 words) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Second essay (1500 words) (40) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Oral presentation 10 minutes (10) [LO 4]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 24 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 2 hours of seminars per week; and
b) 106 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
No prescribed texts.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4440 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6360 |
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.
