Introduction to Middle East International Relations and Security

This course introduces students to the concepts and issues that constitute International Relations of the Middle East and a range of domestic, regional and international security issues facing the region today. The course focuses on some of the key concepts in in the field such as; theories and practices in international relations, security studies, and area studies. As such, it explores how issues in the Middle East have been addressed by the two established traditions of thought in International Relations: Realism and Constructivism, as well as more recent approaches, such as critical approaches. The course is taught thematically, and engages with a range of recent case studies and perspectives. It also explores the states, societies, political movements and ideologies of the region and the role that religion, ethnicity, gender and class have played in shaping contemporary security issues in the region and beyond.