This course offers taught postgraduate students an introduction to the history, politics, and development of the Gulf states of the Middle East. A distinct sub-system of the region, the resourcerich states of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran command enduring relevance within the international system. The course deploys political economy as a theoretical framework to (1) reveal trajectories of state formation influenced by the discovery of oil and other hydrocarbons and (2) analyse how resource abundance continues to influence state behaviour at the regional and international levels. Students will complete the course having gained an insight into how these conservative states have responded to the challenges of political reform, economic diversification, climate change, instability and insecurity to consolidate influence in the international system.
This course offers taught postgraduate students an introduction to the history, politics, and development of the Gulf states of the Middle East. A distinct sub-system of the region, the resourcerich states of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran command enduring relevance within the international system.
The course deploys political economy as a theoretical framework to (1) reveal trajectories of state formation influenced by the discovery of oil and other hydrocarbons and (2) analyse how resource abundance continues to influence state behaviour at the regional and international levels. Students will complete the course having gained an insight into how these conservative states have responded to the challenges of political reform, economic diversification, climate change, instability and insecurity to consolidate influence in the international system.
Outline Content
The following outline provides an indicative list of key issues and themes covered in this course (note that these can vary year-by-year):
- Colonial legacies in the Gulf region
- Forms of government and the politics of succession
- Resource abundance and trajectories of state formation – Failed monarchies: Iraq & Iran
- Failed monarchies: Iraq & Iran
- Collective security and the Gulf Cooperation Council
- Regional conflicts: The Iran-Iraq War, The First Gulf War and Saudi Arabia and the Yemen Civil War
- International media and regional politics: Al Jazeera and Al Arabiyya
- Gulf responses to the Arab Spring in comparative perspective
- Competitive rivalries: Saudi Arabia/Iran & 2017 GCC Diplomatic Crisis
- Strategies of transition to a post-oil era: Environmentalism and Gender
Student Learning Experience
The course will be delivered in 10 x 2-hour convenor-led seminar which will take a more student focused approach. Active participation and interaction are key in this course so seminars will include structured debates, small group work and student presentations. These will be based around assigned readings and case studies provided in advance. Detailed written guidance for each of the assessments will be offered at the beginning of the course. Comprehensive feedback will be provided on each written assessment.