POLIS 2120 - Conflict and Crisis in the Middle East
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2023
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code POLIS 2120 Course Conflict and Crisis in the Middle East Coordinating Unit Politics and International Relations Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study Incompatible POLI 2120 Assessment 1800-2400 word research project (40%), 900-1200 word minor essay (20%), group exercise (20%), class test (10%), tutorial participation (10%) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Minerva NasserEddine
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Provide students with knowledge of historical and current debates in Middle Eastern politics.
2. Provide students with a good understanding of the background of issues and events that have shaped Middle Eastern politics.
3. Identify and discuss the challenges faced by the Middle East
4. Build students capacity to undertake independent research based on a range of sources relating to Middle Eastern politics.
5. Build students conceptual, analytic and critical skills based on contemporary developments in the Middle East.
6. Encourage the development of advanced skills in critical analysis and reflection upon contemporary Middle Eastern issues.
7. Produce coherent and well substantiated arguments.
8. Express ideas confidently, thoughtfully and respectfully.
9. Work with others in the exploration of relevant content.University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
2, 3, 4, 5, 9 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
2, 3, 6, 7, 8 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Course Readings made available through MyUniRecommended Resources
Recommended resources such as additional readings, essay writing guides and referencing guidelines will be available via MyUni.Online Learning
MyUni will be utilised to upload additional resources, including scholarly articles, news items and video clips.
Important Note: The Seminar sessions will NOT be recorded. This is the interactive, face-to-face, component of the course that requires full attendance and participation. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course is comprised primarily of lectures and seminars. The lectures will introduce the key concepts, theories and themes, using a combination of multi-media sources (e.g. slides, videos, web-links, etc.). The seminars will consist of small-group activities (including student presentations) and semi-structured debates on the weekly topics.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
WORKLOAD TOTAL HOURS 1 x 1-hour lectures (or equivalent) per week 12 hours per semester 1 x 2-hour seminars (or equivalent) per week 24 hours per semester 3 hours seminar preparation per week 36 hours per semester 3 hours reading per week 36 hours per semester 2 hours research per week 24 hours per semester 2 hours assessment preparation per week 24 hours per semester Total Hours 156 hours per semester
Learning Activities Summary
Schedule
Week 1 Introduction - Pre and Post Creation of the Modern Middle East Week 2 Palestine-Israel Conflict Week 3 Arab-Israel Conflict Week 4 Post-Independence Political Structures Week 5 Politics, Religion and Society Week 6 Sectarianism Week 7 9/11 and its Fall Out Week 8 Arab Spring 1 Week 9 Arab Spring 2 Week 10 Daesh, Jihadism and Violent Extremism Week 11 Back to the Future? The Re-emergence of Authoritarianism, Autocracy and Theocracy Week 12 Shifting Geo-political sands Specific Course Requirements
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Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcomes Seminar work Formative and Summative 25% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Test (Part 1) Summative 10% 1, 2, 3 Test (Part 2) Summative 15% 1, 2, 3 Research paper Formative and Summative 50% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Assessment Related Requirements
Seminar attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend two or more seminars without permission from the course coordinator can result in the student being precluded from passing the course.
Essays must be submitted electronically, through Turnitin. The relevant link will be available on MyUni.Assessment Detail
Seminar Work: Seminars are forums for free exchange and discussion of informed opinions, that is, ideas and thoughts based on reading and reflection, as well as places for raising questions and for the exchange of relevant information. All students are expected to have read the required readings in preparation for the seminars. Seminars will be assessed on the basis of the depth of knowledge on the weekly topic, the quality of engagement with the weekly readings and other materials, and the attitude displayed towards the arguments and contributions of others. Seminar work will include small-group activities, including student presentations. Additional guidelines will be provided during the first seminar, in Week 1.
Research Essay: The research essay is designed to assess the student’s ability to conduct independent research, evaluate relevant materials, and formulate a coherent, sophisticated and well-substantiated argument on one of the topics covered in the course. Students will be able to select an essay question from a list that will be posted on MyUni, or come up with their own question. Those who choose to write their own question must get approval from the Course Coordinator no less than two weeks prior to the due date. The research essay will be 1800-2000 words.
Class Tests: The tests will be held in two parts, the first in Week 5 and the second in Week 12. The two-part test will assess the student's knowledge of the key concepts, theories and themes explored throughout the course. The questions will be based on the material covered during the lectures and seminars, and contained in the required readings.
Important Note: Essential information to complete these assignments successfully will be provided in due course in tutorials and on MyUni in the form of responses to frequently asked questions [FAQs].Submission
- Essays must be submitted electronically, through Turnitin. The relevant link will be available on MyUni.
- Late essays without an approved extension will be penalised at the rate of 2% (2 marks) per day.
- There is a cut-off period of 7 days (including weekends and public holidays), after which late submissions without a formal extension will not be accepted/marked. In the case of late submissions with a formal extension approved, the cut-off date is 7 days (including weekends and public holidays) from the revised due date, at 11:59pm.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
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- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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