At the end of this course, the students; 1) Learn the concept of civil society and its relationship with democracy.
2) Examine the civil society concept within the framework of the Middle East and North Africa.
3) On a comparative basis analyze the relationship between civil society and democracy and apply it to the Middle East and North Africa countries (Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Algeria, Tunis, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel).
4) By applying the aforementioned comparative politics concepts in no. 1 to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa improve their analytical and critical thinking and discussion abilities.
5) Attain the necessary knowledge for pursuing an internship and a career planning in the field of the Middle East and North Africa.
MODE OF DELIVERY
Face to face
PRE-REQUISITES OF THE COURSE
No
RECOMMENDED OPTIONAL PROGRAMME COMPONENT
No recommended optional programme components.
COURSE DEFINITION
Democratization of the Middle East has been a highly contested issue since the end of the Cold War, in particular. This course focuses on the extent to which civil society in the Middle East is comparable to its Western counterpart and whether civil society can trigger democratization in the region. The course has three primary goals: First, it introduces students to the concept of civil society and its relation with democracy; second, it examines civil society in the Middle Eastern context; and finally, it analyzes on a comparative basis cases of civil society and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Algeria, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel).
COURSE CONTENTS
WEEK
TOPICS
1st Week
Introduction to the Course Relationship between Civil Society and Democracy I
2nd Week
Relationship between Civil Society and Democracy II
3rd Week
Civil Society as an Alien Entity to the Middle East
4th Week
Civil Society as an Entity of the Muslim Middle East
5th Week
Turkey
6th Week
Egypt I
7th Week
Egypt II
8th Week
Mid-term exam
9th Week
Iran I
10th Week
Iran II
11th Week
Algeria
12th Week
The Palestinian Authority
13th Week
Israel
14th Week
Review
RECOMENDED OR REQUIRED READING
Required Reading Amyn Sajoo (ed.), Civil Society in the Muslim World (London: I.B. Tauris, 2004). Recommended Readings Don E. Eberly (ed.), The Essential Civil Society: The Classic Essays (Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000), 1. Bölüm, ss. 3-29. Edward Shils and Steven Grosby, The Virtue of Civil Society: Selected Essays on Liberalism, Tradition, and Civil Society (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1997), 9. Bölüm, ss. 320-355. Larry Diamond, "Rethinking Civil Society: Toward Democratic Consolidation," Journal of Democracy 5, no. 3 (July 1994), ss. 4-17. Elisabeth Özdalga and Sune Persson (eds.), Civil Society, Democracy, and the Muslim World (Istanbul: Swedish Research Institute, 1997), 1., 2., 6., 7. ve 9. Bölümler, ss. 1-7, 9-15, 45-53, 55-61, 73-84. Barry Rubin, "Pushback or Progress? Arab Regimes Respond to Democracy's Challenge," Policy Focus no. 75 (Washington D.C.: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, September 2007), ss. 1-15. Eva Bellin, "The Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East," Comparative Politics 36, no. 2 (January 2004), ss. 139-157. Eva Bellin, "Reconsidering the Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East," Comparative Politics 44, no. 2 (January 2012), ss. 127-149. Ernest Gellner, Conditions of Liberty: Civil Society and Its Rivals (New York: Penguin Books, 1994), 3., 6. ve 25. Bölümler, ss. 15-29, 50-52 ve 190-196. John Hall (ed.), Civil Society: Theory, History, Comparison (Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995), 12. Bölüm, ss. 278-300. Laith Kubba, "Arabs and Democracy: The Awakening of Civil Society," Journal of Democracy 11, no. 3 (July 2000), ss. 84-90. Mehran Kamrava, "The Middle East's Democracy Deficit in Comparative Perspective," Perspectives on Global Development and Technology 6 (2007), ss. 189-213. Augustus R. Norton (ed.), Civil Society in the Middle East Vol 2, 3. Bölüm, ss. 87-118. Mattei Dogan and Ali Kazancıgil (eds.), Comparing Nations: Concepts, Strategies, Substance (Oxford: Cambridge University Press, 1994), 5. Bölüm, ss. 213-238. Ali Çarkoglu and Cerem Cenker, "On the Relationship between Democratic Institutionalization and Civil Society Involvement: New Evidence from Turkey," Democratization 18, no. 3 (June 2011), ss. 751-773. Augustus R. Norton (ed.), Civil Society in the Middle East, vol. 1, 4., 5., 8. ve 9. Bölümler, ss. 120-147, 148-185, 243-268 ve 269-293. Maha Abdelrahman, Civil Society Exposed: The Politics of NGOs in Egypt (London: I. B. Tauris, 2004), 4. Bölüm, ss. 76-119. Deniz Sullivan and Sana Abed-Kotob, Islam in Contemporary Egypt: Civil Society vs. the State (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 1999), 1., 2. ve 6. Bölümler, ss. 1-17, 19-39 ve 121-138. Sheri Berman, "Islamism, Revolution, and Civil Society," Perspectives in Politics 1, no. 2 (June 2003), ss. 257-272. Vickie Langohr, "Too Much Civil Society, Too Little Politics: Egypt," Comparative Politics 36, no. 2 (2004), ss. 181-204. Maha Abdel Rahman, "The Politics of 'unCivil' Society in Egypt," Review of African Political Economy 91 (2002), ss. 21-36. Samuel Tadros, "The Coptic Winter," National Review 63, no. 21 (November 14, 2011), ss. 25-26. Richard Antoun, "Civil Society, Tribal Process, and Change in Jordan: An Anthropological View," International Journal of Middle East Studies 32, no. 4 (November 2000), ss. 441-463.
PLANNED LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Lecture,Discussion,Questions/Answers
ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
Quantity
Percentage(%)
Mid-term
1
30
Assignment
1
5
Project
1
25
Total(%)
60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)
60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)
40
Total(%)
100
ECTS WORKLOAD
Activities
Number
Hours
Workload
Midterm exam
1
1,5
1,5
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work
14
2
28
Preparation for Final exam
1
35
35
Course hours
14
3
42
Preparation for Midterm exam
1
20
20
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam
1
1,5
1,5
Homework
1
5
5
Project
1
20
20
Total Workload
153
Total Workload / 30
5,1
ECTS Credits of the Course
5
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
English
WORK PLACEMENT(S)
No
KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES (KLO) / MATRIX OF LEARNING OUTCOMES (LO)