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Political Economy of Development in the Middle East

Module description

This module will introduce you to the main themes and dynamics in the political economy of the Middle East, at the domestic, regional and global levels. We will examine common themes and issues that Middle Eastern economies face but also how these issues have had differing impacts in different regions and countries. We will begin by examining economic development and progress to studying a number of issues relevant in the region such as the role of oil wealth, the prevalence of labor migration, conflicts over water, economic liberalization, and the level of regional integration amongst Middle Eastern nations. By the conclusion of this module, you should have a good understanding of some of the major issues affecting the political economy of the Middle East and their effects both within and outside of the region. There are no prerequisites or co-requisites to this module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce you to the main themes and dynamics in the political economy of the Middle East, at the domestic, regional and global levels. The purpose is to develop an understanding of processes of development in the Middle East and of the way these processes have shaped the existing economic, social and political realities of the region. In addition, this module will enhance your abilities to critically analyse and engage with scholarly material as well as your communication skills through class participation and group presentations. Finally, on completion of this module, you will be able to more deeply understand media reports and news on issues of political economy in the Middle East. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate an awareness and understanding of some of the politics of economic development;
• 2. effectively explain the economic factors in domestic and regional politics;
• 3. cogently discuss the domestic and international political economy of oil and gas;
• 4. describe the main factors affecting the political economy of regional integration;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. connect political and economic factors and dynamics in their domestic-international linkages;
• 6. draw from broader concepts in political economy of development;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. demonstrate skills of reasoned and supported argumentation in writing and in oral presentation;
• 8. demonstrate skills of independent research and teamwork; and
• 9. demonstrate skills of finding, analysing and synthesising information from a range of sources.

Syllabus plan

The list of topics for the class sessions are as follows:

• General presentation of the module and group formation.
• The question of development; Rich and poor states in the Middle East.
• Human Development, income and wealth distribution.
• The oil market; OPEC and OAPEC.
• Oil and economic development: the rentier state and beyond?
• Water in development and conflict in the MENA region.
• Population and labor migration in the MENA region.
• Regional integration in the Arab world.
• Political and economic liberalization in the MENA region.
• Globalization and the Middle East.
• Middle Eastern economies: beyond oil and gas?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

If it is an individual rather than a group who needs to undertake a re-assessed presentation, then the presentation should be 7-10 minutes in length (rather than 15-20 minutes) and the document summarizing the main points should be 500 words (rather than 1000 words). 

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Achcar, Gilbert. The People Want. A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising (London: Saqi, 2013).

Ayubi, Nazih. Over-stating the Arab State: Politics and Society in the Middle East(London: I.B. Tauris, 1995).

Hanieh, Adam. Lineages of Revolt. Issues of Contemporary Capitalism in the Middle East (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2013).

Henry, Clement, and Robert Springborg. Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, 2^nd ed.).

Richards, Alan, John Waterbury, Melani Cammett and Ishac Diwan. A Political Economy of the Middle East (Oxford: Westview, 3^rd edition updated, 2013).

United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Arab Human Development Reports. Available at: (http://www.arab-hdr.org/).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

The corresponding ELE page is located here: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=46.

Key words search

Politics, Economy, Development, Reform, Middle East