The Palestine Question: Past and Present
| Module title | The Palestine Question: Past and Present |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARAM221 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Nadia Naser-Najjab (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
The Palestine question is still one of the most crucial feature of Modern Middle Eastern history and politics. It is also now a major research area, related to events in the past and present realities in the Middle East and beyond. Very few countries were so thoroughly researched academically as were Israel and Palestine.
This module introduces you to this rich literature in an engaging and critical manner, fitting post-graduate studies. The module allows you to examine the recent development in the study of Israel and Palestine. It allows you to become familiar with the various narratives on the history of the country and the influence recent conceptual and methodological developments had on the research on Palestine and Israel.
In addition, you will learn how to contextualise a case study within the wider debates about power and knowledge. Palestine is a textbook case study for the interaction between ideology and scholarly research. You will learn how to navigate between moral commitment, ideological orientations and academic acumen and professionalism.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to introduce you to one of the most important issue in the politics of the region and in the world at large. In doing so, it aims to enable you to understand the ways in which the scholarly debate on this issue has developed and how the production of academic knowledge can improve understandings of the origins of the conflict in Israel and Palestine and the possible scenarios about its future.
It will also introduce you to the intriguing world of power and knowledge. You will acquaint yourself with recent theoretical and conceptual insights into this question.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically understand the nature and importance of the scholarly research on topical issues at the top of the international agenda.
- 2. Reflect critically on the scholarly research on the Palestine Question
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Analyse and identify the role of narratives in scholarly studies of the Middle East
- 4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the interdisciplinary methods upon which Area Studies and Middle East Studies are based;
- 5. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of a scholarly treatment of a topical issue such as the Arab-Israeli conflict.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Demonstrate close reading, critical and analytical skills through readings, class discussions and presentations
- 7. Organise data effectively to produce a coherent argument to a deadline, both orally and in writing.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Palestine through the Ages: From the Roman times to Our times.
The Battle of the Narratives: Conceptual and Methodological Aspects.
The Settler Colonial paradigm versus the National Conflict paradigm.
The Zionist Narrative
The Palestinian Narrative
The Post-Zionist Challenge
New Developments in Palestinian Historiography
The Palestinian Refugee questions and its impact on the Palestine Question.
The Role of the Palestinian minority in Israel
The Peace Process and Its Discontents
The One State versus the Two States Solution
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 77 | Weekly reading (7 hours per week) |
| Guided Independent Study | 22 | Class preparation (2 hours per week) |
| Guided independent study | 179 | Preparation and writing of essay 1 (100 hours), essay 2 (50 hours), and book review (29 hours) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission of essay plan 1 | 500 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Submission of essay plan 2 | 500 words | 1-6 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 35 | 2,000 words | 1-7 | Oral and Written |
| Essay 2 | 45 | 2,500 words | 1-7 | Oral and Written |
| Book review | 20 | 1,500 words | 1-7 | Oral and written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-7 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay 2 | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-7 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Book review | Book review (1,500 words) | 1-7 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine; One Land, Two Peoples (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2 nd edition 2010)
Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Oxford and New York: Oneworld Publications, 2007
Ilan Pappe, the Forgotten Palestinians; A History of the Palestinian Minority in Israel, London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010)
Ilan Pappe, The Israel/Palestine Question, London and New York: third edition, Routledge, 2012.
Beshara Doumani, Palestine Rediscovered; Merchants and Peasants in Jabal Nablus, 1700-1900, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
Rashid Khalidi, Palestinian Identity: the Construction of Modern National Consciousness, New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.
Edward Said, The Question of Palestine, London: Vintage 1992.
Anita Shapira,Israel: a History, Brandies: Brandies University Press, 2014.
Sholom Avineri, the Making of Modern Zionism, New York: Basic Books, 1981
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 02/01/2017 |
| Last revision date | 27/04/2023 |
