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MURDOCH-S2-EXT-2018-ONGOING
MURDOCH-S2-INT-2018-ONGOING

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Unit content:The Middle East is a pivotal region in contemporary international affairs. This unit introduces students to the key issues in Middle East politics and security today. The first part of the unit acquaints students with the complexities of the region in terms of its people, society and politics. It then surveys the role that religion, ethnicity, identities, gender and class have played in shaping contemporary affairs. It examines the geo-strategic importance of the region historically, and how this has produced a range of securities and insecurities, particularly in terms of external intervention. The second part of the unit looks at the development of nationalism; the emergence of the modern states of the Middle East; the socio-political-economic origins of conflict in the region; and debates around political change and reform. It then turns to the role of political Islam; and the emergence of religious radicalism in its various forms, including terrorism. The final part of the unit examines contemporary challenges in the region such as: the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the impact of globalisation; the path to, and fallout from, the so-called 'war on terror'; the Arab Spring; civil wars and mass displacement; and the rise of Daesh/Islamic State.