BA (Hons) Middle Eastern Studies and Politics Bachelor's degree at the University of Leeds

This module examines the rich and complex story of how Muslim societies developed between the advent of Islam in the 6th century up to the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in the 16th. Our geographical focus includes the Middle East, North Africa and China. Using diverse sources in languages including Arabic (in English translation) and a decolonial lens, we explore sources such as historiography (chronicles and biography), archaeology and coinage, to offer an essential historical contextualisation of

This module provides students with in-depth knowledge necessary for the understanding of the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. The module aims to introduce students to research in cultural studies and the critical study of a wide range of cultures and interconnected topics that are important to the anthropological literature on the Middle East and North Africa, including the functional structure of societies of the region, and the dynamics of their cultural production. Themes covered

What are the key debates that shape the practice of politics internationally? How can theory help us better understand and analyse the practice of politics in the world today? How can awareness of differing cultural and intercultural perspectives help us better understand contemporary international politics? This module will introduce these themes and explore them in relation to a range of contexts drawn from around the world. Because they are shaped by the current research interests of the staf

Comparative politics involves two separate yet integrated components: it compares the nature of politics and processes across different political systems, and it studies how and why we make these comparisons. As such, this course is organized along both theoretical and substantive lines. This module is designed to introduce major concepts and issues in the comparative study of politics and government. The module explores the logic of comparative political analysis (how social and political scien

This module provides you with a critical introduction to Western political thought. It aims to establish a grounding in some of the key ideas and theories that have shaped modern politics. In this way, you will reflect critically on public life, and develop a foundation for the further study of political theory. You will explore the work of five influential thinkers, investigating the historical context in which they wrote, the ideas and theories they developed, the influence and impact of their

This module provides students with in-depth knowledge necessary for the understanding of the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa; an introduction to critical approaches to countering fixed ideas that this region is merely a place of antagonisms.

This module examines the formation of the modern Middle East, in the context of imperialism, colonialism and nationalism, from the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt in 1798 to the end of the Second World War. The main trajectory we will explore is the move from empires to nation states in the Middle East. Within these contours, we will investigate the history and historiography of imperialism, colonialism and nationalism; the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire; Ottoman reformism; regional natio