Critical Social Inquiry 0236 - Middle East Economies

Spring
2019
1
4.00
Omar Dahi
09:00AM-10:20AM M;09:00AM-10:20AM W
Hampshire College
328717
Franklin Patterson Hall 101;Franklin Patterson Hall 101
odSS@hampshire.edu
The Uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have had a profound impact on the political economy of authoritarian regimes within the region as well as academic frameworks used to explain them. However, the optimism of the Arab uprisings was quickly replaced with more sober and pragmatic thinking about the future brought upon by the realities of regime resilience, the challenges of democratic transformation, and the myriad domestic and international forces engaged in counter-revolutionary activity. This course examines the economics of the MENA region and asks the following questions: Do the uprisings represent failures of the developmental state, neo-liberalism, or authoritarian regimes? How does human development within MENA compare to other regions in the developing world? To what extent does either religion or oil explain economic outcomes? What impact will the upheaval associated with the uprisings themselves have on the economies of the different countries? What are the long-term legacies of the Arab Uprisings? The course will explore these questions through theoretical readings, case studies from Syria, Egypt, and the Gulf.
Power, Community and Social Justice Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.