Suspended in 2025/26
GV4J8 Half Unit
Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof John Chalcraft
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Gender (Rights and Human Rights), MSc in Political Science (Conflict Studies and Comparative Politics), MSc in Political Science (Global Politics) and MSc in Political Sociology. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. How to apply: To apply for a place on this course, please write a short statement of 200 words (max) outlining the specific reasons for applying and how the course will benefit your academic/career goals.
Priority will be given to students on the programmes listed in the 'availability' section of the course guide. Places on capped courses cannot be guaranteed.
Students should check that they meet any pre-requisites in the course guide before applying (where applicable).
Course guides can be accessed by clicking on the relevant course code or via the LSE Course Guide webpages.
To apply for a place on this course, please write a short statement of 200 words (max) outlining the specific reasons for applying and how the course will benefit your academic/career goals.
Priority will be given to students on the programmes listed in the 'availability' section of the course guide. Places on capped courses cannot be guaranteed.
Deadline for application: The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 27 September 2024.
Course Convenors will review applications and aim to make offers by 12:00 noon on Monday 30 September 2024.
Any places remaining after this date will be allocated based on priority and written statement - up until course selection closes.
For queries contact: For questions about the academic content of a Department of Government course, students should contact the teacher responsible as listed in the course guide.
For questions about your programme regulations, please contact your programme convenor/director or your Academic Mentor.
For questions about the process for applying to a Department of Government course please contact the Postgraduate Programmes Support Team gov.msc@.lse.ac.uk.
Course content
This course offers an advanced introduction to the politics of the Middle East and North Africa in transnational perspective. It takes a critical, sociological, historically-informed, and qualitative approach. It focuses on cross-border forms of resistance and subaltern activism. We study such topics as transnational revolutionary movements, Third World national liberation, popular movements on the Arabian peninsula, feminism, Salafi-Wahhabism, human rights advocacy, and transnational Palestinian activism. Students will develop an advanced introductory understanding of the transnational politics of the region.
Teaching
10 hours of seminars and 15 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
Formative assessment
Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the WT.
Indicative reading
Abdelrahman, Maha. 2007. ‘The Nationalization of the Human Rights Debate in Egypt’, Nations and Nationalism, 13(2), pp. 285–300; Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2013. Do Muslim Women Need Saving? Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press; Chalcraft, John. 2016. Popular Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East. Cambridge University Press; Farquhar, Michael. 2017. Circuits of Faith: Migration, Education and the Wahhabi Mission. Stanford: Stanford University Press; Featherstone, David. 2012. Solidarity: Hidden Histories and Geographies of Internationalism. London: Zed Books; Gill, Stephen. 2000. ‘Towards a Post-Modern Prince? The Battle in Seattle as a Moment in the New Politics of Globalisation’. Millennium, 29, 1: 131-40; Moghadam, V. M. 2012. ‘Global Social Movements and Transnational Advocacy’. In The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Political Sociology John Wiley and Sons, pp. 408-420; Perugini, Nicola and Neve Gordon. 2015. The Human Right to Dominate. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Prashad, Vijay. 2007. The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World. New York: New Press; Pratt, Nicola. 2007. ‘The Queen Boat case in Egypt: sexuality, national security and state sovereignty’ Review of International Studies (2007), 33, 129–144; Tarrow, Sidney. 2001. ‘Transnational Politics: Contention and Institutions in International Politics’ Annual Review of Political Science 2001 4:1, 1-20.
Assessment
Essay (100%, 5000 words)
Key facts
Department: Government
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 30
Average class size 2024/25: 15
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication