MENA585G

041570

Did modernity in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula 'begin' with oil? How did rival empires, local rulers, and non-elite populations shape the social, political, and economic development of these overlapping and interconnected regions? Why are Arabia and the Gulf so often presented as 'exceptional' in our contemporary framings of the modern nation, participatory politics, and the Middle East? With a focus on social and political processes, this course challenges the boundaries between the pre- and post-oil Gulf and Arabian Peninsula. We will explore how this region and its inhabitants have long been active participants in global developments. Finally, the course will consider recent and ongoing challenges and conflicts in their historical context.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Graduate

CE - CL (Cross Listed), GIDP - PRIR (Persian and Iranian Studies)

MENA485G