PO399-15 Violence, Rights, Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Introductory description
This module explores the reasons for violence and human rights violations and the possibilities for peace and justice in the Middle East. The module focuses on the case of the ‘Israel-Palestine conflict’ as the most intractable conflict in the Middle East.
Students will be briefly introduced to mainstream International Relations theories (realism, liberalism and constructivism) in addition to more marginalized approaches, such as postcolonialism and poststructuralism, in order to assess key debates in the study of the conflict, such as:
Why is the conflict so intractable?
What is the role of memory and history?
What is the role of law?
What is Zionism and what is Palestinian nationalism and are their goals reconcilable?
Is Israeli state violence against Palestinians legitimate?
Is Palestinian violence against Israelis legitimate?
Why did the Oslo peace process fail? What are some alternatives to the Oslo peace paradigm?
Can Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) bring peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians?
The module will encourage students to critically reflect upon the limitations of mainstream International Relations theories in terms of reproducing dominant relations in the international system and the possibilities that decolonial and other marginalized approaches may challenge these hierarchies, paving the way for more peaceful and just solutions.
Module aims
To provide a discussion of the reasons for violence and violations of human rights and the possibilities for peace and justice in the Middle East through the case study of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
To provide an introduction to key scholarly debates about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
To highlight how mainstream IR theories are used to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict.
To introduce students to decolonial and other marginalized approaches to understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
(Indicative topics)
- Israel-Palestine in Transnational Perspective
- History and Memory
- Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism
- Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territory
- Violence in Israel-Palestine
- Reading Week
- The Oslo Accords: peace or pacification?
- Palestinian Non-Violent Resistance
- Beyond the Two-State Solution?
- Revision and Essay Writing Advice
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate significant empirical and theoretical knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Use IR theories to assess key scholarly debates about the Israel-Palestine conflict, the reasons for violence and human rights violations and the possibilities for peace making and a just solution.
- -Demonstrate an understanding of different notions of peace, justice and the legitimacy of violence in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Critically assess the possibilities and limitations of IR theories with regard to understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Indicative reading list
Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict
James Gelvin, The Israel-Palestine Conflict
Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine
Colin Shindler, A History of Modern Israel
Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Security Theology, Surveillance and the Politics of Fear,
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Research element
Independent research for essay writing
International
Introduces students to an important dimension of the Middle East
Subject specific skills
- empirical and theoretical knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
-an understanding of how IR theories relate to the Israel-Palestine conflict - an understanding of different notions of peace, justice and the legitimacy of violence in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- knowledge of decolonial approaches to the Israel-Palestine conflict
Transferable skills
communication skills (written and verbal), time management, analytical skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Private study | 132 hours (88%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
You are expected to spend 8-10 hours per week reading the core readings for this module and taking notes in preparation for seminar discussions.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A1
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 word essay | 100% | Yes (extension) |
Feedback on assessment
Written feedback on PAIS feedback form and verbal feedback in person.
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 4 of UECA-4 Undergraduate Economics 4 Year Variants
- Year 3 of UECA-LM1D Undergraduate Economics, Politics and International Studies
- Year 4 of UPHA-V7MM Undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics (with Intercalated year)
- Year 3 of UPOA-M100 Undergraduate Politics
- Year 4 of UPOA-M101 Undergraduate Politics (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 4 of UPOA-M168 Undergraduate Politics and International Studies with Chinese
- Year 3 of UPOA-M169 Undergraduate Politics and International Studies with Chinese (3 year)
- Year 4 of UPOA-M165 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Italian
- Year 3 of UPOA-M162 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Quantitative Methods
- Year 4 of UPOA-M167 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Quantitative Methods (with Intercalated Year)
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UPOA-M16A Undergraduate Politics and International Studies
- Year 4 of UPOA-M16B Undergraduate Politics and International Studies (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 3 of UPOA-ML13 Undergraduate Politics and Sociology
- Year 4 of UPOA-ML14 Undergraduate Politics and Sociology (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of UPOA-M163 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and French
- Year 4 of UPOA-M164 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and German
- Year 4 of UPOA-M166 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Hispanic Studies
- Year 3 of UPOA-M16H Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Hispanic Studies (3 year degree)
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 3 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
- Year 4 of UHIA-VM12 Undergraduate History and Politics (with Year Abroad)