What factors promote or prevent the path toward peace and democracy in the Near East? This course, building upon a compilation of various contemporary case studies from the Near East (i.e., the East Mediterranean, West Asia and North Africa) brings fresh theoretical insights to shed light on this massive question; and in doing so, highlights the importance of identity politics. Moving beyond the socio-economic and institutional approaches that exist in the field, it emphasizes the power of identity-based collectivities and collective actors—i.e., parties, violent non-state actors and movements—which lay at the core of processes of political change, such as the end of wars, revolutions or creation of new regimes. The choices made by political parties, armed groups or the movement actors that represent a certain religion, sect or ethnicity, have the potential to change or sustain the existing political configurations in a regime. Therefore, it is critical to understand what types of identity-based parties and armed groups exist, what functions they serve for, as well as what kind of identity-based movements emerge, how and why they influence political processes in the Near East.
- Teacher: Pelin Ayan Musil