About this course: Learn why the hope and excitement of the Arab Spring is gone, why so many Arab states are falling apart, why the youth are so frustrated, why there are so many refugees, and what can be done about it. The so-called Arab Spring appeared to end decades of exceptionalism and bring the Arab world back into the mainstream of global developments. The rebellions promised the return of politics and the reassertion of popular sovereignty against their corrupt and geriatric leaders. Much hope and flowery language greeted the young men and women who deposed their leaders and tried to build new, better societies. Today, the Arab world is in deep crisis. Of the 22 member states of the Arab League, at least five have essentially collapsed: Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Syria exist only in name today, as their territories have fallen to competing, murderous armed groups. In the remaining countries, the old autocracies have reasserted themselves. The repression at home is now worsened by regional conflict on an unprecedented scale, and the resulting frustration has led to the biggest refugee flows in recent memory. What went wrong? This course offers an overview of the structural shortcomings of Arab states and societies, which help us understand why the democratic awakening did not happen but instead “has given way to civil wars, ethnic, sectarian and regional divisions and the reassertion of absolutism.” This raises the obvious and renewed question whether there is something inherent in the Arab, and by analogy Muslim, condition that makes them special. Does this condition make this part of the world impervious to generally observable trends towards greater accountability, popular participation in political decision-making, greater generation and fairer division of economic wealth? Join this course to find out!
Created by: University of Copenhagen
Taught by: Dr. Ebrahim Afsah, Associate Professor
Faculty of Law
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Arabic |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Instability and Institutional Failure
In this section, you will become acquainted with some of the mistakes that were made in the decades prior to the outbreak of the recent Arab rebellions. These shortcomings have led to stunted and underperforming political systems, much at variance with developments elsewhere.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 1a. Broken Societies and an Aborted Democratic Awakening
- Discussion Prompt: Broken Societies and an Aborted Awakening
- Video: 1b. The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
- Discussion Prompt: The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
- Video: 1c. Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaption
- Discussion Prompt: Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaptation
- Video: 1d. Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
- Discussion Prompt: Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
- Reading: Readings for module 1
Graded: Broken Societies and an Aborted Awakening
Graded: The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
Graded: Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaption
Graded: Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
WEEK 2
Governance
At the heart of most of the enduring problems plaguing the Arab world is the availability of essentially free income flowing to the governments of the region. These ‘rents’ have sustained a repressive arrangement in which citizens pay little or no taxes and have no voice.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 2a. Missing the Boat to the 'Third Wave' of Democratisation
- Discussion Prompt: Missing the ‘Third Wave’ of Democratisation
- Video: 2b. The Authoritarian Social Contract and the Absence of Politics
- Discussion Prompt: The Authoritarian Social Contract
- Video: 2c. Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Discussion Prompt: Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Video: 2d. The Absence of Politics: Fear, Stability, Institutional Decay, and Polarising Elections
- Discussion Prompt: The Absence of Politics
- Reading: Readings for module 2
Graded: Missing the Boat to the 'Third Wave' of Democratisation
Graded: The Authoritarian Social Contract and the Absence of Politics
Graded: Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
Graded: The Absence of Politics: Fear, Stability, Institutional Decay, and Polarising Elections
WEEK 3
Institutions
Social action inevitably produces institutions, namely values, stable, repeated patterns of behaviour. In this section, you will learn what institutions are, how they come about, how their relative effectiveness is measures, how and why they decline, and why all that matters.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 3a. The Necessity of Politics: Power and Authority
- Discussion Prompt: The Necessity of Politics: Power and Authority
- Video: 3b. The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
- Discussion Prompt: The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
- Video: 3c. Contestation of Models: Is 'Good Governance' a Western or an Islamic Idea?
- Discussion Prompt: ‘Good Governance’: A Western or an Islamic Ideal?
- Video: 3d. Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
- Discussion Prompt: Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
- Reading: Readings for module 3
Graded: The Necessity of Politics: Power and Authority
Graded: The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
Graded: Contestation of Models: Is 'Good Governance' a Western or an Islamic Idea?
Graded: Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
WEEK 4
Economics: Bread, Dignity and Freedom
This section deals with the material bases of popular discontent, especially the connection between the states’ explicit promises of delivering welfare that have become increasingly unsustainable in the face of exploding population growth and falling revenues.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 4a. Material Base of Discontent
- Discussion Prompt: Material Base of Discontent
- Video: 4b. Labour Market: Insiders and Outsiders
- Discussion Prompt: Labour Market: Insiders and Outsiders
- Video: 4c. Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
- Discussion Prompt: Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
- Video: 4d. Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking: Living on Borrowed Time
- Discussion Prompt: Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking
- Reading: Readings for module 4
Graded: Material Base of Discontent
Graded: Labor Market: Insiders and Outsiders
Graded: Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
Graded: Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking: Living on Borrowed Time
WEEK 5
Human Development: Growth and Frustration
Structural changes beyond anyone’s control lead to different ways of living and, thus, value changes. With explosive population growth, social institutions have not kept up and norms are contested, often violently. Arab education and research especially have underperformed.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 5a. Structural Changes and Normative Resistance
- Discussion Prompt: Structural Changes and Normative Resistance
- Video: 5b. Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
- Discussion Prompt: Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
- Video: 5c. Demographics and the Youth Bulge
- Discussion Prompt: Demographics and Youth Bulge
- Video: 5d. Science and Education: Producing, Disseminating and Using knowledge
- Discussion Prompt: Science and Education: Producing and Using Knowledge
- Reading: Readings for module 5
Graded: Structural Changes and Normative Resistance
Graded: Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
Graded: Demographics and the Youth Bulge
Graded: Science and Education: Producing, Disseminating and Using knowledge
WEEK 6
Outlook: Elusive Stability
Tying together some of the structural shortcomings that have produced the dysfunction that drove the Arab rebellions, this section casts a somewhat gloomy picture about the formidable tasks ahead if these societies want to redress the causes of discontent and return to stability.
4 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 6a. The Persistence of Foolish Ideas
- Discussion Prompt: The Persistence of Foolish Ideas
- Video: 6b. Taking Responsibility
- Discussion Prompt: Taking Responsibility
- Video: 6c. Addressing Structural Failures
- Discussion Prompt: Addressing Structural Failures
- Video: 6d. Bracing for Trouble
- Discussion Prompt: Bracing for Trouble
- Reading: Readings for module 6
Graded: The Persistence of Foolish Ideas
Graded: Taking Responsibility
Graded: Addressing Structural Failures
Graded: Bracing for Trouble
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Ratings and Reviews
It was a very challenging yet interesting course, i never thought it would be that much intense with full range of readings and different perceptions were argued, and looking at the situation in the Middle East differently and not neglecting any views Western and Eastern.
I highly recommend anyone to join this course, especially with the list of the books that were used in the course.
fun and interesting course.
Excellent and very informative course, makes you think critically about the situation in the Middle East.
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Superb course that gave me lots to think about. Very grateful to the Professor and all concerned.