Об этом курсе: 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!
Автор: University of Copenhagen
Преподаватели: Dr. Ebrahim Afsah, Associate Professor
Faculty of Law
| Уровень | Начинающий |
| Выполнение | 6 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Язык | English, Субтитры: Arabic, Spanish |
| Как пройти курс | Чтобы пройти курс, выполните все оцениваемые задания. |
| Оценки пользователей |
Программа курса
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: Broken Societies and an Aborted Awakening
- Видео: 1b. The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
- Discussion Prompt: The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
- Видео: 1c. Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaption
- Discussion Prompt: Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaptation
- Видео: 1d. Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
- Discussion Prompt: Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
- Reading: Readings for module 1
Оцениваемый: Broken Societies and an Aborted Awakening
Оцениваемый: The Arab Exception: Critical Reason and Responsibility
Оцениваемый: Relativism and Reality: The Price of Inadaption
Оцениваемый: Physical Elections and Necessary Comparisons
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: Missing the ‘Third Wave’ of Democratisation
- Видео: 2b. The Authoritarian Social Contract and the Absence of Politics
- Discussion Prompt: The Authoritarian Social Contract
- Видео: 2c. Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Discussion Prompt: Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Видео: 2d. The Absence of Politics: Fear, Stability, Institutional Decay, and Polarising Elections
- Discussion Prompt: The Absence of Politics
- Reading: Readings for module 2
Оцениваемый: Missing the Boat to the 'Third Wave' of Democratisation
Оцениваемый: The Authoritarian Social Contract and the Absence of Politics
Оцениваемый: Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
Оцениваемый: The Absence of Politics: Fear, Stability, Institutional Decay, and Polarising Elections
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: The Necessity of Politics: Power and Authority
- Видео: 3b. The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
- Discussion Prompt: The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
- Видео: 3c. Contestation of Models: Is 'Good Governance' a Western or an Islamic Idea?
- Discussion Prompt: ‘Good Governance’: A Western or an Islamic Ideal?
- Видео: 3d. Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
- Discussion Prompt: Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
- Reading: Readings for module 3
Оцениваемый: The Necessity of Politics: Power and Authority
Оцениваемый: The Miracle of Politics: Accountability and Effectiveness
Оцениваемый: Contestation of Models: Is 'Good Governance' a Western or an Islamic Idea?
Оцениваемый: Contingency, Trajectories and Performance Standards
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: Material Base of Discontent
- Видео: 4b. Labour Market: Insiders and Outsiders
- Discussion Prompt: Labour Market: Insiders and Outsiders
- Видео: 4c. Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
- Discussion Prompt: Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
- Видео: 4d. Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking: Living on Borrowed Time
- Discussion Prompt: Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking
- Reading: Readings for module 4
Оцениваемый: Material Base of Discontent
Оцениваемый: Labor Market: Insiders and Outsiders
Оцениваемый: Law, Institutions and Economic Performance
Оцениваемый: Trade, Productivity and Rent Seeking: Living on Borrowed Time
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: Structural Changes and Normative Resistance
- Видео: 5b. Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
- Discussion Prompt: Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
- Видео: 5c. Demographics and the Youth Bulge
- Discussion Prompt: Demographics and Youth Bulge
- Видео: 5d. Science and Education: Producing, Disseminating and Using knowledge
- Discussion Prompt: Science and Education: Producing and Using Knowledge
- Reading: Readings for module 5
Оцениваемый: Structural Changes and Normative Resistance
Оцениваемый: Family Values: Conformity and Critical Thinking
Оцениваемый: Demographics and the Youth Bulge
Оцениваемый: Science and Education: Producing, Disseminating and Using knowledge
НЕДЕЛЯ 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 видео, 1 материал для самостоятельного изучения
- Discussion Prompt: The Persistence of Foolish Ideas
- Видео: 6b. Taking Responsibility
- Discussion Prompt: Taking Responsibility
- Видео: 6c. Addressing Structural Failures
- Discussion Prompt: Addressing Structural Failures
- Видео: 6d. Bracing for Trouble
- Discussion Prompt: Bracing for Trouble
- Reading: Readings for module 6
Оцениваемый: The Persistence of Foolish Ideas
Оцениваемый: Taking Responsibility
Оцениваемый: Addressing Structural Failures
Оцениваемый: Bracing for Trouble
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Авторы
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest University in Denmark - founded in 1479, and with over 38,000 students and more than 9,000 employees. The purpose of the University is to conduct research and provide education to the highest academic level. Based in Denmark's capital city it is one of the top research institutions in Europe.
Рейтинги и отзывы
Es una excelente herramienta para comprender los sucesos geopolíticos de la zona, además, se obtiene información sobre de política, democracia y gobernanza. La bibliografía es buena, si uno quiere ampliar los temas. ¡¡Gracias!!
It is an excellent tool to understand geopolitical events in the area, in addition, you get information about politics, democracy and governance. The bibliography is good, if one wants to expand the issues. Thank you!!
This was a truly wonderful course! I took it as a high school student, and though the material was tough to comprehend at times - I was able to work through it. I truly learned so much about the Arab Spring. Our lecturer was fantastic and taught in a way that I didn't expect but grew to like. I recommend this course to anybody curious as to what the Arab future holds, and how this situation arose. Thank you to all!
My sincerest thanks to Prof Afsah and the whole team. I wish I had more time at hand to participate in the discussion forum. The time factor has been the part I personally struggled most - but that´s maybe just me. I found the lectures highly informative and thought provoking. While suffering with a bad education system in my youth, I feel very fortunate having such an inspiring instructor as Prof Afsah.
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AS
I'm not much of a visuo-audio learner, so I mostly learnt through reading the transcripts. I have to say that the insight, the depth, the thorough and thought-provoking analysis offered by the professor is excellent, and truly made me love this course. I have been talking about it non-stop to my friends and family. I can't believe how much I have learnt about the Arab World and the Arab Spring through this one course, and it has been an extremely fulfilling experience. I am so glad I picked it, and I hope I can see more from Dr. Ebrahim Afsah. Thank you so much, it was a phenomenal experience!