Islam and Politics in the Arab World

One of the most important developments of the twentieth century is Islamic revival. This course examines the ideologies and political strategies of the 20th and 21st century Islamist movements, as well as their origins and evolution. The course is motivated by a set of interlocking questions designed to understand the politics of modern Islamic political movements in the Middle East. What are the intellectual origins of these movements? What is their relationship to colonialism, theology, nationalism, democracy, liberalism, development, and women and gender? How have Islamic political movements evolved over time? What are the reasons behind and the consequences of some of these movements? electoral successes, after the Arab Spring in particular? These questions will be explored historically and in comparative perspective by drawing on scholarship from political science, Islamic studies, sociology, anthropology, and history.