Module: Geopolitics: Middle East & North Africa

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Geopolitics: Middle East & North Africa
Module Code	GY303 (ITS) / GEO1015 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	History & Geography
Module Co-ordinator	Gerry Reilly
Module Teachers	Gránia Shanahan, John G O'Reilly, Susan Hegarty
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

Consolidating underlying concepts of sustainable development, citizenship and human rights, and applied professional geography, this module surveys the geopolitics of the MENA – Middle East and North Africa region linked to the geostrategic Mediterranean Sea which lies at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. The region is rich in natural and human resources including oil, gas, fish, agriculture and tourist-related activities. This region has bequeathed an enduring cultural legacy to the world, including the Judaeo-Christian traditions and Islamic civilisation. It encompasses some of the richest and poorest states in the world, and major conflict shatter-belt zones due to economic, political and geopolitical forces. Competition and conflict have debilitated development there, having major impacts on neighbouring regions including Europe, and globally.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse how relationships between physical environments, human and political geography intersect creating processes at various scales - local to regional and global – but with specific geopolitical and risk implications.
2. Understand, research and use sources and methodologies in geography, politics and geopolitics.
3. Relate holistic geographical and political perspectives connecting development, war and conflict resolution.
4. Develop analyses from geopolitical perspectives and write reports.
5. Assess the roles of the UN, Inter-governmental and Regional Organizations, and NGOs connected with the region.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	22	Lectures/Seminars
Independent Study	103	Independent study
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Key geographical concepts and theories defining regions and regional science:
Geopolitics, competing centrifugal and centripetal forces, development, war and peacebuilding at local and regional scales, and implications for international security

Turkey:
Its major physical, economic, cultural and geopolitical bridging roles between Europe/EU and MENA/Islamic cultural realms, the USA / NATO, and Central Asian countries

Territory:
Colonial and post-colonial perspectives on the creation of the MENA states

Geopolitics:
Causes of conflict - multiple conflict levels ranging from micro-spatial disputes as in Jerusalem, to the Spanish Territories on the Moroccan coast, to geostrategic choke-points as with the Straits of Gibraltar, Hormuz and Bab el Mandeb, to larger territories as in Kurdistan, Western Sahara and Israel/Palestine; and resources including oil, gas and water

Geography:
Utopia, religion and militant fundamentalisms

Perspectives on the EU and MENA
Perspectives on the EU and MENA

Unity and diversity
Unity and diversity between the Middle East (Mashreq) and North Africa (Maghreb)

Urban and rural environments
Urban and rural environments

Effective academic research, design and production
Effective academic research, design and production

Planning and conducting research on report writing
Planning and conducting research on report writing

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Report(s)	Ireland and Islam. Guidelines as in the module workbook.	25%	As required
Loop Quiz	Quiz covering multiple aspects of the module.	25%	As required
Report(s)	Question(s) based on one of the major themes of the module.	50%	As required

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Dodds, K.: 2014, Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, London,
O'Reilly, G: 2019, Aligning Geopolitics, Humanitarian Action and Geography in Times of Conflict, Springer International Publishing,

Other Resources

30792, 0, Journal Articles and other resources will be made available via Loop,