Instructions
Midterm:
LO-1.3 Identify key historical events that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
LO-2.1 Define globalization and identify specific aspects of globalization in the Middle East.
LO-3.3 Assess the outlook for democracy since the Arab Spring
“Dimensions of Insecurity”
Our first assignment is a take-home essay assignment which should total approximately six pages (double spaced, not including cover material or bibliography). The objective is to test knowledge and assimilation of the course objectives and completion and comprehension of the course readings from Weeks 1-4. The exclusive use of required texts and readings from this course is mandatory. You do not need to do additional research. All readings can be found by clicking “Content” and then finding “Readings and Resources” under Weeks 1-4.
Question:
Security involves many dimensions, economic, political, military, etc. Based on your completion of the readings from Weeks 1-4, what are two past reasons for insecurity in modern Middle Eastern and North African states? (the readings from Week 2 may be most informative for this question). What are two immediate and current reasons for insecurity? For each of the four issues you select, analyze specific examples of MENA states from the readings. You may find that the causes do not affect all states equally. Avoid looking for “root causes” as this concept invariably oversimplifies things.
Additional Guidelines:
Citations and references should be Chicago Author-Date format: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html.
The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your mastery of course materials and objectives. It is therefore important that the essay concentrates on course materials and showcases understanding and synthesis of readings using full citations. Avoid presenting opinion or reflection (opinions and reflections can be shared in the forums for discussion). Avoid writing from personal impressions and instead represent and dissect the readings you engage for each question.
Do not copy and regurgitate the forums – these are two separate assignments with different objectives and grade rubrics.
