ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF ARAB COUNTRIES

Within the framework of the course in Language, Politics and Economics of the Arab countries, this teaching aims at dealing with a topic, that of labour, which has became central in the political economy of Arab region today. Our understanding of labour dynamics in the Arab region remains very limited. The copious amount of available studies on the topic is produced by international agencies, providing a reductive diagnosis, formulated on a quantitatively-based methodology, de-contextualised from the political economic context of the last three decades, and informed by an a-critical and positive view of neoliberal reforms. The 2011 Arab uprising has brought to attention the centrality of the labour question in the region as well as the key role played by workers and unemployed in the salient phases of protests, especially in Tunisia and Egypt, generating a renewed interest toward such issues. Drawing on from the analysis of different case studies (thematically-based and by country), this teaching will shed light on the composite and variegated geography of labour in the Arab region.

Students will acquire the analytical and methodological tools necessary to critically interpret the complex and variegated geography of labour in the Arab region, by investigating several case studies, learning to adopt a gender perspective and taking into account a plurality of sources.

Knowledge of English
Background knowledge of the contemporary history of Arab countries

This teaching will focus on the labour question in Arab countries, dealing with specific themes and corresponding case studies, with the aim at shedding light on the composite geography of labour in the Arab region. The themes covered will be:

i) The employment of women in export-oriented manufacturing industry and in agribusiness (Case studies: Jordan and Morocco).
ii) Migrant labour from Asian countries in the Arab region (Case studies: Gulf countries).
iii) Forms of labour related mobilizations in the context of neoliberal reforms such as the movements of unemployed, independent trade unions and so on (case studies: Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt).

The list of sources for preparing the oral exam and my power-point presentations are avaialble on moodle https://moodle.unive.it/login/index.php . (Political and Economic Geography of Arab countries 2018-2019).

Questions on the topics covered in class will be addressed to the students at the beginning or end of lesson.

The topics covered in the course will be discussed in class, starting from specific questions raised by the professor or daily newspapers connected to the topics covered by the lessons.

- Power-point presentations
- Case study analysis
- Analysis of audio sources and videos
- Critical analysis of primary sources (interviews, official documents, statistical data..)
- Complementary readings on the covered topics (not compulsory for the exam)

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development