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 studying key topics of the composite political and economic geography of the region through a critical approach that puts at the centre the perspectives from below.

Students will acquire the analytical and methodological tools necessary to critically interpret the complex and variegated political and economic geography of the Arab region, by investigating three key topics (e.g the question of women and labour; environment and exploitation of natural resources; agricultural development and food insecurity), drawing from several case studies (from North Africa to the Gulf), and taking into account a plurality of sources.

Knowledge of English
Background knowledge of the contemporary history of economic policies in the Arab countries

This teaching will deal with the following four topics and corresponding case studies in order to better understand the problems affecting such areas, prevailing narratives and policies as well as forms of resistance and alternative practices:

i) Labour and women in the context of neoliberal policies (case studies: Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia)
ii) Agricultural development and food insecurity (case studies: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq)
iii) Natural resources and environmental geographies (case studies: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco)
iv) Palestinian resistance economy

All the sources are available on the moodle platform https://moodle.unive.it/login/index.php

Not attending students are kindly requested to get in contact with me.

The course has two modes of assessment:

a) The first mode consists of three intermediate tests during the course and a final written exam to be submitted on the exam dates. During the course, students are encouraged to work in groups and individually on the three topics covered in the program. At the end of the course, students are required to submit an argumentative essay of approximately 3,000 words on one of the three topics covered during the course.

b) The second mode, which replaces the first one, consists of a single final exam:
- written exam: submission of an argumentative essay of approximately 3,000 words on one of the four topics
- oral exam: presentation of three of the four topics not selected for the written exam

All information regarding exam procedures and essay submission is available on the moodle platform.

written and oral

With regard to grading (the way in which grades will be assigned), irrespective of the
attending or non-attending mode:
A. marks in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and applied understanding with reference to the syllabus;
- limited ability to collect and/or interpret data, making independent judgements;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the
economic operation of public services;
B. marks in band 23-26 will be awarded in the presence of:
- discrete knowledge and applied comprehension skills with reference to the syllabus;
- discrete ability to collect and/or interpret data critically, making autonomous judgements;
- fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the topics
C. scores in the 27-30 bracket will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or very good knowledge and applied comprehension skills with reference to the syllabus;
- good or very good ability to collect and/or interpret data critically, making independent judgements;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of the specific language in relations to the covered topics
D. Honours will be awarded in the presence of excellent critical judgement and communication skills.

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

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development