Special Subject: The United States in the Middle East, 1917-Present (V1438)

15 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been a focus of U.S. foreign policy since the early 20th century, particularly since the Second World War. 

What are the nature of the historical relationships between the MENA region and the United States, and why do discussions of America’s presence in the region inspire such strong responses? Who and what most influenced United States foreign relations with the peoples of the Middle East during the 20th century? How did the U.S. respond to anti-colonial and nationalist movements in the region? How has the U.S. related to Islamic parties and movements? Why do the United States and Israel hold such a close relationship?

On this module, you’ll explore these questions and gain an understanding of U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East from the early 20th century to present. You’ll begin to understand their relationship not only in political terms, but also in cultural, economic, and social terms. 

You’ll look at:

  • America’s rise to global power in the region
  • Woodrow Wilson’s doctrine of self-determination
  • the Arab-Israeli conflict
  • superpower rivalry
  • decolonization and nationalism
  • the politics of oil
  • Islamic revivalism
  • cultural exchange
  • the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
  • the U.S.-Iraq War of 2003-2011
  • the Arab Spring of 2011
  • questions of democracy and political change
  • (mis)perceptions of Arabs and Americans
  • the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace process
  • the mistrust with which many Middle Easterners regard American policy.

You’ll engage in important debates in:

  • the history of foreign relations
  • the history of transnational cultural flows
  • the history of empires and American imperialism.

You’ll explore the historical challenges that U.S. and Middle Eastern officials faced in constructing policy through playing advisors and stakeholders in case studies.

Teaching

100%: Seminar

Assessment

100%: Coursework (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 48 hours of contact time and about 252 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: