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 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) Employment of female workers in the export-oriented textile industry (case study: Jordan and Morocco)
ii) Agricultural development and food insecurity (case studies on Morocco, Lebanon and Palestine)
iii) Environment and exploitation of natural resources (case studies on Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco)

The list of readings to prepare the examination will be available by the end of May. The texts will be 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 written examination at the end. During the course, the student is invited to carry out group and individual works on the three topics mentioned in the teaching content. At the end of the course, the student is required to submit an argumentative essay of approximately 3000 words on one of the topics covered in the group work.

b) The second mode, which replaces the first one, consists of a single final examination: an oral examination on the three topics mentioned in the course content.

- 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 on the covered topics (not compulsory for the exam)

Italian

written and oral

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