THE MEDITERRANEAN: HISTORY, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

This course will provide students with a critical grounding in the core issues of transcultural and pluralism, with particular reference to the case study of Lebanon. It will introduce key concepts through a historical perspective in order to deconstruct the culturalist perspective and bring a more politically constructed perspective on the circumstances and specificities in the implementation of pluralism in a segmented society divided along sectarian lines. The course will focus on key moments and themes to enable students to acquire the knowledge and tools necessary to analyze a Middle Eastern society in the fast-changing geopolitical contexts. Among the topics, we will deal with consociativism, sectarian pluralism, clientelism, corruption, impacts of wars, and civil wars on a society. The course will be structured around lectures and group activities and discussions.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a solid understanding of:
- key concepts to problematize divided societies along sectarian lines
- the political history and main social dynamics of contemporary Lebanon
- the preparation of a collective research with academic sources

A good knowledge of French and English is essential.

The lecture will be structured around three main axis
1. An introduction to Lebanon's politics and society in the contemporary era: this will enable the students to know the main articulations of the state/society and more particularly deal with the key concepts of sectarianism, consociativism, clientelism and political Islam.
2. A focus on the Palestinian and Syrian refugee issue in exile in such a society. The interculturality btw Lebanese and Palestinian vs Syrian will be questioned through the lens of the rights and duties in a historical perspective.
3. A focus on the various border issues when related to a political movement affiliated with Islamism

A detailed bibliography and key texts will be provided by the instructor during the course.

Students will be assessed on classroom participation, their capacity to formulate a research question and a written final collective report.

written

Regarding the grading scale, scores will be assigned according to the following schema:
A. Scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of: Sufficient knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
B. Scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of: Fair knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
C. Scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of: Good or excellent knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
D. Honors will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and applied comprehension of the program.

The course will be structured around in-class lectures and debates. The teaching approach will encourage students’ active participation in classroom activities through group work and student-led presentations on topics introduced by the teacher in class.