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CS92PROD
Junior Government Tutorial: Uprisings and Revolutions in the Middle East: The Arab Spring in Context
CSS 330
Spring 2025
Section: 01   02  

The course examines the dynamics of uprisings and revolutions in the Middle East, with a primary focus on the "Arab Spring" and its historical antecedents. Drawing from theories of revolutions, contentious politics, and democratization, the readings examine both general patterns across the region and the political dynamics of individual cases. We will start with a discussion of the nationalist uprisings of the 1950s and the 1979 Iranian Revolution, after which we will examine the deep roots and major explanations of the Arab Spring. We will consider what explains the variation in protests and in government responses, what role different actors played during the uprisings, and what effects historical legacies had on the dynamics of the uprising. We will also attempt to understand what factors led to the militarization of the protests and the descent into civil war in Syria. The course concludes with a discussion of the aftermath, exploring what factors led to the democratic breakdown in Tunisia a decade after the uprising.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (CGST-MN)(CSS)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAY-04-2024
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