STORIA DEI PAESI DELL'AFRICA MEDITERRANEA E DEL MEDIORIENTE

Knowledge and understanding: To provide insights into the cultural and religious history and evolution of political institutions, particularly in Islamic and Arab countries. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Studying and analyzing the history of Islam and the cultural aspects that characterize Arab peoples enables students to develop an understanding of this civilization. This enhances their ability to relate to others and facilitates the work of those engaged in cultural mediation. 

Independent judgment: Analyzing texts during research, presentation preparation, and lectures strengthens students’ independent judgment, which is further reinforced by the new topics covered in this course. Communication skills: The course includes external seminars and in-class student presentations, enhanced by discussions on related topics, which strengthen students’ communication skills. ABILITY TO LEARN: Throughout the course, students will be provided with the necessary tools to ensure that the knowledge acquired in terms of methodology and content can be used in the future to stimulate their curiosity through topics relating to Arab-Islamic culture, which is both familiar and different. This enables graduates to engage with new cultural issues in an informed manner.  

 A. Module One focuses on the history of the Ottoman Empire, one of the most influential political and cultural powers in the Mediterranean and the Middle East between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries. The module examines the Empire’s political and administrative structures, social and economic organization, relations with European powers, and the internal transformations that led to its gradual decline. It also explores the expansion of European colonialism in North Africa and the Middle East, analyzing its political, economic, social, and cultural consequences. It pays particular attention to the emergence of nationalist movements, the processes of decolonization, and the establishment of independent states throughout the twentieth century. 

 B. Module Two examines the cultural and religious history of the Arab countries, with particular emphasis on the profound transformations that occurred during the twentieth century. Topics include the relationship between Islam, society, and political institutions; the interaction between tradition and modernity; the formation of national identities; and the processes of cultural and intellectual reform. The module also analyses the role of religious currents and politico-religious movements in shaping contemporary Arab societies and their influence on social and political change.

  C. Module Three focuses on the major political, economic, and social transformations that have affected the countries of Mediterranean Africa and the Middle East from the second half of the twentieth century to the present. It pays special attention to the uprisings known as the Arab Spring, examining their historical context, underlying causes, different trajectories, and political, economic, and social consequences across the region. The module concludes by analyzing the region's main contemporary challenges, including democratization processes, regional conflicts, migration, the role of international actors, and the prospects for peace, stability, and sustainable development. 

 2. Reinhard Schulze, Il mondo islamico nel XX secolo, politica e società civile, Milano, Feltrinelli,1998. 

 3. Marcella Emiliani, Purgatorio arabo. Il tradimento delle rivoluzioni in Medio Oriente, Bari, Laterza, 2020. 

 * Documenti e bibliografie per approfondimenti saranno indicati durante il corso. 

• The ability to present the topics covered.
• The ability to analyse historical events.
• The ability to compare cultural aspects.
• The ability to discuss current affairs and link them to historical events.

• The Ottoman Empire:  
• The colonization of Arab countries. 
• The birth of Saudi Arabia. 
• The so-called 'Arab Spring'.