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List of contents
Part I: Introduction to the Region 1 The Middle East and North Africa: Understanding a "Constructed" Region 2 The Geography of the Middle East and North Africa 3 Culture and Society in the Middle East and North Africa 4 Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa Part II: Emergence and Evolution of the Region 5 Historical Foundations: Islamic and Arab Legacies 6 The Making of the Modern Middle East 7 Independent States and Geopolitics: The Legacy of Western Imperialism 8 The Contemporary State System: A System in Flux 9 Contemporary Islamist Thought: Who Speaks for Islam? Part III: Contemporary Issues and Challenges 10 Economic Challenges: A Region of Disparities 11 Environmental Challenges: Adaptation and the Potential for Conflict 12 The Middle East Conflicts 13 Civil Society, Media and Democratic Reforms 14 After the "Arab Spring": What Next for the Region?
About the author
Dona Stewart is former Director of the Middle East Institute at Georgia State University.
Summary
The Middle East Today is an accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook for undergraduate students of Middle East Studies, Middle East politics and geography. The book features a host of pedagogical features to assist students with their learning. These include detailed maps, case studies on key issues, boxed sections and suggestions for further reading. The book highlights the current issues facing the Middle East, linking them to the rich political, geographical and cultural history of the region. The author examines the crises and conflicts, both current and potential, likely to dominate the region in coming years. Key chapters focus on: stereotypes of the region the making of the modern state system contemporary Islamist thought the Arab-Israeli conflicts the struggle for economic and social development democracy and political transformation in the region Designed to both introduce and develop a deeper understanding of this rapidly changing region, The Middle East Today is an essential text for all students of Middle East Studies, Middle East politics and geography.
