SISU-106 – Social Movements and Civil Society in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Spring 2015
MIDTERM EXAM
Instructions
This take-home exam consists of two essay questions, which you choose out of a pool of four. Each answer should be at minimum 3 double-spaced pages and at maximum 4 double-spaced pages, for a total of 6-8 pages. Needless to say, the answers should be analytical and demonstrate knowledge of the material covered thus far in the course and refer to as many of the assigned sources as possible. As this is a take-home exam, points will be awarded for your ability to use the literature to build an argument – it is not enough to simply repeat what the literature says. Nor will merely rambling to fulfill the page requirements yield points – be thoughtful and engaged with the literature when answering the questions. Make sure to clearly note which question you are answering in your document.
Questions (choose two)
Question 1: How has the colonial experience shaped the political dynamics of the
MENA region? How can the colonial past be linked to the difficulties modern MENA states face? Discuss the colonial legacy in terms of both structural/material and cultural/ideational factors.
Question 2: The state in the MENA region is generally large and interventionist in character. At the same time, the MENA state is generally weak in legitimacy among its populace. How can we explain this contradictory state of affairs? How did the state develop the way it did? What
