POS 359: Egyptian Politics
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Department of Political Science and Public Administration
POS 359-01: Egyptian Politics
Spring 2011
MW 2:00-3:15
Instructor: Dr. David Faris
Office: AUD 759
Email: dfaris@roosevelt.edu
Office Phone: 312-322-7152
Office Hours: Mondays 3:30-5:30; Wednesdays 3:30-4:30
Course Description:
EGYPTIAN POLITICS provides students with an intensive immersion experience in the
politics, culture, and challenges of contemporary Egypt. Because a full understanding of
Egypt is impossible through texts on politics alone, this course relies heavily on fiction –
both written and cinematic – to help provide as thorough an understanding of Egyptian
politics as possible. By the end of this course you will be familiar with the most
important debates that scholars, policymakers, and observers have about contemporary
Egypt. These debates include the foundations and dynamics of authoritarian rule, the
evolution of political Islam, the struggle for political and economic reform, and relations
between Muslims, Christians, and other minorities. Through fiction we will see the both
the achievements of Egyptian society and the many challenges Egyptians must
overcome on a daily basis – from traffic and overcrowding to poverty and the marriage
crisis.
Goals and Philosophy:
The course applies the philosophy of historical institutionalism – the idea that to
properly understand events in the contemporary world, you must first understand the
individuals, ideas and institutions that preceded them. Present-day Egypt has been
shaped not only be the modern Middle East but also by its thousands of years as an
empire and subsequently as either the seat of or province of other empires. To that end
the course will begin with a history of Egypt as it came to be today. Furthermore, I will
POS 359: Egyptian Politics
not be providing or transmitting “answers” to you but rather building an environment
where we can safely and vigorously brainstorm, collaborate and engage in critical
thinking. This is an upper-level, reading-intensive course. You should expect to do 75100 pages of reading every week, if not a bit more. If this is too much for you, please
make this decision sooner rather than later
Required Texts:
The following texts are available for purchase in the university bookstore.
Marsot, Afaf Lutfi Al-Sayyid. A History of Egypt: From the Arab Conquest to the
Present. Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, 2007.
Kassem, Maye. Egyptian Politics: The Dynamics of Authoritarian Rule. Lynne Rienner
Publishers, 2004.
Wickham, Carrie Rosefsky., Mobilizing Islam: Religion, Activism and Political Change
in Egypt. Columbia University Press, 2003.
Mahfouz, Naguib. Adrift on the Nile.
Al-Aswany, Ala’a. The Yacoubian Building.
Other readings will be posted to Blackboard well in advance of class.
Prerequisites: POS 354 (unless waived by the instructor)
Attendance and Punctuality:
Because of the frequency of interactive activities and presentations, your
presence in class is essential to the creation and maintenance of a collaborative learning
environment. Absences will be subtracted on a percentage basis directly from your final
grade, unless excused by a note. For instance if you miss 10 classes, you’ve missed 33%
of our class sessions, and the best grade you could possibly receive would be a 66 (D).
This policy will be applied strictly and without exception.
Assignments
Response Posts: Each Wednesday students will write a one-paragraph (150-300 word)
response to the readings for that week. Response posts are to be posted to the
discussion board by the beginning of each Wednesday class session at 2:00 p.m.
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
Mid-term Exam: There will be one exam, a take-home midterm, which will be distributed
in class on Wednesday, February 23rd.
Quizzes: There will be a quiz every other Wednesday on that week’s readings, eight
quizzes in total. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
Term Paper: Each student will write a 3,000-3,500 term paper, addressing course themes
in a country or group of countries from your working group. This paper serves as your
final exam. The paper will be a 3-part research sequence, comprised of a research
proposal (10%), complex synthesis (20%) and judgmental synthesis/final paper (70%).
The detailed research sequence is posted to Blackboard for you to review. Relevant
dates are included in the syllabus.
Grading
I reserve the right to adjust grades on the margin based on a shared understanding of
your contribution to the group learning environment.
Quizzes: 25%
Mid-term 25%
Term paper/Research Sequence: 25%
Response Posts: 20%
Participation: 5%
Note Pt. II: Participation is not just about how many times you raise your hand in
class. It is also about the commitment you show to achieving our shared goals, your
work in groups, and your physical presence in class. You may check with me at any
time to get a sense of how your participation grade is shaping up.
University Policy on Absence to Observe Religious Holidays:
Roosevelt University respects the rights of students to observe major religious
holidays and will make accommodations, upon request, for such observances. Students
who wish to observe religious holidays must inform their instructors in writing within
the first two weeks of the semester of their intent to observe the holiday so that
alternative arrangements convenient to both students and faculty can be made at the
earliest opportunity. See the student handbook for further details.
Class Schedule
Week 1: THE STUDY OF EGYPT
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
Monday January 10th
In class: Logistics and Introductions
Read: Wednesday January 12th
In class: Egypt in history
Read: Marsot 1-48.
Week 2: : OTTOMAN EGYPT
Monday, January 17th
NO CLASS: MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Wednesday, January 19th
In-class: Lecture; QUIZ #1
Read: Marsot 48-97.
Week 3: FROM MONARCHY TO REVOLUTION
Monday January 24th
In-class: Lecture: The Liberal Period and the Revolution
Read: Marsot, 98-126.
Wednesday January 26th
In-class: Collaborative exercise
Read: Marsot, 127-155; Mahfouz 1-53.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 26th: FILM NIGHT: NASSER ’56.
Week 4: AUTHORITARIAN RULE DURING THE NASSER PERIOD
Monday January 31st
In-class: Lecture
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
Read: Mahfouz 54-167.
Wednesday February 2nd
In-class: Discussion; QUIZ #2
Read: Kassem 1-45.
Week 5: SADAT FROM WAR TO ASSASSINATION
Monday February 7th
In-class: Lecture: THE SADAT PIVOT
Read: Selections from the Cambridge History of Egypt (BB)
Wednesday February 9th
In-class: DISCUSSION; QUIZ #3
Read: Aulas, Marie-Christine. “Sadat’s Egypt: A Balance Sheet.” Middle East Report
July/August 1982, 6-18/30-31 (BB).
Due: Research Sequence Part I (Proposal)
Week 6: THE STRUCTURE OF AUTHORITARIAN RULE: PARTIES AND CIVIL
SOCIETY
Monday February 14th
In-class: Lecture
Read: Kassem 49-87
Wednesday February 16th
In-class: Collaborative exercise
Read: Kassem, 87-127
Week 7: POLITICAL ISLAM
Monday February 21ST
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
In-class: Lecture: Political Islam in Egypt
Read: Wickham 93-118; Kassem 133-163.
Wednesday February 23rd
In-class: DISCUSSION; QUIZ #4
Read: Wickham 119-149
MIDTERM DISTRIBUTED
Week 8: POLITICAL ISLAM (CONT’D)
Monday, February 28th
In-class: Lecture “The Transformation of Political Islam”
Read: Wickham, 150-175;
MIDTERM DUE
Wednesday MARCH 2ND
In-class: Collaborative exercise
Read: , Wickham, 176-226
Week 9: SPRING BREAK!
MONDAY, MARCH 7th, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9TH: NO CLASSES
Week 10: SUCCESSION AND OPPOSITION
Monday March 14th
In-Class: Lecture
Read: Shorbagy, Manar. “The Egyptian Movement for Change – Kefaya: Redefining
Politics in Egypt.” Public Culture 19/1 (Winter 2007): 175-196. Kassem 167-192 .
Wednesday MARCH 16TH
In-class: DISCUSSION; QUIZ #5
Read: Trager, Eric. “A Tale of Two Parties.” Foreign Policy, November 18th, 2010.
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH: EGYPTIAN FOOD NIGHT.
Week 11: THE STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
Monday March 21st
In-class: Lecture “Egypt in the global economy”
Read: Pace, Michelle. “A Tale of Two Egypts.” Mediterranean Politics 13/3 (November
2008): 439-444 (BB); Al-Aswany 1-61
Wednesday March 23rd
In-class: Discussion
Read: Beinin and Hamalawy on labor. Al-Aswany 62-100; Denis, Eric. “Cairo as a
Neoliberal Capital.” (BB).
Week 12: CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS
Monday March 28th
In-class: Lecture “COPTS AND SUNNIS”
Read: El-Gawhary, Karim. “Copts and the Egyptian Fabric.” Middle East Report 200
(July-Sept. 1996): 21-22. (BB); Massad, Joseph. “Sectarianism and its Discontents.” AlAhram Weekly, January 6-12, 2011.
Wednesday March 30th
In-class: Discussion; Quiz #7
Read: Al-Aswany 101-139; Ansari, Hamied. “Sectarian Conflict in Egypt and the
Political Expediency of Religion.” Middle East Journal 38/3 (Summer 1984): 397-418. ElDin, Gemal Essam. “Egypt Challenged to Unite.” Al-Ahram Weekly, January 6-12, 2011.
Week 13: GENDER POLITICS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Monday, April 4th
In-class: Lecture: The position of women in Egypt
Read: Baron, Beth. “Women, honour and the state: Evidence from Egypt.” Middle
Eastern Studies 42/1 (January 2006): 1-20. (BB). Al-Aswany 140-180
Due: Research Sequence Part II: Complex Synthesis
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
Wednesday, April 6th
In-class: Discussion;
Read: Al-Aswany 180-208; Sief Al-Dawla, Aida. “Torture: a state policy” and El-Mahdi,
Rabab, “The Democracy Movement” From El-Mahdi Rabab and Marfleet, Philip, eds.
Egypt: The Moment of Change. (Both on BB).
FILM NIGHT: VEILED VOICES
Week 14: TAXIS AND TOURISTS
Monday April 11th
In-class: Lecture
Read: Gray, Matthew. “Economic Reform, Privatization and Tourism in Egypt.” Middle
Eastern Studies 34/2 (April 1998): 91-112. : Vitalis, Robert. “The Middle East on the Edge
of the Pleasure Periphery.” Middle East Report. No. 196 (Sep.-Oct. 1995):2-7.
Wednesday April 13th
In-class: Quiz #8
Read: Selections from Pyramids and Nightclubs: A Travel Ethnography of Arab and Western
Imaginations of Egypt. Al-Aswany 209-246
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13TH: FILM NIGHT: THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING
Week 14: DAILY LIFE
Monday April 18th
In-class: Discussion;
Read: Selections from Taxi; de Koning, Anouk. “Café Latte and Caesar Salad:
Cosmopolitan Belonging in Cairo’s Coffee Shops.”
Wednesday April 20th
In-class: Conclusions and Farewell
Monday, April 25th: Due: Research Sequence Part III: Judgmental Synthesis/Final
Papers
Important Notes:
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POS 359: Egyptian Politics
*Students with disabilities may request special accommodations. Students must let me
know within the first two weeks of the semester if this is the case, and they also must
contact Nancy Litke in the Academic Success Center (312-384-3810).
*Students are required to abide by the University’s Code of Student Conduct. Students
who plagiarize or cheat will receive a zero for the assignment and will be referred to the
university for disciplinary action.
*Cell phones, mp3 players and other personal electronic devices must be switched off
during class. You may use your laptop for notetaking, but students using their laptops
for personal communication during class will be asked to stop.
*There is no eating during class. You may bring drinks with lids or caps.
*Enrolling in this course constitutes acceptance of these policies. I reserve the right to
alter policies and scheduling on the syllabus and will give advance notice to students of
any changes.
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