The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theo... more The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of ‘Middle Power’ at a regional level. Composed of nine chapters, Unfulfilled Aspirations offers the conceptual and theoretical tools to examine ‘Middle Powerhood’ in the Middle East, as well as insightful empirical analyses of both ‘traditional’ Middle Powers in the region (Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria) and new, aspiring ones (Qatar, the UAE). The contributors reveal that the Middle Powers of the Middle East have failed, despite their best efforts, to fulfill their regional aspirations.
Since the Arab uprisings, new dynamics of insecurity have cleaved the MENA, tugging at the concep... more Since the Arab uprisings, new dynamics of insecurity have cleaved the MENA, tugging at the conceptual premise in how this regional subsystem of interstate relations—that is, Middle East international relations (IR)—operates in an era of globalization. Interfacing with conventional IR theories, the chapter shows the retreat of American hegemony as a historical rupture from a unipolar world order. It stresses that new alliances and rivalries, from the Syrian-Iranian coalition to the Saudi-Qatari split, do not comport with existing assumptions for how states should behave when attempting to balance power and project their interests. Emergent conflicts such as proxy wars and sectarianized disputes force us to rethink the origins and duration of violence. All of this makes the study of security itself, long the organizing theme of classical IR, a loaded task. Events in the MENA are teaching theorists to move beyond Western-centric views about what makes states fundamentally secure or ins...
Can International Relations (IR) as it is taught in the Arab world be said to be an “American soc... more Can International Relations (IR) as it is taught in the Arab world be said to be an “American social science” or is it taught differently in different places? The forum addresses this question through an exploration of what and how scholars at Arab universities are teaching IR and how institutional, historical, and linguistic, as well as political and individual factors shape classroom dynamics in the Arab world. This forum attempts to bring the classroom into the Global/Post-Western debate by showing how IR can be taught differently in different places with a focus on a region under-represented in IR debates: the Arab world. The essays, exhibiting diversity in pedagogical strategies and theoretical perspectives, provide a window into how the “international” is perceived and taught locally by teachers and students in various Arab contexts. While the influence from the American “core” of the discipline is obvious, the forum documents how the theoretical and conceptual foundations of ...
The study of armed non-state actors (ANSAs) has grown exponentially in the last two decades. This... more The study of armed non-state actors (ANSAs) has grown exponentially in the last two decades. This article explores the foreign policy of ANSAs as a new empirical domain for foreign policy analysis (FPA) by drawing on various examples from the Middle East to show the merit of this area for novel empirical and theoretical studies. The article identifies the domain of ANSAs’ foreign policy showing how FPA research has so far remained state-centric and almost completely ignores ANSAs. While the external engagement of ANSAs were examined within the scholarship on civil wars, FPA can be adapted to provide systematic scholarly understanding of this phenomenon. Finally, the article explores how studying ANSAs’ foreign policies can revitalize FPA and drive its agenda into new directions.
The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theo... more The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of ‘Middle Power’ at a regional level. Composed of nine chapters, Unfulfilled Aspirations offers the conceptual and theoretical tools to examine ‘Middle Powerhood’ in the Middle East, as well as insightful empirical analyses of both ‘traditional’ Middle Powers in the region (Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria) and new, aspiring ones (Qatar, the UAE). The contributors reveal that the Middle Powers of the Middle East have failed, despite their best efforts, to fulfill their regional aspirations.
Since the Arab uprisings, new dynamics of insecurity have cleaved the MENA, tugging at the concep... more Since the Arab uprisings, new dynamics of insecurity have cleaved the MENA, tugging at the conceptual premise in how this regional subsystem of interstate relations—that is, Middle East international relations (IR)—operates in an era of globalization. Interfacing with conventional IR theories, the chapter shows the retreat of American hegemony as a historical rupture from a unipolar world order. It stresses that new alliances and rivalries, from the Syrian-Iranian coalition to the Saudi-Qatari split, do not comport with existing assumptions for how states should behave when attempting to balance power and project their interests. Emergent conflicts such as proxy wars and sectarianized disputes force us to rethink the origins and duration of violence. All of this makes the study of security itself, long the organizing theme of classical IR, a loaded task. Events in the MENA are teaching theorists to move beyond Western-centric views about what makes states fundamentally secure or ins...
Can International Relations (IR) as it is taught in the Arab world be said to be an “American soc... more Can International Relations (IR) as it is taught in the Arab world be said to be an “American social science” or is it taught differently in different places? The forum addresses this question through an exploration of what and how scholars at Arab universities are teaching IR and how institutional, historical, and linguistic, as well as political and individual factors shape classroom dynamics in the Arab world. This forum attempts to bring the classroom into the Global/Post-Western debate by showing how IR can be taught differently in different places with a focus on a region under-represented in IR debates: the Arab world. The essays, exhibiting diversity in pedagogical strategies and theoretical perspectives, provide a window into how the “international” is perceived and taught locally by teachers and students in various Arab contexts. While the influence from the American “core” of the discipline is obvious, the forum documents how the theoretical and conceptual foundations of ...
The study of armed non-state actors (ANSAs) has grown exponentially in the last two decades. This... more The study of armed non-state actors (ANSAs) has grown exponentially in the last two decades. This article explores the foreign policy of ANSAs as a new empirical domain for foreign policy analysis (FPA) by drawing on various examples from the Middle East to show the merit of this area for novel empirical and theoretical studies. The article identifies the domain of ANSAs’ foreign policy showing how FPA research has so far remained state-centric and almost completely ignores ANSAs. While the external engagement of ANSAs were examined within the scholarship on civil wars, FPA can be adapted to provide systematic scholarly understanding of this phenomenon. Finally, the article explores how studying ANSAs’ foreign policies can revitalize FPA and drive its agenda into new directions.
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