SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

This course goals are to provide an advanced introduction to the field of Mediterranean studies from a historical perspective, focused on Islamic economics and their intellectual and religious implications.

1. Analyze the historical role of Islam in Mediterranean socio-economic structures. 2. Evaluate Islamic economic principles (e.g., banking, resource management) and their modern applications. 3. Assess the impact of Islamist movements on governance, social services, and globalization. 4. Develop critical perspectives on challenges and opportunities for development in Islamic Mediterranean societies.

Modern and Contemporary History of the Mediterranean. For a comprehensive introduction see Corrao F.M., 2017, Islam Religion and Politics, Luiss University Press.

This course examines the social and economic development of Mediterranean countries, emphasizing Islam as a pivotal agent in shaping political, cultural, and economic systems. It explores historical legacies, Islamic economic models, and the contemporary role of Islamist movements. The syllabus is divided into three parts: historical foundations, economic systems, and the influence of Islamist movements in modern contexts. Critical analysis of case studies (Tunisia, Libya) will contextualize theoretical frameworks.

Corrao, Francesca Maria. Islam, Religion and Politics. Luiss University Press, 2017. El-Ashker, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah, e Rodney Wilson. Islamic Economics: A Short History. Themes in Islamic Studies 3. Leiden Boston: BRILL, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047409625. Further readings: Kuran, Timur. Islam and Mammon: The Economic Predicaments of Islamism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. Mann, Gregory. From Empires to NGOs in the West African Sahel: The Road to Nongovernmentality. 1a ed. Cambridge University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139061209. ʻAnānī, Khalīl. Inside the Muslim Brotherhood: Religion, Identity, and Politics. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016.

A balanced combination of various teaching techniques including lectures, discussions, teamwork and other class activities as well as video materials will be implemented
 •Lessons will be based on lectures with slides in class which will introduce students to the specific topic, and 
seminar. Attendance is mandatory, absences for internships are not justified (only in special cases authorized by the Area Director) other absences must be announced and motivated.

The assessment includes: quizzes, power point presentation (or a paper).
Work evaluation: Team work (10%) answers to the quizzes (10%), power points (20%) for a total of 40% of the final mark.
- Partecipation to class work: 10% If a student cannot attend the course will prepare a paper (3000 words max) - the Midterm written exam: test with 20 multiple choice questions (1 point for correct answer, -1 for wrong answer); and 10 open-ended questions (3 points with correct answer down to -3 for wrong, partial or incomplete answer), for a total of 30%. The duration of the exam is one hour. 
 
- the final oral exam deals with the second part of the program (after the Midterm) for a total of 30%. 

 Subsequent sessions:
Traditional oral exam on the whole program. Please note: the results of laboratory tests also apply to subsequent exam sessions. Guidelines for assignement: In all power point and written assignments, you should give your own evaluation of the subject based on the readings with proper citation and bibliography. Please engage in the texts and cite whenever is possible. Please do not use ChatGPT. Plagiarism and the use of ChatGPT for the assignments will result in an automatic failure for the course. Citing your sources: For references, please use footnotes. When you cite a source in a footnote, please use the author’s last name and book or article title, and add the complete reference in the bibliography. Attach a full bibliography providing full publication data for each text cited in your power point, or paper or thesis.

Criteri per l’assegnazione dell’elaborato finale/ Thesis assignment criteria: final score 30/30 and good analytical skills. If the grade is 28/30, The teacher may consider an experimental thesis if attendance and participation in the course activities have been commendable