This course focuses on the history and geography of the Mediterranean area from the era of the 19th century colonialisms until today’s current history shaped by the Arab Spring, European integration and migration. Analyzed here are topics such as violence and race as subjects of colonialism, the politics of empires, the politics of climate change and modernization processes in post-colonial states.  In the second part of the course significant attention is paid to Cold War international relations and military history of the area, decolonization as well as post-Cold War developments.  Key concepts discussed throughout the course include anatomy of languages, circular migration, pan-Arabism, the Ottoman past, European Union integration, revolution, Communism, the global south, pan-Africanism, Superpower politics, peace, dictatorship, war, authoritarianism, democracy, the Third World and Europe.

Ilmoittautuminen suoraan opettajalle: Rinna.Kullaa@staff.uta.fi.

Lectures (16 h; attendance obligatory, one missed lecture accepted) + exam (lectures and some literature, announced on the first lecture) + a short essay (6-8 pages, based on literature).

Antti Blåfield (ed): The Use and Abuse of History. Helsinki: Siltala, 2016.

Richard J. Crampton:  The Balkans since the Second World War. Taylor and Francis, 2002.

Henry S. Wilson: African Decolonization. Oxford University Press, 1994.

Robert Tignor and Jeremy Adelman: Worlds Together Worlds Apart. Fourth edition. W.W. Norton, 2014.

Other literature (articles, other shorter texts) announced and (partly) copied to the participants during the course.