Understanding the Contemporary Middle East, 5th ed. (Understanding: Introductions to the States and

The previous edition of Understanding the Contemporary Middle East was published soon after the Arab uprisings, and the authors―writing across disciplines―captured those moments of possibility. Now, more than six years later, the Middle East is substantially changed, with three protracted civil wars, several retrenched authoritarian regimes, possibly one emerging democracy, and social and economic conditions that have been profoundly affected by the new political environment. This thoroughly revised and updated edition explores both the impact of recent events in shaping the region and the continuities with established patterns of political, economic, and social relations.

CONTENTS:

• Introduction―J. Schwedler.
• The Middle East: A Geographic Preface―I.R. Manners, B.M. Parmenter, and R. King.
• The Historical Context―A. Goldschmidt Jr.
• Middle Eastern Politics―P.A. Schrodt and D.J. Gerner.
• International Relations― C. Ryan and M.A. Tétreault.
• The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict―S. Sharoni and M. Abu-Nimer.
• The Economies of the Middle East―A. Paczyńska.
• The Political Economy of Middle Eastern Oil―A.A. Alvalade-Ximenes and M.A. Tétreault.
• Population Growth, Urbanization, and the Challenges of Unemployment―V.M. Moghadam.
• Kinship, Class, and Ethnicity―L. King.
• The Role of Women―L. Pollard.
• Religion and Politics―J. Schwedler.
• Literature―m. cooke.
• Trends and Prospects―J. Schwedler.