This course provides an introduction to the global politics of the Middle East and North Africa in the 20th and 21st centuries. Spanning three continents, rich with natural resources, diverse cultural and social traditions, geographies and landscapes, the Middle East has for millennia loomed large in the world system. This course will examine the Middle East's place in the world from an interdisciplinary perspective, incorporating approaches from global politics, history, political economy, human geography and sociology. It will begin by critically assessing some of the underlying assumptions that frame the study of the region, including its geographical boundaries and the politics of naming. It moves on to provide a brief overview of pre-colonial forms of governance, political-economic and social systems from Umayyad rule to the Ottoman Empire. The course will consider the central economic, social and political changes and developments that have shaped the region, historically and at the current conjuncture. Structured around themes, the course will enable students to develop their empirical knowledge by focusing on case studies from several Middle Eastern and North African states. Through critical reading, guest lectures with scholars and activists from the region, informed discussions, as well as in the writing of essays, students will develop both their understanding of the major trends in Middle Eastern and North African politics and the methodological and theoretical skills necessary to critically assess and analyze information pertaining to the region.