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Title of Assignments:

Task 1: Arab Spring Portfolio (A worksheet of four questions each requiring an answer between 300-500 words)

This part of the assignment focuses on two areas of the unit. The first is the state and its relationship to society. The second is the origin and trajectory of the Arab spring. In doing so, it covers the bulk of the assignment criteria and it is therefore important that students go beyond description and take care to place emphasis on analysis and explanation. So for instance when discussing a particular type of state formation (e.g. Patrimonial or praetorian) it is not only important that you know what the key features of these states are, but also that you need to explain what features and historical experiences of a particular society (Egypt) lead to the creation of this kind of state. Equally when considering the ‘Arab spring’ it is important to carefully consider exactly what might be meant by the key terms (factors, ideas and goals) in the assessment criteria. For instance, when considering if the ‘goals of the Arab spring’ have been achieved or not, it is worth specifying who’s goals. It is possible there might be more than one group involved and therefore more than one set of goals to consider.

Criteria: This part of the assignment meets criteria 1.1 / 3.1 / 3.2

Task 2: Essay: With reference to one country,(Egypt) evaluate the changing forms and fortunes of political Islam from its beginnings through to the Arab spring (1,200 – 1,500 Words).

The essay directly addresses one of the four assessments (Criteria 2.1) but also part-relates to the final criteria (Criteria 3.2). The criteria guidance asks for a general consideration of the role of Islam and Arab politics and it is suggested you devote one paragraph considering why Islam lends itself to political interpretation, one paragraph to the causes and origins of political Islam, one paragraph on the legacy on Syed Qtub, one paragraph on the legacy of Al Banana, and a final section (possibly two paragraphs) taking place in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya or Syria.

Criteria: This part of the assignment meets criteria 2.1 / 3.2

To achieve level 3:

Explain the nature of the relationship of the Arab state and civil society, referring to notions such as the patrimonial state and praetorian state.
.Explain key factors and ideas that have contributed to the ‘Arab Spring.’
Examine the ‘Arab Spring’ movement in relation to one country and analyse the extent to which the movement’s goals have been achieved.

General Advice
To achieve the higher grades of Merit and Distinction you must present a clear, accurate, structured and detailed expression of the ideas and arguments you are considering. This is particularly required in the portfolio because it serves to meet the bulk of the assessment criteria and offers greater opportunity for analysis.

The worksheet for the portfolio is attached with all the other reading materials.

Many Thanks
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