CSPO 23A04 - The Formation of the Welfare States in the MENA

How were welfare states constructed in the Middle East and North Africa? Howcan we understand the starkly different forms they have taken, from Morocco to Iran? This course explores these questions from a perspective of comparative political sociology, using the theoretical framework of state-formation as defined by B. Berman and J. Lonsdale: « a historical process whose outcome is largely an unconscious and contradictory process of conflicts, negotiations, and compromises between diverse groups whose self-serving actions and trade-offs constitute the ‘vulgarization' of power » (Berman, Lonsdale, 1992: 5). By considering the interactions between national, international, and transnational actors that continuously (re)shape the contours of the state, we will explore the various historical paths taken to address social issues in the region's societies. We will examine the development of measurement mechanisms, policies, expertise and discursive frameworks surrounding the ‘social question' and its treatment in different historical configurations as well as the struggles and rights claims that have inflected public action. The course spans from the 1920s to the post-2011 period, when demands for bread, dignity, and social justice resurged strongly yet have still largely been unaddressed.

Marie VANNETZEL

Séminaire

English

Autumn 2024-2025

1- Each session features a central article that all students are required to read. The course begins with a collective discussion around this text, during which active student participation is expected. This discussion leads to the problematization of the session's theme. (Participation: 10%) 2- In the second part, a presentation is given by a group of 2 to 3 students, based on the suggested secondary readings for the session and other sources selected by the students themselves. An interactive visual presentation is encouraged (mind maps, iconographic or sound supports, etc.). The presentation is then discussed by two other students acting as "discussants." Afterward, the lecturer provides additional commentary and complements the presentation with further course content. (Presentation in group: 40%; Discussion: 10%) 3- A book review (from a book list established by the lecturer) is due two weeks before the end of the semester. (Individual book review: 40%)