https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E8kASIVAV2DQMT0AUc-O8uYvdKfpHvkKdm1o5HvvJvM/pub
3rd quarter final project - Middle East country research paper
You will be writing a research paper on a country of your choice in the Middle East. You may pick a country from the following list: Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey.
You will then choose a period of time to research: pre-colonial (prior to European interference), colonial (during European interference), or post-colonial (after gaining independence from European interference).
Option #1 - Pre-colonial history - What was society like in your country before Europeans arrived? What religion(s) was (were) practiced? Did different religious groups get along, or was there religious tension? What was the culture like? How was the government structured? Did people have freedom of religion? Did people have any power in the government? What ethnic groups lived in your country? Did those groups get along, or was there ethnic tension? What was life like for the average person? How did your country interact with the outside world?
Option #2 - Colonial history and independence - Was your country a colony of a European power during the 1800s and 1900s? When/how did your country become a colony? What was life like for people in your country under colonialism? What changes did the Europeans cause in your country as a result of colonialism? Border changes? Religious/cultural changes? Governmental system changes? Are some of those changes still evident in your country today? Does your country still have a close relationship with their European colonizer today? How and when did your country get independence from colonialism? Was it a rocky transition to independence, with a civil war or a war against the European country? Or was it smooth and non-violent? How did the Cold War (1945-1991) affect your country? Did your country take the side of the US or the USSR, or was it neutral? Did the government of your country get financial or military aid from either side? Was your country the site of a proxy war?
Option #3 - Post-colonial (or the last 30 years if your country was not colonized by Europe) - Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, how has your country’s government treated its citizens? Do the people have the right to protest/express their political beliefs? Freedom of religion? Freedom from torture/death? Are there any minorities groups (gay/lesbian, transgender, religious, ethnic) that are not treated equally? Do people get to vote? Overall, do citizens have more freedom or less freedom than they had in the 1980s? How has extremism affected your country? What is the nature of that extremism? Is the government run by extremists? Terrorist attacks? How has the government responded? How has armed conflict affected your country? Has your country been invaded? Has your country attacked another nation? Has there been a civil war? How was that conflict resolved/how is it being resolved? Does your country benefit from its own natural resources, or are they enriching other nations? Is their economy getting better? Are they getting enough food? Are the lives of people in your country improving? What, if anything, are they still recovering from that stemmed from the colonial and/or Cold War era?
The paper
Your paper will consist of 5 sections: an introduction, 3 body sections (multiple paragraphs in each section), and a conclusion. The first section is an introduction paragraph on your country, and will explain the scope of your topic and time period. The second, third, and fourth sections are up to you to choose from the list below. The fifth section will be a conclusion, both summarizing your paper and looking at the problems and issues your country is facing going forward.
1) Introduction - What time period have you chosen, and what is going to be discussed in your paper?
2) Body section #1 - First main topic
3) Body section #2 - Second main topic
4) Body section #3 - Third main topic
5) Conclusion - Wrap up your paper by talking about what happened just after the time period you looked at. If your paper is pre-colonial, speak to the beginning of colonialism. If your paper is colonial, speak to post-colonial developments. If your paper is about the last 30 years, speak to the main issues facing your country in the future.
Due dates
Tuesday, February 21: Due date #1 - Email your country choice to Mr. Reinholt
Monday, February 27: Due date #2 - Email Body Section #1 (your choice, minimum 350 words) of your paper to Mr. Reinholt with 3 sources
Tuesday, March 7: Due date #3 - Email Body Section #2 (your choice, minimum 350 words) of your paper to Mr. Reinholt with 3 new sources
Monday, March 13: Due date #4 - Email Body Section #3 (your choice, minimum 350 words) of your paper to Mr. Reinholt with 3 new sources
Friday, March 17: Due date #5 - Email the introduction (minimum 225 words) of your paper to Mr. Reinholt
Thursday, March 23: Due date #6 - Email the conclusion (minimum 225 words) of your paper to Mr. Reinholt and bring multiple paper copies of your entire rough draft to class for peer editing
Final 1,500-word paper (and works consulted page
with at least 9 sources) due on Monday, April 3
