Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East

This handbook examines the regional and international dynamics of the Middle East. It challenges the state society dichotomy to make sense of decision-making and behavior by ruling regimes. The 33 chapter authors include the world’s leading scholars of the Middle East and International Relations (IR) in order to make sense of the region. This synthesis of area studies expertise and IR theory provides a unique and rigorous account of the region’s current dynamics, which have reached a crisis point since the beginning of the Arab Spring.The Middle East has been characterized by volatility for more than a century. Although the region attracts significant scholarly interest, IR theory has rarely been used as a tool to understand events. The constructivist approach in IR highlights the significance of state identity, shaped by history and culture, in making sense of international relations. The authors of this volume consider how IR theory can elucidate the patterns and principles that shape the region, in order to provide a rigorous account of the contemporary challenges of the Middle East. The __Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East__ provides comprehensive coverage of International Relations issues in the region. Thus, it offers key resources for researchers and students interested in International Relations and the Middle East. Contents List of figures List of tables Notes on contributors 1 The blurred line between state identity and realpolitik • Shahram Akbarzadeh 2 Neoclassical realism: domestic politics, systemic pressures, and the impact on foreign policy since the Arab Spring • Thomas Juneau, Steven E. Lobell, Norrin M. Ripsman, and Lawrence P. Rubin 3 What constructivism? • Vendulka Kubálková 4 Historical sociology and Middle East international relations • Ewan Stein 5 Subaltern realism meets the Arab world • Mohammed Ayoob 6 Islam, political Islam, and the state system • Frédéric Volpi 7 Don’t shoot the elephant: Middle East stability after the Iranian nuclear deal • Karim Kamel and Patricia M. Lewis 8 The revolutionary guard in Iranian domestic and foreign power politics • Farzan Sabet and Roozbeh Safshekan 9 The Arab uprising and regional power struggle • Raymond Hinnebusch 10 US–Israel relations during the Obama administration: fundamental shift, or adaptation to new realities? • Robert E. Looney 11 Saudi Arabia and Iran: Islam and foreign policy in the Middle East • Simon Mabon 12 The Arab Spring and Russian foreign policy toward the Middle East • Mark N. Katz 13 China’s foray into the Middle East: from ambivalence to ambition? • Michael Clarke 14 Oil production, innovation, and politics in the Middle East • Hamid E. Ali and Nesreen N. Al Anbar 15 Qatar: an ambitious small state • Matthew Gray 16 GCC foreign policy: the struggle for consensus • Kristian Coates Ulrichsen 17 EU policy in the Middle East: unfulfilled aspirations • Christian Koch 18 Old and new challenges for ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East • Jordi Tejel 19 UN Security Council Resolution 1325: a framework for women’s peace activism in the Middle East? • Sophie Richter-Devroe 20 The demise of the Arab strongman? Authoritarianism and the future of the Middle East • Pietro Marzo and Francesco Cavatorta 21 Armed non-state actors and strategic decision-making • Wietse van den Berge 22 Islamic State: aberration, or accelerant of system-wide changes to come? • Michael S. Smith II 23 Proxy relations: Iran and Hezbollah • Shahram Akbarzadeh 24 The Muslim Brotherhood and An-Nahda after the Arab Spring: a failed project • Alison Pargeter 25 Transition and the Arab Spring • George Joffé 26 Shock absorption: Palestinian–Israel status quo 2009–17 • Philip Leech-Ngo 27 The rise and fall of Turkey in the Arab Spring • Paul A. Williams Bibliography Index This handbook examines the regional and international dynamics of the Middle East. It challenges the state society dichotomy to make sense of decision-making and behavior by ruling regimes. The 33 chapter authors include the world’s leading scholars of the Middle East and International Relations (IR) in order to make sense of the region. This synthesis of area studies expertise and IR theory provides a unique and rigorous account of the region’s current dynamics, which have reached a crisis point since the beginning of the Arab Spring. The Middle East has been characterized by volatility for more than a century. Although the region attracts significant scholarly interest, IR theory has rarely been used as a tool to understand events. The constructivist approach in IR highlights the significance of state identity, shaped by history and culture, in making sense of international relations. The authors of this volume consider how IR theory can elucidate the patterns and principles that shape the region, in order to provide a rigorous account of the contemporary challenges of the Middle East. The Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East provides comprehensive coverage of International Relations issues in the region. Thus, it offers key resources for researchers and students interested in International Relations and the Middle East. This handbook book examines the regional and international dynamics of the Middle East. It challenges the state society dichotomy to make sense of decision making and behaviour by ruling regimes. The 28 chapters include the world's leading scholars of the Middle East and International Relations (IR) in order to make sense of the region. This synthesis of area studies expertise and IR theory provides a unique and rigorous account of the region's current dynamics, which have reached crisis point since the beginning of the Arab Spring. The Middle East has been characterised by volatility for more than a century. Although the region attracts significant scholarly interest, IR theory has rarely been used as a tool to understand events. The constructivist approach in IR highlights the significance of state identity, shaped by history and culture, in making sense of international relations. The authors of this volume consider how IR theory can elucidate the patterns and principles that shape the region, in order to provide a rigorous account of the contemporary challenges of the Middle East. The Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East provides a comprehensive coverage of International Relations issues in the region. Thus, it offers key resources for researchers and students interested in International Relations and the Middle East