BA Art History and History

How do collective identities come into existence? How do nations emerge (or disintegrate thereof)? What best accounts for the development of nations: ideology, the economy, societal transformation, politics, cultural formation or technological change? This course examines these and other key questions and themes pertaining to the formation and consolidation of collective identities in the 20th Century Middle East. It does so by utilising theoretical studies that focus on additional regions. We explore the emergence and consolidation of collective identities on competing bases (such as ethnicity, language, region, class, religion, etc).

On successful completion of the course unit students should have developed skills for critical analysis of the phenomenon of nationalism as one of the world’s single most potent forces as well as understand core issues pertaining to the 20th Century formation of modern Egypt and Israel/Palestine.

Lecture, seminar presentation, and seminar discussions.

On completion of this unit successful participants should have reached an advanced level of foundational knowledge in the study of the global phenomenon of ethno-nationalism; be able to discuss and analyse the competing schools of scholarly thought aiming to explain it; be able to comment in an informed manner on a range of controversies surrounding the study of Jewish and Arab nationalisms.

• Conduct research on a key question or choose to formulate one yourself contingent on lecturers’ approval
• Write analytical plans for a 3000 word piece of work 
• Develop a written argument of depth and complexity, using critical literature, with a standard of scholarly presentation appropriate for Level 2 study. 

• Analytical skills: analyse and evaluate existing literature on the topic studied. Committed students will emerge from this course unit with a capacity to think critically, knowledgeably, and confidently.
• Innovation/creativity: students are encouraged to apply critical analysis to the topic researched/studied.
• Management: students will be able to work toward a deadline independently – yet with guidance – as well as synthesise secondary literature effectively for a final exam.

• Manage time, self-motivate and work to deadline
• Communicate a coherent argument in some depth and complexity in written form 
• Demonstrate powers of analysis
• Display good literacy skills in English 

Resit Assessment

• Hutchinson, John, & Smith, Anthony D. (eds.), Nationalism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994); 
• Anderson, Benedict, Imagined Communities (London: Verso 1991); 
• Breuilly, John, Nationalism and the State (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982); 
• Gellner, Ernest, Nations and Nationalism (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1983); 
• Smith, Anthony, National Identity (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 1991); 
• Behar, Moshe, “Do Comparative and Regional Studies of Nationalism Intersect?” International Journal of Middle East Studies, Issue 37/4 (2005), pp. 587-612. 

Primary sources and lecture notes will be uploaded to Canvas. 

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2027 will be £10,050 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £29,200 per annum.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about student finance options for UK students .

Learn more about f ees and finance for international students .

As an international student you may be eligible for our Global Futures Scholarships . This is open to students starting their studies in September 2026.