ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an introduction to the modern Middle East using five principal themes intended to capture the essence of the contemporary Middle East. It represents an issue area that students of the region need to become familiar with: features of the modern Middle East, including demographic issues and the impact of historical memory; interpreting politics in the Middle East. The chapter focuses on political change and civil-military relations; economic development. It discusses the changing political economy of the Middle East; interpreting the social context of the Middle East, with contributions on gender and religion in the region; and interpreting international issues in the Middle East, the longest section. The book covers the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, the Western Sahara conflict, the aftermath in Iraq after 2003, Iranian regional interests, and the international implications of Middle East oil.
