Department of Economics

ECON/0640: Economic Development of the Middle East and North Africa

(MENA) Region --Fall 2014
MWF: 2-2:50; Posvar 4900
Off. Hrs: W, F: 10-11 and by appoint
Office: 4525 Posvar Hall

CRN 20721

Dr. Fatma El-Hamidi

fatma@pitt.edu

A. Course Description
Over three years after the onset of the Arab Spring in December 2010, and the economic
outlook for much of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the area comprising
the Arab states, Iran, Israel and Turkey, still uncertain. What is certain is that the roots of the
Arab Spring extend deep into the economic history and development of the region.
Despite numerous similarities, the MENA region engulfs countless differences. They face
enormous economic challenges in the Twenty-First Century: Stagnant real wages,
deteriorating competitiveness, and rapidly growing populations and labor forces, have left
most countries in the region unable to afford soaring living standards to much of the society.
Yet, a combination of favorable conditions facing the region have never been greater: world
trade is growing rapidly, capital flows to most of these countries have never been higher,
and regional integration options are many as the result of the European Unions agreement
for a free trade area in the Mediterranean. Why after years of stagnant per capita income
growth, has the region been unable to accumulate sufficient reform momentum to sustain
economic growth? What are the social consequences of a tepid economic growth, and how
might future adjustment costs be managed to protect the poor? How have individual
countries in the region defined the challenges ahead? And what issues must be addressed to
realize a more prosperous future?

B. Course Objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will gain an expertise with the most pressing
economic issues confronting MENA today and be able to effectively analyze changes in the
economic climate of these countries. While the title of this course is Economic Development
of MENA, it is impossible to understand economic conditions in the region without studying
the political, social and cultural aspects. For this reason, the course will be taught with an
interdisciplinary emphasis.

C. Required Text
The primary source of information is the following book:
Alan Richards and John Waterbury, A Political Economy of the Middle East; (3rd ed.); 2008
Updated 2013 Edition. Westview. Boulder, Colorado-- (Required). There are also assigned
and optional readings that I have compiled for the course available on courseweb site at:
http://courseweb.pitt.edu
1

D. Course Requirements and Grading

Student performance will be evaluated based on the following activities:
Quizzes (4)
10%
Paper Outline
5%
Two Reports
40% (20% each)
Final paper
25%
Final paper pres.
20%.
1. Quizzes
To keep up with the readings and class discussions, there will be 4 short pop quizzes
distributed over the course. These quizzes will be fairly easy for those who regularly
attend class and read the assigned materials. Quizzes are worth 10% of your grade.
2. Term Paper
Late submission of any of the four components will result in 10% reduction in your
points per each late day.
The goal of this assignment is to encourage you to gain experience working with data,
and apply what we learn in class. In groups of two, you are asked to select a country
or two of the region and write a research paper (15-18 pages of text, double space,
times new roman, 12 point font). The work on your paper will be completed in 4
stages, as follows:
2.1. Outline: This is the first stage of your paper.
The topic for the term paper must be approved by the instructor. As soon as you
decide on a topic and country(ies), write an outline together with an initial
bibliography. A one-two page draft of what you propose to do, identifying the issue,
hypothesis or the theme; why it is important and/or understudied and what (and
how) you will do to accomplish the objective of the paper. The outline must be
submitted electronically to http://courseweb.pitt.edu, by 11:59 PM of Friday,
September 19th. This outline is worth 5% of your final grade.
For the second and third stages, you are asked to complete two short reports (each
should be 5-7 pages long, of text). Reports should be typed, double spaced (using 12
point font) and submitted electronically to the course web site at:
http://courseweb.pitt.edu. Each report is worth 20% of your final grade.
2.2. Report # 1: This part of the paper corresponds to writing a review of the
literature and a background of the issue. Your sources should come from at least 4
academic journals (refereed/scholarly articles) related to the topic you chose for
your paper. In 5-7 pages of text, your task is to summarize the main
issues/arguments of the articles, then relate them to each other, and to current
events in the region. Potential sources are those listed at the end of this syllabus. The
first is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, October 10th.

2.3. Report # 2: the goal of this exercise is to encourage you to gain experience
working with data. This part of the paper corresponds to empirical evidences on
your topic. You are to gather and present data in graphic form, with discussions.
Find a complete time series (e.g. from 1980 to as close to recent time as possible).
Examples of time series data are: the labor force participation rates, unemployment,
literacy rates, inflation rates, growth of GDP, or per capita GDP,etc. Use a spread
sheet like Excel to convert your data into graphs. Discuss your graph: What factors
may explain the changes overtime and why? You may need to do additional research
to justify and validate your findings.
Show your work (copying and pasting charts from other sources will adversely
impact your grade). Your analysis should cover between 5-7 pages of text, excluding
tables/graphs. Make sure you indicate your sources in details. You might use the online access economic indicators, which are available at: http://worldbank.org; Labor
Market Indicators at ILO: http://laborsta.ilo.org/; Millennium indicator database at
UN: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_goals.asp
The discussion for this report should begin with an introduction of what series and
countries you decided to include, and what trend you expected (or hoped!) to see in
the data. Present your graphs along with sufficient discussions, and end with a
similarly brief discussion of what lessons can be learned from the data. (Accessing
and downloading the data will be demonstrated in class). The second report is due
by 11:59 PM of Friday, October 31st.
2.4. Final Paper: This is the part where you bring everything together and form a
comprehensive research paper. The final output should not exceed 15-18 pages,
excluding graphs/tables (double space, times new roman, 12 point font). You need to
start with an introduction on your country and the main research questions;
followed by a background on your country, your hypothesis, and current
debate/arguments in the literature (using report 1). Next, present your empirical
evidences (using report 2), along with sufficient discussions on factors contributing
to the trend seen on graphs. Finally, end with a section on policy recommendations
and/or how other countries have successfully approached these problems.
The paper should emphasize relevant economic factors related to your chosen topic.
Historical and/or political discussions should be kept to a minimum.
The paper should be focused, analytic, reflect critical thinking of class materials and
must be well-documented with complete references.
th

The final paper is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, November 21 . Late submissions are
permitted with a deduction of 10% -of total paper points- for every late day. The
research paper is worth 25% of your final grade.
Thesis: Why is it Important?
Current Literature & Discussion (1st Report)
Critical Finding, Expect to see vs. saw
Recommendation/Advice for future steps
Paper 25 pts, Presentation 20 pts

4. Final Paper Presentation

As an expert on your topic/country, you will be expected to make an oral
presentation of your final research paper in class, 15-20 minutes, accompanied by a
class handout of 1-2 single-spaced page and/or graph. The presentation has to be
comprehensive: you are expected to present your thesis, your hypothesis, current
debate in the literature, your findings, what you learned from the project etc.., and
respond to audience comments/questions. I highly suggest that you use power point.
The presentation is worth 20% of your final grade.
NOTE: Attending students presentations at the end of the semester is mandatory.
Missing more than one session will result in a 10% drop in final grade, per session.
You have one allowance to miss any day of presentations (i.e. no penalty), after which
your grade will be affected at 10% of your total final grade for each additional
absence.
MAX 10 MINUTES

E. Attachments and Naming Rules:

Please follow these naming rules when you save/submit your any of your assignments:
Start with your first followed by your last name, underscore; your partners first and last
name; underscore, name of assignment.
Example 1: Harry Smith_Larry Smith_outline
Example 2: Harry Smith_Larry Smith _report 1

F. Attendance and Participation:

Students are expected to attend class regularly and participate in class discussion actively.
There is no attendance taken in this class, however, if you miss a class meeting, you are
expected to obtain notes and other material on your own.
Please be advised that attending final paper presentations is mandatory. You have one
chance to miss any of the presentations (i.e. no penalty), after which your grade will be
affected at 5% of your total final grade for each additional absence.

G. Distribution of Points and Grading Scale

Quizzes
Outline
Two Reports
Final Paper
Presentation
Total

10 Points
5 Points
40 Points (20 point each)
25 Points
20 Points
100 Points

Where:
A
B
C

92-100%
82-87%
70-77%

ABD

90-91%
80-81%
60-69%

B+
C+
F

88-89%
78-79%
Below 60

H. Behavior:
The following behaviors are not accepted and repeated occurrence will lead to expulsion
from the class.
1. Coming late to class. Unless you make prior arrangements with me, I will accept 5
minutes of delay after which you are not to enter the class while it is in session.
2. Walking out while class is in session (except for a health emergency, which does not
include ordinary use of a restroom) unless you make prior arrangements with me.
3. Talking with other students about matters unrelated to the course while the class is
in session.
4. Reading anything while class is in session unless specifically instructed by me to do
so, including using a laptop.
5. Taking or making cell-phone calls, texting, or responding to a pager during class.

I. Students with Special Needs

If you have special needs such as a chronic medical condition or learning disability, please
let me know at the beginning of the semester. Special needs identified in the student
handbook of the University will be accommodated, but you must inform me at the beginning
of the semester. Any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Important Dates:
Outline
First Report
Second Report
Final Paper
Presentations

September
October
October
November
Nov-Dec.

19
10
31
21
TBA

NOTE: Attending students presentations at the end of the semester is mandatory. Missing
more than one session will result in a 10% drop in final grade, per session. You have one
allowance to miss any day of presentations (i.e. no penalty), after which your grade will be
affected at 10% of your total final grade for each additional absence.

Tentative Course Outline1

Weeks 1-3: Aug. 25- Sep. 8:

(Week 2-Sep. 1, Labor Day---No Class)

Introduction; Labor Markets and Human Capital Development

Required Readings:
Richards A and Waterbury, J. (2013). The Political Economy of the Middle East, Boulder
Colorado: Westview Press, Ch. 1-5.
Galal, Ahmed and Selim, Hoda (2012). The Elusive quest for Arab Economic
Development. ERF Working paper, No. 722.
Isfahani, D. et. all (2012). Equality of opportunity in educational achievement in the
middle east and north Africa . ERF Working paper No. 689.
Chaaban, Jad (2008). The Costs of Youth Exclusion in the Middle East. Middle East Youth
Initiative.
Dhillon, Navtej, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, Paul Dyer, Tarik Yousef, Amina Fahmy, and
Mary Kraetsch (2009), Missed by the Boom, Hurt by the Bust: Making Markets Work
for Young People in the Middle East; Middle East Youth Initiative.
Salehi-Isfehani, Djavad and Daniel Egel (2007), Youth Exclusion in Iran: The State of
Education, Employment and Family Formation, Middle East Youth Initiative.
Cassidy, T. (2005). Education in the Arab States: Preparing to Compete in the Global
Economy .
Suggested Readings:
Arab human development Report (2009), http://www.arab-hdr.org/
Jeffrey G. Williamson, Tarik Yousef. (2002). "Demographic Transitions and Economic
Performance in the Middle East and North Africa," in Human Capital: Population
Economics in the Middle East. Ismail Sirageldin ed: American university of Cairo and
Economic Research Forum.
Goujon, Anne Valia. (2002). "Population and Education: Prospects in the Arab Region." in
Human Capital: Population Economics in the Middle East. Ismail Sirageldin ed:
American university of Cairo and Economic Research Forum.

***************************

1 All dates are tentative and may be revised during the course of the semester as deemed appropriate by
the instructor. All reading assignments should be done before class. Readings with (*) are required.

Weeks 4-6: Sept. 15-Sep. 29:

Poverty, Inequality, Discrimination and Gender Issues
NOTE: outline is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, September 19
Required Readings:
Richards and Waterbury, Chapter 10 and pp. 104-142.
Richards Adams, Jr., John Page. (2003). "Poverty, Inequality and Growth in Selected
Middle East and North Africa countries, 1980-2000." World Development, 31:12.
Marotta, D; et all (2011). Was Growth in Egypt Between 2005 and 2008 Pro-Poor? The
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, no. 5589.
Salehi-Isfahani, Djavad (2006) Revolution and redistribution in Iran: Poverty and
inequality 25 years later,
http://www.filebox.vt.edu/users/salehi/Iran_poverty_trend.pdf
Ayse Aylin BAYAR, and Serkan DEGIRMENCI (2014) Is Poverty a Cause or a Result of
Poor Labor Market Performance in Turkey?; Topics in Middle Eastern and African
Economies; Vol. 16, No. 2, September.
Massoud Karshenas, Valentine M. Moghadam. (2001). "Female Labor Force Participation
and Economic Adjustment in the MENA Region." in The Economic of Women and Work
in the Middle East and North Africa. Mine Cinar ed.
Shafik, Nemat. (2001). "Closing the Gender Gap in the Middle East and North Africa," in
The Economic of Women and Work in the Middle East and North Africa. Mine Cinar ed.
Suggested Readings:
Gadir Ali, Ali Abdel (2003) Globalization and Inequality in the Arab Region, ERF
Working Paper: http://www.arab-api.org/wps0307.pdf
Massoud Karshenas, Valentine M. Moghadam. (2001). "Female Labor Force Participation
and Economic Adjustment in the MENA Region." in The Economic of Women and Work
in the Middle East and North Africa. Mine Cinar ed.

***************************

Weeks 7 & 8: Oct. 62 -Oct. 13:

Industrialization, Stabilization and Structural Adjustment Policies and
Outcomes
NOTE: First Report is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, October 10

Note: Fall Break is on October 6. We will meet on Tuesday

October 7, same time, to make up for Monday class.
Required Readings:
Richards A and Waterbury, J (2013), The Political Economy of the Middle East, Boulder
Colorado: Westview Press, ch. 3 and 7-9.
Nabli, Mustafa et al. (2006) The Political Economy of Industrial Policy in the Middle East
and North Africa, World Bank (42 pp.)
Salehi-Esfahani, Hadi (2007). A Reexamination of the Political Economy of Growth in
MENA Countries; in M. Hashem Pesaran and Jeffrey B. Nugent, Explaining Growth in
the Middle East (Contributions to Economic Analysis, Volume 278), Elsevier, North
Holland.
Makdisi, Samir, Zeki Fattah and Imed Limam (2007), Determinants of Growth in
the MENA Countries, in M. Hashem Pesaran and Jeffrey B. Nugent, Explaining
Growth in the Middle East (Contributions to Economic Analysis, Volume 278), Elsevier,
North Holland.
Suggested Readings:
Guillaume, D. et. all (2011). IranThe Chronicles of the Subsidy Reform. IMF Working
paper No. WP/11/167
Harrigan, Jane et al. (2006) The Economic and Political Determinants of IMF and World
Bank Lending in the Middle East and North Africa, World Development pp. 247-270
Nabli, Mustafa et al. (2006) The Political Economy of Industrial Policy in the Middle East
and North Africa, World Bank (42 pp.)

***************************

2 Note: Fall break is on Oct. 6.(no class). We will meet Tuesday Oct. 7..same time,
same room
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Week 9: Oct. 20:

Growth and Structural Change in Oil Based Economies
Required Readings:
Richards A and Waterbury, J (2013), The Political Economy of the Middle East, Boulder
Colorado: Westview Pess, Ch. 15.
Presley, Hamayon A. Dar; John R. (2001). "The Gulf Co-operation Council: A slow path to
Integration." World Economy, 24:9.
Guillaume, D. et. all (2011). IranThe Chronicles of the Subsidy Reform. IMF Working
paper No. WP/11/167
Suggested Readings:
Al-Yousif, Yousif Khalifa (2004) Oil Economies and Globalization: The Case of the GCC
Countries, MEEA paper http://www.luc.edu/orgs/meea/volume6/al-yousif.pdf
Presley, Hamayon A. Dar; John R. (2001). "The Gulf Co-operation Council: A slow path to
Integration." World Economy, 24:9.
Gause, Gregory. (1997). "The Gulf Conundrum: Economic Change, Population Growth
and Political Stability in the GCC States." Washington Quarterly, 20:1.

***************************
Week 10: Oct. 27:
Globalization & Regional Integration
NOTE: Second Report is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, November 1
Required Readings:
Henry, Clement (2003) A Clash of Globalizations: Obstacles to Development in the
Middle East, Harvard International Review 25#1 pp. 60-64
Iqbal, Farrukh and Mustapha Kamel Nabli (2004) Trade, Foreign Direct Investment and
Development in the Middle East and North Africa, World Bank .
Lawrence, Robert Z. (2008). A US-Middle East Trade Agreement: A Circle Of Opportunity?
Peterson Institute for International Economics: Policy Analyses in International
Economics, Vol. 85.
Suggested Readings:
Hafsi, Taieb. (2002) "Global Competition and the Peripheral Player: a Promising Future."
in Globalization and Firm Competitiveness in the Middel East and North Africa Region.
Samiha Fawzy ed: The World Bank.
Galal, Ahmed. (2000). "Incentives for Economic Integration in the Middle East." in Trade
Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Hanaa Kheir-El-Din Bernard
Hoekman ed. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.

***************************
9

Week 11: Nov. 3:

Economic Development Under Occupation: Case Study of Palestine; and
The Economics of Israel
Required Readings:
Farsakh, Leila (2002) Palestinian Labor Flows to the Israeli Economy: A Finished
Story? Journal of Palestine Studies XXXII #1 13-27Israel economy (2005).
http://www.moit.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/AAD43696-3185-40B7-881ABAB1B3C64F2E/0/2005_ISRAELECENOMY.pdf
Zilberfarb, B (2007). From Boom to Bust: The Israeli Economy 1990-2003. Israel
Affairs, Apr2006, Vol. 12 Issue 2, p221-233.
Suggested Readings:
Astrup, Claus and Sebastien Dessus (2002) Exporting Labor or Goods? Long Term
Implications for the Palestinian Economy, World Bank MNA Working Paper No. 29
Helpman, Elhanan. (2003). "Israel's Economic Growth: An international Comparison."
Israel Economic Review, 1.

***************************
Week 12: Nov. 10:
Islamic Banking and Islamic Finance
Required Readings:
Chong and Liu (2009) Islamic banking: Interest-free or interest-based?; Pacific-Basin
Finance Journal 17 (2009) 125144
Johnes, Izzeldin and Pappas (2012). A comparison of performance of Islamic and
conventional banks 2004 to 2009. Unpublished paper.
Suggested Readings:
El-Gamal, Mahmoud Amin. (2000) "A basic guide to contemporary Islamic banking and
finance."
Islamic Microfinance: An Emerging Market Niche. CGAP Focus Note, No. 49, August 2008.

***************************
Weeks 13&14: November 17- Nov. 21
Wrap-up and Class Presentations
November 26-30:

Thanksgiving Break

NOTE: Final Paper is due by 11:59 PM of Friday, November 21

10

TBA: Water and Agriculture

Required Readings:
Richards and Waterbury, Chapter 6.
Suggested Readings:
Haddadin, Munther J. (2002). "Water in the middle east peace process." the Geographical
Jouranl, 168:4.
Selby, Jan (2005) The Geopolitics of Water in the Middle East: fantasies and realities,
Third World Quarterly 26:2 pp. 329-349
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/js208/thirdworldquarterly.pdf
Yetim, Muserref. (2002). "Governing international common pool resources: the
international watercourses of the middle east." water policy, 4.

END OF CLASS

11

Extra Credit Assignments

Requests for Extra Credits are not honored once Students Presentations Begin
Economics of MENA in the news: Students can bring in an excerpt from a recognized
newspaper or a magazine article or a short written summary of a report on the radio or TV
that illustrates an issue involving MENA and the economy. Here are some rules for
administering this assignment:
1- This assignment is organized on a first-come, first-serve basis.
2- You are asked to email me 24 hours before class time to reserve your place. Emails
on class day are not accepted.
3- We will spend the first 5 minutes of class discussing these types of assignments.
4- Each student is allowed to accumulate up to 3 extra credit assignments.
5- In case there are two students applying for extra credit time, and one of them has had
a prior opportunity, priority is given to the new student.
6- Only one student is allowed per class.
7- You should spend around 5 minutes presenting your case or piece of news, and
expect some questions from the audience.
8- Each x-credit is worth 2 points each.
Note: There are almost 25 class sessions for which youll have the opportunity to do this so
get in sooner rather than later if you want to accumulate credit!
The following web site provides an outstanding list of criteria to apply in order to find out if
the site you are searching is trustworthy:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

12

References and Data Sources on MENA:

World Bank, World Development Report, annually (contains useful development data for various
regions including MENA); an electronic database of the World Banks indicators is found
in World Development Indicators (WDI), CD-ROM, updated annually, Washington D.C.
ERF, Economic Trends in the MENA Region, (annual), The Economic Research Forum for the Arab
Countries, Iran and Turkey, Cairo: ERF (electronic version also available on the net, see
ERF site below).
OPEC, Annual Statistical Bulletin, annual report with much data on oil; an electronic version of
this major oil database is found in Asb, (diskette available from the librarys periodical
room).
ESCWA, Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the ESCWA Region, The UN Economic and
Social Commission for West Asia, in Beirut. Electronic version available on the net; see
ESCWA site below.
UNDP, United Nations Development Program, Arab Human Development Report 2003.
Electronic version available on the net, see UNDP site below.
GTAP Global Trade Analysis Project:
https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/default.asp
Web Sites on MENA:
1. http://www.luc.edu/depts/economics/meea.htm (Middle East Economic Association, MEEA,
based in North America)
2. http://www.erf.org.eg (The site for Economic Research Forum for the Arab Countries, Iran
and Turkey, Cairo: ERF; see especially Working Papers and Economic Trends)
3. http://www.escwa.org.lb/information/publications/division/edipd.html (The site for the
UNs Economic and Social Commission for West Asia.)
4. http://www.mesa.arizona.edu (Middle East Studies Association of North America, MESA;
this is more interdisciplinary)
5. http://www.ssc.upenn.edu/~mewin/links.html (on water issues)
6. http://cnn.com/WORLD/meast (CNN site for current affairs on the Middle East and North
Africa).
7. Encyclopedia of the Orient http://i-cias.com/e.o/index.htm
8. The Library of Congresss country studies: http://countrystudies.us/
9. A U-M link to CIA Fact book on MENA www.umich.edu/~iinet/worldreach/map.html
10. Middle East Report (previously titled Middle East Research and Information Project) at
http://www.merip.org/ (since 1996); earlier issues through JSTOR (UM-D Library).
11. Middle East Report (previously titled Middle East Research and Information Project) at
http://www.merip.org/ (since 1996); earlier issues through JSTOR (UM-D Library).
12. Merips Primer on Israel-Palestinian conflict http://www.merip.org/palestineisrael_primer/toc-pal-isr-primer.html.
13. Palestine Aurthoritys timeline http://www.palestinehistory.com/time1980.htm#index
14. Israels Prime Ministers: http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Politics/prime_ministers.html
15. The World Banks web page for the Middle East
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/mna/mena.nsf
16. The United Nations Development Program report on the Arab Human Development Report,
2003 at: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/detail_reports.cfm?view=712
17. Papers from the World Banks Mediterranean Development Fund
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/mdfdb/Search.asp
18. NPRs audio version of conflict between the Mid-East and the West
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/the_west/

13

19. Geographic.org http://www.geographic.org/ is an easy to navigate reference site featuring

demographic information, key global rankings in areas such as energy, economy, etc., in
addition to geographic information.
20. US Department of Energy http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/cabsme.html has valuable
information on various aspects of energy resources in the Middle East.
21. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) http://www.opec.org is helpful for
energy data for Middle East countries members in OPEC.
22. Arab Social Science Research http://www.assr.org/
23. Middle East Review of International Affairs http://meria.idc.ac.il
24. BBC Key maps Israel-Arab conflict online
25. http://www.shababinclusion.org
MENA countries newspapers available on line in English:
Al Jazeera, Al-Ahram (weekly-Cairo), Turkish Daily News, the Jordan Times, Islam On-line, Arabic
News, Arab News ; Gulf Times (Qatar); Haaretz (Tel Aviv, Israel); Jerusalem Post (Jerusalem, Israel) ;
ASharq Alawast (Saudi Arabia), Turkish Daily News (Turkey), Iran Daily (Tehran), Khaleej Times
(UAE)
Periodicals on MENA
1. Arab Studies Quarterly
2. British Journal of Middle East Studies
3. International Journal of Middle East Studies
4. Journal of Palestine Studies
5. Middle East Journal
6. Middle East Policy
7. Middle East Quarterly
8. Middle East Report
9. Middle East Review of International Affairs
10. Middle Eastern Studies
11. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
(The Central Banks of most MENA countries offer up to date statistics and economic analysis on
their websites.)

14

What is an Outline?
An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. The
outline shows the order of the proposed research, the relative importance of section, and the
relationship between various parts.
Thesis Statement of Summarizing Sentence
All outlines should begin with a thesis statement of summarizing sentence. This thesis sentence
presents the central idea of the paper. It must always be a complete, grammatical sentence,
specific and brief, which expresses the point of view you are taking towards the subject.
Attach a page of your references at the end.
source: http://www.lavc.cc.ca.us/Library/outline.htm

Sample Outline 1
The Status of Women in Iran
Research Question and Importance of Topic:
How has the discrimination against women in Iran changed over the past twenty years? Is
education of women a contributing factor (positively or negatively)? What is the effect of
discrimination on womens labor market?
I.

Brief Background on Womens Education/Employment Prior to 1990

A. Education System Prior to 1990
1. Who is granted access to education?
2. Impact of class status on education
3. Societal implications from lack of education
B. Employment levels prior to 1990
1. Opportunities within the private sector
2. The role of social and cultural norms
3. Economic consequences of female unemployment

II.

Present Education System for Women

A. Public Education System
1. Development of Education System
2. Standard/Quality of Education
3. Womens Progression through System
B. Private Education System: Standards and access rates
C. Gender differences in education enrollments and outcomes : Primary, Secondary,
College/University
15

III.

Economic/Societal Changes due to Womens Education

A. Marriage Rates & Average Age of Marriage
B. Fertility Rates & Population
C. Job Opportunities available to women vs. Men by sector (public vs. private)
C. Unemployment Rates & Dependency Rates

IV.

Future Implications:
A. Population/Fertility changes in Future Decades
B. Negative Outcomes vs. Positive Outcomes
C. Lessons learned from other countries (e.g. affirmative actions)

Bibliography
Bahramitash, Roksana. "Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Society: Revolution, Islamization,
and Women's Employment in Iran." Iranian Society: Revolution, Islamization,
and Women's Employment in Iran. Iran Chamber Society, 2003. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
Bousalis, Rina. "Iranian Women: Between Education And Repression." Social Education 76.5
(2012): 255-257. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
"Gender Inequality and Discrimination: The Case of Iranian Women." Iran Human Rights
Documentation Center -. N.p., 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
Iravani, Mohammad R., and Mina Arvaneh. "Study of Job Status and Education of Women in
Iran." International Journal of Basic and Applied Science. Insan Akademika Publications,
Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
Moayedi, Mehdi. "Statistical Glance at Women's Employment in Iran." Statistical Glance at
Women's Employment in Iran. Pars Times - Greater Iran & Beyond, n.d. Web. 20 Sept.
2013.
Moghadam, Valentine M. "Where Are Iran's Working Women?" Where Are Iran's Working
Women? | Middle East Institute. Middle East Institute, 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
Rezai-Rashti, Goli M. "Iranian Women's Increasing Access To Higher Education But Limited
Participation In The Job Market." Middle East Critique 20.1 (2011): 81-96. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 23 Sept. 2013
Shaditalab, Jaleh. "Iranian Women: Rising Expectations." Critique: Critical Middle Eastern
Studies 14.1 (2005): 35-55. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

16

Sample Outline 2
Education in Egypt
Thesis/Objective: Education is one of the main pre-requisites for development. To determine the
level, capacity, outcomes, and future needs of any educational system, its important that we
evaluate the past and current status. In this research paper, we analyze the status of primary and
secondary education in Egypt since its independence in 1952 which was accompanied by a drastic
reform of the system.
I) General Overview of Egypt
A) Population statistics
1) Males vs. females
2) Rural vs. urban
II) Education and Economic Development
A) The need for specific types of education
B) Does quality of education matter?
III) Overview of Educational Development since 1952
A) Rising literacy rates/declining illiteracy rates
1) Gender comparison (males vs. females)
2) Regional comparison (rural vs. urban)
3) Literacy rates/enrollment rates: rural vs. urban overall
4) Literacy rates/enrollment rates: rural vs. urban women
5) Literacy rates/enrollment rates: rural vs. urban men
6) Number of schools: rural vs. urban
7) Number of teachers: rural vs. urban
IV) The Quality of Education
A) General quality indicators
1) Number of teachers
2) Number of schools
3) Student to teacher ratio
4) Standardized test scores (if available)
B) How this quality compares with the rest of the world
V) Implications and Policy Recommendations.

17

References
Dancer, D. & Rammohan, A. (2007). Determinants of Schooling in Egypt: The Role of Gender
and Rural/Urban Residence. Oxford Development Studies, 35, 171-195.
Diana, C. (2010). Globalization Impact on Education in Egypt. European University Institute,
Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies.
Galal, A. (2002). The Paradox of Education and Unemployment in Egypt. The Egyptian Center
for Economic Studies.
Khorshid, M. (2011). Realizing the Millennium Development Goals through socially inclusive
macroeconomic policies: Assessing Development Strategies to Achieve the MDGs in The
Arab Republic of Egypt. United Nations Department for Social and Economic Affairs.
Sayed, F. H. (2005). Security, Donors Interests, and Education Policy Making in Egypt.
Mediterranean Quarterly, 16, 66-84.
Srinivasan, T. N. (2005). Challenges of Economic Reform in Egypt. Stanford Center for
International Development.
The World Bank. (2008). The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and
North Africa. MENA Development Report.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Cairo Office (UNESCO).
(2008). Non-Governmental Organizations Strategy for Literacy and Adult Education in
Egypt.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization Institute for Statistics
(UNESCO). (2012). Adult and Youth Literacy, 1990-2015: Analysis of Data for 41
Selected Countries.

18

What is Refereed/ Peer Reviewed/ Scholarly Materials/A rticles?

Refereed materials are publications reviewed by "expert readers" or referees prior to the
publication of the material. After reading and evaluating the material, the referee informs the
publisher if the document should be published or if any changes should be made prior to
publication. Refereed materials are also referred to as Peer Reviewed. Refereed materials are
significant to the research and the literature of library and information science because they assure
readers that the information conveyed is reliable and timely.
Searching for Scholarly/ Peer Reviewed A rticles:
From Pitt library web page, click on Digital Library, click on Find Articles and more; then
choose the data base: EBSCO. Once in EBSCO, type the search words and check the box
that says Scholarly or peer reviewed journals.
The following are additional sites on how to detect a scholarly article
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill20.html#scholarly
http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/scholarly.pdf

19

F INA L P APE R P R ESE NT A T I O N F E E DB A C K T O T A L 100 P O INTS

Student/Group Name(s)

Date

Content --20 points

-Presentation content clearly follows the written paper upon
which it is based.
-Topic is relevant and addresses assignment specifications
-Content presented is comprehensive, accurate, and believable
-Key points are noted
-Topic is researched adequately
O rganization/Structure20 points
-Presentation is well-organized, clear, and effectively structured
-If this is a group presentation, it is integrated rather than being a
disjointed series of individual presentations
-There is an introduction to gain the audiences attention and
explain the purpose of the presentation
Style/Presentation/Appearance20 points
-Dress and grooming are appropriate to the setting
-Non-verbal cues/gestures are appropriate to presentation and
flow of ideas
-Content knowledge/confidence are evident
-Time was used well/not rushed
Use of Visual Aids20 points
-Visual aids are appropriately professional given the
presentations context
-They are easy to see/read
-Media are used correctly--i.e., overheads, videos, computer
generated slides, charts, etc.
-Visual aids contribute to the overall effectiveness of the
presentation
Audience Participation10 points
-The presenter(s) involved the audience and solicited feedback

-Questions from the audience are effectively addressed and

answered correctly
Adherence to Time Limit10 points
-The presenter(s) stayed within the allotted time limit (Failure to
do so may result in a deduction of points)
Comments / Grade

Total Pointsout of 100 -------- X X Points out of 20

20