Stability and Change in the Modern Middle East

Kjetil Selvik is Assistant Professor at the University of Oslo and researcher at the Fafo Institute of Applied International Studies. He has broad teaching experience in Middle East-related topics and holds a PhD from L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. Stig Stenslie specialises in Middle Eastern and Asian affairs at the Norwegian Defence Staff. He holds a doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Oslo, where he is also a lecturer.

'At a time when there is vigorous debate about the potential for reform in the politics of the Middle East, sometimes slipping into alarm and disillusion, this book provides a much-needed grounding for thinking seriously through these issues. Its focus on the forces and limitations of change is a refreshing corrective to those volumes that lead readers to think that the Middle East is inhabited solely by fighters, victims and ideologues. Perhaps most impressively it draws heavily upon the politics of the smaller and often misunderstood states to illustrate how their politics exemplify many of the key issues that affect today's - and tomorrow's - Middle East.' - Glen Rangwala, Lecturer and Fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge

• Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Troubled HeritagePART I: Society, Identity, State Chapter 3: ClassChapter 4: EthnicityPART II: Ideology and LegitimacyChapter 5: ReformismChapter 6: IslamismPART III: The Organisation of State PowerChapter 7: MonarchiesChapter 8: RepublicsPART IV: Scenarios of ChangeChapter 9: DemocratisationChapter 10: BreakdownChapter 11: Conclusion