Call for Book Chapters for Edited Volume: The Regional Order and Security System in the Gulf Region and the Middle East: A House of Cards

Philipp O. Amour Announcement
Subject Fields
Middle East History / Studies, Islamic History / Studies, Contemporary History, Immigration & Migration History / Studies, Political History / Studies

Abstract

The broader Gulf Region and the Middle East have been witnessing a turbulent period since the closure of the first decade of the 21st century, one of uprisings and counter–uprisings, of civil wars and proxy wars as well as of deliberate destabilizing crises. Shifts in the distribution of power through the regional system off balance, sharpen distrust and dispersion between different units (states and non–state actors) and pitted rivals against each other. Thus, regional great powers in the Gulf region and the Middle East have invested enormous strategic interest to steer regional dynamics to their strategic direction. Such external behaviours have profoundly triggered a deep structural transition of the regional order / security complex. In particular, the region has been witnessing a polar rivalry between the Saudi Arabia lead conservative–moderate camp on the one hand and Iran lead conservative–resistance camp on the other hand. The alliance between Turkey and Qatar reveals a prospective strategic pole as well. Different regional units have involved in alluded regional polarization either by choice, pressure, or by coincidence! The editor welcomes contributions covering regional transition and power dynamics in the Gulf Region and the Middle East, alliance building, persistence and disintegration between different regional units since 2010. Case studies of regional great powers are welcome.

The editor aims also to include in the edited volume non–state actors such as the Islamic State, or Hezbollah that became in recent years major player in regional politics operating across state boundaries and perplexing the foundations of the regional order / security complex.

External actors, among others the USA und Russia, have influenced and continue to influence the development of region's security complex and units' set of policy choices for factors relating to natural resources, geopolitics and balance of power politics. Thus, the editor welcomes contributions that explore the interactions of external powers in the Gulf Region and the Middle East since 2010. For instance, the editor welcome a contribution, which illuminate the interplay between domestic (US) context and Middle Eastern incentives to explain the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Given the subject matter and the diverse range of approaches on offer, the editor invite academic manuscripts with theoretical orientation and/or analytical orientation that have state actors and/or non–state actors under focus.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):
  • Critical manuscripts addressing the regional order / security complex in the Gulf Region and the Middle East
  • Explorations of regional transition and ramifications in the Gulf Region and the Middle East
  • Case studies of regional great powers in the Gulf Region and the Middle East: their power politics, foreign policies, security alliances, strategic ends
  • Careful analysis of the so–called conservative–moderate camp
  • Careful analysis of the so–called conservative–resistance camp
  • Careful analysis of Turkey–Qatar alliance / relations
  • Case studies of proxy wars, and destabilizing crisis (e.g., in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon)
  • Case studies of inter–state crises such as Qatar–Arab Quartet
  • Critical analyses of non–state actors (e. g., ISIS/ISIL, Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi movement, Iraq's Hash’d al Shaabi {the Popular Mobilization Forces}, Hamas)
  • Critical analyses of international great powers (e.g., USA, Russia, China) in the Gulf Region and the Middle East
  • Careful studies of new paradigms and their impact on regional affairs and international politics including attitudes toward Iran, Israel, Palestine, Russia, among others.
  • Critical assessments of actual direction of regional dynamics and forecasts future developments
Current structure of the edited volume

Part 1: Theoretical, historical, and thematic overview of regional order/security system in the Gulf Region and the Middle East

Part 2: Case studies of state actors

Part 3: Case studies of non–state actors

Deadlines
  • Submission Deadline for abstract: January 31 2018
  • Decision of acceptance: by February 16th
  • Deadline for article Submission: April 29th

The editor welcomes original manuscripts of six thousand to ten thousand (6,000–10,000 including sources and footnotes) words.

Please use the Chicago Manual of Style (footnotes) 16th edition:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html

The edited book will be published with an English publisher (to be announced later) and likely under the imprint of a US-American Press (to be announced later). All manuscripts submitted to the editor will be subject to rigorous peer review process as well as editorial and production processes.

Inquiries and proposals are welcome:

Key words:

Regional order, security system, politics, foreign policy, alliances, Arab Spring, Gulf Region, Middle East, regional great powers

Iraq, Iran, Israel, Libya, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Yemen (In alphabetical Order) & ISIS/ISIL, Hamas, Hezbollah

Contact Email
dr@philipp-amour.ch