Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
8-2007
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Leila S. Al-Imad
Committee Members
Melvin E. Page, Stephen G Fritz
Abstract
The Arab Middle East began indigenous nation building relatively late in the twentieth century. Issues of legitimacy, identity, and conflicts with the West have plagued Arab nations. Arab states have espoused universal ideologies as solutions to the problems of Arab nation building.
The two ideologies of Pan-Arabism and Islamic modernism provided universal solutions to the Arab states. Both Pan-Arabism and Islamic modernism gained validity in political polemics aimed against colonialism, imperialism, Zionism, and the West. Both ideologies promised simple solutions to complex questions of building modern Arab society. Irrespective of ideology, Arab states have always acted in self-interest to perceived external threats. The West has perpetuated universal solutions to Arab nation building through continued intervention in the Middle East. The Arabs perpetuated universal solutions to Arab- nation building as panacea to the problems of becoming modern nations.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Jones, Kevin Wampler, "The Arab Quest for Modernity: Universal Impulses vs. State Development." (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2113. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2113
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.