Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Middle East'

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1990.
Title from title page screen, viewed November 10, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Lawrence W. McBride (chair), Earl A. Reitan, Edward L. Schapsmeier, Hibbert R. Roberts, Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 551-565) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs) Naval Postgraduate School, September 1996.
Thesis advisor(s): Robert Looney and Cynthia Levy. "September 1996." Includes bibliographical references (p. 101). Also available online.

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics
MPG is a metalworking production company that recently refocused to the shipbuilding activity, particularly hulls for offshore support vessel (OSV) for staff and equipment transport to oil platforms. As offshore oil platforms increase, so does the demand for OSV, particularly in the Middle East - one of world’s leaders in the offshore investment. Since the Portuguese market doesn’t present itself as solution and the European market is highly competitive, it is necessary to develop an internationalization plan - the Middle East appears as a very attractive opportunity for MPG to develop operations and gain new competences, like the delivery of a ready to use vessel. Considering the Middle Eastern market, a joint venture with a Qatari shipping company arises as the best way to achieve the company’s goals. To pursue that path, MPG must first develop new services from project management to production follow-up to other companies; contact Portuguese and Qatari institutions for market information and financial assistance and attend promotional events in the Middle East. MPG would focus on design, planning and production vessels, its main competences, leaving the investment of $200 million1 in facilities, equipment and the other activities to its partner. Since finding the right partner is crucial to be successful, MPG may start with exports for the Middle East region, get experience and knowledge of the market and only then find a Qatari partner.

A work of creative fiction in novella form, this dissertation follows the first-person travails of Mitch Zeller, a 26-year-old gay man who is faced with an unexpected choice. The dissertation opens with a preface which examines the form of the novella and the content of this particular work.

This dissertation research examines variability in Natufian settlement and subsistence patterns. The Natufian is a late Epipaleolithic culture that flourished in the Levant during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. There has been considerable research interest in the nature of Natufian settlement and subsistence over the last fifty years. This is due to the apparent pivotal position the Natufian holds in the developmental sequence from mobile hunting and gathering societies to sedentary village communities subsisting on domestic plants and animals. The research has two major components. The first aspect of the research focused on the range of activities and the nature of settlement intensity and duration during the Natufian occupation at one site, Beidha. The second aspect of the research entailed examining data for settlement and subsistence patterns throughout the Levant during this time period in order to gain insight into pan-Levantine variation. Research on the Beidha settlement has provided information on the range of chipped stone manufacturing processes carried out at the site, the nature of the tools produced, the range of activities that these tools imply, and the distribution of these elements between different areas of the site. The minimal evidence of spatial differences between provenience units is indicative of a site that was occupied as a relatively short-term camp site. The interpretation of the site as a short-term settlement, that was occupied repeatedly, fits with the lack of evidence for permanent features such as houses and storage facilities, as well as the lack of large groundstone objects and burials. Analysis of available data on Natufian settlement and subsistence has indicated that there are regional differences in settlement and subsistence patterns, most notably between steppe and desert sites versus sites of the forest and coast. In addition, there appear to be patterns in variability within the steppe and desert area with respect to the permanence of sites and the range of activities carried out in them. One set of sites is characterized by moderate settlement permanence and intensity, while the other set of sites is characterized by less permanent occupation and more specialized activity focused primarily on hunting.

The phenomenon of terrorism in the Middle East historically has involved violent confrontation not only between governments and politically disaffected groups and movements but also between ethnically and ideologically differentiated communities. More recently governments both within and without the region have had to reckon with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism which under certain conditions has led to terrorist acts motivated by strict religious prescription. Terrorism carried on by adherents of a religious sect in response to divine ordinance is not new in the region; the assassin movement, springing from a branch of Isma'ili Shi'ism, thrived from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries. Members of this group, the fedai, believed that the killing of the unrighteous was a holy act meriting salvation. This study focusses on the Shi'a of Lebanon; it analyses their resurgence as a consequence of the clash between the confessionalism of the modern Lebanese political system and their own traditional feudal organisation, and seeks to establish the linkage between their perception of religious prescription and current terrorism in the Middle East which, it is argued, is employed to obtain sectarian objectives.

This thesis is comprised of a critical component and a creative component. The creative component consists of a portfolio of creative writing drawn from a fictionalized memoir, and the critical component consists of three interconnected chapters analyzing the creative component. The creative component, titled The Accidental Peacemaker, has been written alongside my recently published (and related) book, How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less Without Leaving Your Apartment. It is a satirical, first-person fictionalized memoir about how the Middle East conflict manifests in North America, told from the point of view of a North American Jewish narrator. The critical component contextualizes the creative component by situating it within the disparate genres of creative writing that inform it, and by exploring its descent from them. Together, the three critical chapters argue that the creative component stands at the intersection of life writing, North American Jewish Writing, and humourous political writing. The first critical chapter, on life writing, examines the overlaps between fiction and memoir, and argues, in part, that from a creative writer's point of view, a sharp distinction is challenging to pinpoint. The second critical chapter, on North American Jewish writing, explores some efforts that have been made to determine what characteristics identify “Jewish writing,” and which identifying marks are germane to this particular piece of creative work. The third critical chapter, on humourous political writing, argues that humour and politics are particularly intertwined in North American writing and media today, and that by using humour and first-person life writing, an author can probe into sensitive political terrain without as much risk of needlessly offending as they might have if they used other approaches.

Thesis advisor: Franck Salameh
Anti-Semitism has become a virulent, pervasive phenomenon in the Modern Middle East today. In the past, anti-Semitism was mostly absent from mainstream Middle Eastern society. In the past two centuries, however, social and political upheaval, the encroachment of Western influence in the region, and the effects of Zionist organizations and the state of Israel have made the region a dangerous place for Jews. Anti-Semitism is perpetuated today by political and religious leaders as well as the media and is fueled by the anger and frustration of the people of the Middle East. This study examines the roots and causes of anti-Semitism in Middle Eastern history, in the religions and foreign powers that have impacted the region, and in the events of the twentieth century. It details the nature of anti-Semitism today and examines this phenomenon specifically in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan in a comparative case study. This investigation closes by examining the possible steps towards ending Jew hatred in the region
Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2010
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: College Honors Program

The concept of sustainable economic activity, development and use of resources should be the overall yardstick for future policies. Its application requires a drastic change of perspective in the prevailing economic system, the emergence of new models for the development of developing and developed countries alike, intensified research on operationalizing sustainable development, and the adoption of coherent policies. The political process has to set the dimensions and standards within which the economic processes can work. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/26746

The aim of this diploma thesis is to capture the Middle East conflict from a new perspective. In this regard, the conflict analysis works with two new factors: lack of water resources in the region and the effect this situation has on the regional actors to initiate an open war conflict. As an introduction to the topic, the first chapter discusses water resources in the context of international relations. The general findings of the first chapter are then applied to the specific situation in the Middle East region. In particular, the second chapter depicts the role of water resources throughout Arab-Israeli conflicts that later serves as a basis for the analysis of the conflicts at the end of the chapter. Finally, the last chapter seeks to pinpoint some actual conditions and technological capabilities that could secure the efficient and regular supply of water resources in the region.

The end of the Cold War and the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe have been accompanied by the spread of democracy, advancement in respect for human rights, and the introduction of market reforms in different parts of the world. The Middle Eastern region has not been an exception to this trend, where, in response to the mounting economic crisis and domestic public pressure, several governments introduced democratic and economic reforms. This thesis investigates the trends in the distribution of political authority among the Middle Eastern countries and the progress that these countries have made on the path of democracy and respect of human rights. Also explored are the various processes of political liberalization in Middle East states, and explanations posed as to why certain types of regimes have allowed for conditions conducive for reform and others have not.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998.
Title from title page screen, viewed July 12, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Michael A. Lorber (chair), Joe Parks, Jeffrey B. Hecht, Philip P. Hermiz. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-93) and abstract. Also available in print.

The interplay of religion and politics has been a consistent theme in the comparativepolitics of identity, and more specifically with regard to Middle Eastern politics Yetcoverage of religion and politics in the region is generally focused on the Muslimmajority and neglects the existence and impact of non-Muslim religious elements inMiddle Eastern societies. The most prominent of these are the various groups ofChristian Arabs.This work begins with a reassessment of common comparative theoretical approaches tothe study of religion and politics. It introduces a critical and dynamic constructivistapproach to religion, defining it as belief'. Using belief the political environment, andrelative demographics as a guide, it creates four general types of Christian groups as ameans to understand Christian group activation. These types match up with three generalmodes of engagement with the outside political culture in Middle Eastern contexts:competitive-nationalistic systems, neo-millet systems, and secular non-sectarian systems.These analytical tools are applied to the political activity of Christian groups in threeMiddle Eastern polities: Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine. In Egypt, a stable neo-milletsystem is the result of the dominance of a single deferential organization amongChristians: the Coptic Orthodox Church. In Lebanon, years of competitive nationalisticpolitics have given way to an emergent neo-millet system as a result of the decline inidentity-based nationalistic parties and the increasing prominence of the traditionalChurch hierarchy. Among Palestinians, nominalism, deference, and voluntaristicactivism mix to create a neo-millet system with aspects of other systems of engagement.This study concludes that neo-millet systems are the natural outcome of a stronglyidentity-focused religious belief system among Arab Christians, one the author terms"tower-keep" theology. However, the dynamics of change fostered by new styles ofbelief, the challenges of responding to an eroding population base, and the influence ofdiaspora communities and coreligionists abroad all point to new systems of engagementto come in the future.

The MENA region has been for centuries one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan areas in the world. Due to its geographical position, it was a gateway between the East and the West, an area that merged people from different cultures, religions and civilizations. It was the birthplace of the three major monotheistic religions of the world and it was for centuries an area where science, economy and art flourished unquestioned. While the great majority of the areas in the world present a progressive tendency to go from a closed and self-centered society to an open, cosmopolitan one, sacrificing regional specificities in favor of an international integration and interaction, the MENA region surprisingly presents a counter trend. That same region that used to be the center of intercultural, scientific and commercial exchanges is almost reversing. As a fact, during the last decades, the process of globalization brought Western countries to a gradual opening to each other, while the Middle East seems not to fit in this process. Although with some exceptions, little progress has been done and this area seems to be determined to resist. The paradox of globalization in the MENA region is that, instead of smoothing the differences, as it is doing elsewhere, it is fueling parochialism, thus strengthening the cultural identity and exacerbating the decade-long opposition between the East and the West. Not only governments and radical movements, but also intellectuals and a great part of the population dread it and perceive it as a threat. Where the Arab world has been forced to let globalization in, it has also made sure to preserve and stress the role of tradition and religion both in the public and private sphere. This research intends to investigate the uniqueness of globalization in the Arab world, analyzing the process from different perspectives. The core of the dissertation will analyze globalization from three main aspects: economic, political and cultural.

Thesis (Honors paper)--Florida State University, 2010.
Advisor: Dr. Zeina Schlenoff, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Modern Languages. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis aims to analyze oil as a security challenge for the European Union. The energy security policy is getting more and more important with the decrease of energy sources, which holds and shapes the balance of power in the world. Especially in the future, energy sources will be the key to political strategies. The European nations have created energy security policies in order to protect their benefits. The central argument of this thesis is that although the EU has attempted to create a common EU energy policy throughout its history, it could not escape from the impact of the national energy policy of the member states. The main focus is on the oil policy of the community. Thus, the aim of the thesis is to explore the policies created for oil security, especially in the Middle East, and why the EU could not implement these policies it created.

This thesis examines Harold Macmillan's role in formulating and implementing Britain's policy in the Middle East during the period from him becoming Foreign Secretary in April 1955 to the cessation of Suez hostilities on 6 November 1956. The intention is to explore what this reveals of his character and beliefs. The argument in the thesis is in three parts. Firstly that Macmillan's motivation was the preservation of Britain's economic interest in the region, principally oil. Secondly that as a result of his character and background his outlook was limited. He could not detach himself from an outdated historic attachment to the British empire. This made it difficult for him to consider other policies that might have been more successful in protecting British interests. Thirdly his concept of Britain's place in the world was allied to a conflict in himself between the pragmatic realist and the romantic imperialist. His attitude in regard to, and actions in respect of, the Baghdad Pact, Project Alpha, the Buraimi Oasis, the Aswan dam and the Suez affair are discussed. Intellectually he accepted that countries within the Middle East were seeking to free themselves from colonial shackles. Emotionally he regarded the relationship between those countries and Britain almost in feudal terms whereby Britain provided protection in return for loyalty. After the nationalization of the Suez canal his emotional side prevailed. This led to his central role in the ensuing debacle.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
As Iran's nuclear capabilities continue to be at the forefront of policy and security issues for many nations, the methods by which Iran perpetuates further instability are equally strategic. Militant-proxy groups, such as Hezbollah, have significant military capabilities, as well as political influence that are the driving forces behind Iran's regional influence. Concurrent to the intensive use of proxies, Iran is deliberately trying to weaken regimes through information framing. Iran's addresses to the Arab world are framed to a specific audience and with the tone of animosity towards the West and non-Muslims. Hezbollah also serves as a viable source for Iran's information framing; while Hezbollah's military and political sphere of influence within Lebanon continues to impose Lebanon's governmental control, Iran has achieved political success under Hezbollah's guise. This thesis explores the symbiotic relationship between Hezbollah and Iran and will center on how Iran has achieved relative success in destabilizing Gulf States. This thesis explores the overarching theme between the use of Hezbollah and information framing and the correlation between the reception of the Gulf region as observable effects of success.

The PFLP represents a violent Marxist trend among Palestinian political organizations. It is uncompromisingly hostile toward Israel, the industrialized West and the West's regional allies, and rejects any settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict which does not entail both Israel's elimination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all land it claims as Palestine. Until this occurs, the PFLP remains committed to armed conflict with its enemies. This study attempts to explain the PFLP's lagging position within the Palestinian national movement by comparing its policies with Fatah's. Unlike the PFLP, Fatah's overriding concern was to establish a Palestinian authority on any portion of 'liberated land' and consider the question of Israel's existence later. Fatah's selection of supporters was never conditioned upon ideological compatibility. It formed coalitions with all interested parties and accepted assistance from all willing providers. Most importantly, Fatah - as the PLO's dominant faction - transformed itself from an underground group to a quasi-government with diplomatic status and later, to leadership of the PNA in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Fatah's flexibility enabled it to survive regional and global changes. In the unipolar international order which followed the Soviet bloc's collapse in 1991, the PLO courted the United States and its allies, participated in the Arab-Israeli peace process, and was rewarded with authority over part of the Palestinian 'homeland'. The PFLP, spurning change, refused to act likewise. From its Damascus headquarters, it can currently do nothing without the Syrian government's approval and Syria, on the verge of a peace agreement with Israel, is unlikely to allow its protege to do more than issue statements. Only an imaginative and bold move by the PFLP, at this point, can restore the organization's prestige among its constituents and notoriety among its enemies.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2008.
Thesis Advisor(s): Looney, Robert E. "December 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 29, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-71). Also available in print.

Using the Material Engagement Theory of Cognitive Archaeologist Lambros Malafouris as its framework, the thesis offers a unique synthesis of data from neuroscience, ethnography, linguistics, and archaeology to outline how number concepts are realized, manipulated, and elaborated. The process is described as an interactivity of psychological processes like numerosity, behaviors that manipulate objects into concept-generating stimuli, and material objects with semiotic qualities distinct from those of language and agency distinct from that of brains and bodies. The counting technologies of the Ancient Near East (ANE) are then analyzed through archaeological and textual evidence spanning the late Upper Paleolithic to the Bronze Age, from the first realization of number concepts in a pristine original condition to their elaboration into one of the ancient world's greatest mathematical traditions, a foundation for mathematical thinking today. Insights from the way numbers are realized through psychological-behavioral-material interactivity are used to challenge three dominant conceptualizations of ANE numbers: first, the idea that the ANE numerical lexicon would have counted only to very low numbers; second, that Neolithic tokens were the first counting technology; and third, that numbers were 'concrete' before they became 'abstract'. Considering archaeological evidence from the Epipaleolithic Levant and drawing on linguistic and ethnographic evidence to characterize the regional prehistory, the thesis suggests that the numerical lexicon would have included relatively high numbers prior to the Neolithic; that finger-counting (linguistically attested) and tallies (archaeologically attested) would have preceded tokens; and that numbers are 'abstract' concepts whose content changes in conjunction with the incorporation and use of different material forms. The evidence provided to support these alternatives implies that numbers may have originated in the late Upper Paleolithic and arithmetic early in the Neolithic, pushing the onset of these capabilities further back than is commonly held. In addition to tallies and tokens, the thesis explores fingers and numerical notations as material artifacts, enabling an analysis of how materiality might structure numerical concepts, influence a number system's capabilities, limitations, and elaboration potential, and affect brains and behavior over cultural spans of time. Insights generated by the case study are then applied to the role of materiality in cognition more generally, including how concepts become distributed across multiple material forms; the reasons why materiality might be transparent (or invisible) in cognition; and the differences between thinking through and thinking about materiality.

This study addresses the relationship between social capital and political action in the Middle East. The research uncovers indicators of how social capital correlates with democratic action. Using data from the 2005 World Values Survey, the examination centers on indicators of trust and membership in civic organizations and how they relate to political action in the region. The paper concludes with discussion of how trust-building and reciprocity can be interpreted within the political context of the Middle East, and how the relevance of social capital will be an unavoidable consideration in the transition away from autocracy in the region, especially when considering recent events.
ID: 030646250; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-89).
M.A.
Masters
Political Science
Sciences
Political Science; International Studies Track

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Eurasian Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, 2007.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 19, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0695. Adviser: Christopher I. Beckwith.

This study analyzes various perspectives of modernization theory in some Middle Eastern countries and examines the impact of modernization, both in its western and eastern formula, on the legitimacy and stability of these countries. It also examines those external factors that influenced these countries' internal and external policies. The study's major hypothesis is that Modernization + Secularization = Instability, whereas Modernization - Secularization = Stability in Middle Eastern Islamic countries. Secularization is a component of both the western and eastern paths; consequently, a Middle Eastern country that attempts to modernize and secularize along either of these paths is doomed to instability. The hypothesis suggested herein is analyzed in regard to twelve Middle Eastern countries. The principal conclusions are that the collapse of the Shah's regime in 1979 was a direct result of his western and secular policies; Egypt's political and economic instability was a result of its unsuccessful oscillation between west and east; Lebanon's limited experience with liberal democracy was a failure because of internal secularization and sectarian politics, and external interference by foreign powers; the instability of the Ba'athist regimes of Syria and Iraq is a consequence of their secular socialist policies; and South Yemen's Marxist-Leninist policies were a major cause for its unstable political regime. Even though Libya's Third International Theory of Modernization, based on an Islamic framework, seems to generate political stability for Qadhafi's regime, his latest adoption of Marxist-Leninist ideology may delegitimize his rule; on the other hand, the latest external pressures by the United States and Western European powers on Libya have legitimized Qadhafi's rule and boosted his popularity, for the time being. In contrast, Algeria's pragmatic socialism has been carefully tailored to its Islamic tradition and therefore has resulted in one of the major stable political systems in the Middle East. Contrary to the pessimist modernization theorists who predict the demise of the traditional monarchies when attempting to rapidly modernize, modernization in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Morocco seems for the most part to have been accompanied by political stability due to their exclusion of the secular component of the western path.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs) Naval Postgraduate School, Dec. 2001.
Thesis advisor(s): Ghoreishi, Ahmad. "December 2001." Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-57). Also available in print.

Precipitation is one of the most important, and also difficult to predict, elements of climate. This difficulty is associated with the transport of moisture through weather fronts that change their pathway, shape and intensity at different spatial and temporal scales. Despite this difficulty, a proper rainfall prediction is necessary both to quantify the resources and infrastructures necessary to bring water to farm fields and cities and to anticipate the occurrence of extreme precipitation episodes that may cause human death and huge economic losses. The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the influence of weather systems on the patterns and amount of precipitation over Iraq, from its variability at different temporal scales (daily to inter-decadal) to the contribution of severe precipitation events to total rainfall and the mechanisms underlying these extreme episodes. With this objective, we use monthly (1938-2016) and daily (2005-2016) precipitation records from a meteorological station in the city of Baghdad, ran by the Iraqi Meteorological and Seismology Organization. Additionally, we use the temperature, humidity, geopotential height, horizontal and vertical velocity, horizontal divergence, relative vorticity and potential vorticity fields from the ERA-Interim global atmospheric reanalysis, available four times a day on a 0.75º × 0.75º latitude-longitude grid from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These data, downloaded for a domain extending from 0°E to 60°E and from 10°N to 60°N, are then used to calculate the equivalent potential temperature, precipitable water, moisture flux, moisture flux convergence, Q-vector divergence, relative vorticity and potential vorticity advection, as well as several instability indices (K, CAPE, SWEAT and LI). In Chapter 2 we focus on the analysis of the monthly rainfall data for the 1938-2016 period. The mean annual precipitation is 135.8 ± 61.9 mm/yr and the mean monthly precipitation is 11.3 ± 18.7 mm. Despite the linear trend for the entire period is small, there are decades (1950s and 1960s) of relatively high mean-annual precipitation and other ones (1990s and 2000s) with substantially lower values. The monthly rainfall time series also shows the existence of substantial inter-annual variations, with annual precipitation values ranging between 29.3 and 307.7 mm (2012 and 1974, respectively). The seasonal cycle changes substantially between arid and wet years, with December-February receiving most during the arid years, and November-April collecting most precipitation during the wet years. The inter-annual changes in precipitation show no correlation with a global index for El Niño-Southern Oscillation. In Chapter 3 we analyse a 12-year time series of daily data (2005-2016) from the Baghdad meteorological station. We identify the contribution of cut-off lows to precipitation: 38 events contributed to 43.4% of the total precipitation over Baghdad. Cut-off lows occur all year long but those happening between October and December account for one-third of the total annual precipitation. In Chapter 4 we have considered the dynamics behind the 18-20 November 2013 extreme rainfall episode, the largest one since 1980. The middle and upper atmospheric conditions resulted from the development of an omega block into a Rex block. The eastern part of the cyclonic structure of the Rex block was experiencing horizontal divergence and the associated upward motions reached all the way from 1000 to 250 hPa. Simultaneously, the lower atmosphere (1000 to 700 hPa) exhibited intense southerly cool winds that brought large amounts of moisture into central Iraq. Finally, in Chapter 5 we again combine the daily Baghdad rainfall data with the ERA-Interim analysis to explore the weather patterns associated with the 20 extreme precipitation events for the 2005-2016 period. These events brought 805.2 mm (51.3%) of the total precipitation to the Baghdad station.
La precipitación es uno de los elementos climáticos más importantes y difíciles de predecir. La dificultad se asocia con el transporte de humedad por medio de los frentes meteorológicos que cambian su camino, forma e intensidad en diferentes escalas espaciales y temporales. A pesar de esta dificultad, es necesaria una predicción adecuada de la lluvia para cuantificar los recursos y las infraestructuras necesarias para llevar el agua a los campos agrícolas y las ciudades, y también para anticipar la ocurrencia de episodios de precipitación extrema que pueden causar muertes humanas y grandes pérdidas económicas. El objetivo principal de esta disertación es investigar la influencia de los sistemas climáticos en los patrones y la intensidad de la precipitación en Iraq, desde su variabilidad a diferentes escalas temporales (desde diarias hasta interdecadal) hasta la contribución de los eventos de precipitación severa a la precipitación total y los mecanismos subyacentes a estos episodios extremos. Con este objetivo, utilizamos registros de precipitación mensual (1938-2016) y diaria (2005-2016) provenientes de una estación meteorológica en la ciudad de Bagdad, dirigida por la organización de meteorología y sismología iraquí. Esta estación se encuentra en las grandes llanuras centrales de Iraq, (33.33°N, 44.43°E) y 34 m de elevación, donde la variabilidad topográfica es casi inexistente. Utilizamos además la temperatura, humedad, altura geopotencial, velocidad horizontal y vertical, divergencia horizontal, vorticidad relativa y campos de vorticidad potencial provenientes del análisis atmosférico global ERA-Interim, disponible cuatro veces al día en una malla de 0.75º×0.75º de latitud-longitud, provenientes del Centro Europeo de Pronósticos Meteorológicos de Medio Alcance (ECMWF). Estos datos, descargados para un dominio que se extiende de 0° a 60°E y de 10°N a 60°N, se usan para calcular la temperatura potencial equivalente, el agua precipitable, el flujo de humedad, la convergencia del flujo de humedad, la divergencia del vector Q , la vorticidad relativa y la advección de vorticidad potencial, así como varios índices de inestabilidad (K, CAPE, SWEAT y LI). El cuerpo del trabajo se divide en cuatro secciones diferentes. Después de un capítulo introductorio, en el Capítulo 2 nos enfocamos en el análisis de los datos mensuales de lluvia para el período 1938-2016. Para la mayor parte de nuestro análisis usamos años naturales, desde el 1 de julio hasta el 30 de junio, para que los años estén lógicamente separados por la temporada seca de verano. La precipitación media anual es de 135.8 ± 61.9 mm/año y la precipitación media mensual es de 11.3 ± 18.7 mm (aumentando a 17.1 ± 20.9 mm si ignoramos los meses secos de junio a agosto). A pesar de que la tendencia lineal para todo el período es pequeña, hay décadas (1950 y 1960) de precipitación anual media relativamente alta (150-170 mm/año) y otras (1990 y 2000) con valores sustancialmente menores (100-120 mm/año). La serie temporal de lluvias también muestra la existencia de variaciones interanuales sustanciales, con valores de precipitación anual que oscilan entre 29,3 y 307,7 mm (2012 y 1974, respectivamente). La función de densidad de probabilidad de la precipitación anual nos permite definir los años áridos/húmedos (precipitación anual inferior/superior a los percentiles 25/75) con valores medios de 64.6 y 220.1 mm/año, respectivamente. El ciclo estacional cambia sustancialmente entre los años áridos y húmedos, con diciembre-febrero recibiendo la mayoría de las precipitaciones (10-15 mm/mes, con diciembre presentando la mayor variabilidad) durante los años áridos, y noviembre-abril recogiendo la mayoría de las precipitaciones (30-40 mm/mes, con marzo, abril y noviembre altamente variables) durante los años lluviosos. Los cambios interanuales en las precipitaciones no muestran correlación con un índice global de El Niño-Oscilación del Sur. En el Capítulo 3 analizamos una serie temporal de 12 años de datos diarios (2005-2016) de la estación meteorológica de Bagdad. Para este período, la precipitación anual fue de 130.8 ± 67.1 mm/año, con valores anuales que varían entre 29.3 y 278.1 mm en solo dos años (2012 y 2014, respectivamente). A partir de los datos de ERA-Interim, y con la ayuda de un algoritmo numérico, identificamos la contribución de los cut-off lows a la precipitación: 38 eventos (14 con precipitaciones superiores a 20 mm) contribuyeron al 43-4% de la precipitación total sobre Bagdad. Los cut-off lows ocurren todo el año, pero aquellos que tienen lugar entre octubre y diciembre representan un tercio de la precipitación anual total. Encontramos que la mayoría de las variaciones interanuales en las precipitaciones están asociadas a estos cut-off lows, con su contribución aumentando desde 31,3 mm durante los tres años secos a 512,3 mm durante los tres años húmedos (un aumento en un factor de 16). En el Capítulo 4 hemos considerado cuidadosamente la dinámica detrás del episodio de lluvia extrema del 18-20 de noviembre de 2013, el mayot desde 1980. Las condiciones de la atmósfera media y alta resultaron del desarrollo de un bloque omega hacia un bloque Rex, con la parte oriental de la estructura ciclónica del bloque Rex experimentando intensa divergencia horizontal y fuertes movimientos ascendentes entre 1000 y 250 hPa. Simultáneamente, la atmósfera inferior (de 1000 a 700 hPa) exhibía intensos vientos fríos del sur que traían grandes cantidades de humedad al centro de Iraq. Estos aires húmedos fueron el resultado de una evaporación sustancial del agua, y la consecuente liberación de calor, desde el Mar Rojo hacia la atmósfera, como lo demuestra el enfriamiento simultáneo de sus aguas superficiales. Finalmente, en el Capítulo 5, nuevamente combinamos los datos diarios de precipitaciones de Bagdad con el análisis ERA-Interim para explorar los patrones climáticos asociados con los 20 eventos de precipitación extrema para el período 2005-2016. Estos eventos trajeron 805.2 mm (51.3%) de la precipitación total a la estación de Bagdad, distribuidos de la siguiente manera: 7 eventos relacionados con las condiciones del bloque Rex (causando la precipitación más alta, 324.1 mm o 40.3% de la precipitación total del evento extremo), 7 episodios relacionados con cut-off lows (252.6 mm o 31.4%), 2 casos relacionados con jet streaks (95.3 mm o 11.8%) y 4 eventos relacionados con upper-air troughs (133.2 mm o 16.5%). Brevemente caracterizamos las condiciones sinópticas durante estos 20 episodios, con una descripción más detallada de un caso de cut-off low, jet streak y upper-air trough.

The thesis attempts to illuminate the construction process of the Middle East as a separate region. Within this context, it first seeks to find out what a region means. For this sake, the thesis outlines the historical development of the discipline of geography and the changing meanings of region in line with the disciplinary developments. Furthermore, it concentrates on the emergence of the region Middle East, its denomination and transformation along with changing international politics. Finally, the thesis evaluates the existence of the ethnocentric geographical term Middle East within the context of current global conditions.

The present thesis investigates comics journalism, which is a subsection within the comics medium combining sequential images and journalism, and which has met with popular acclaim in the wake of Joe Sacco’s popularity in the 1990s. Since then, many examples of comics journalism have been published. However, the subject has not been comprehensively studied except for extensive research focusing on Sacco. This study aims to go some way towards filling this gap. This thesis focuses mainly on comics war journalism covering the turmoil in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by selecting graphic novels by two different authors from divergent backgrounds: Ayşegül Savaşta: Irak Şahini (Ayşegül at War: The Iraqi Falcon) by Kemal Gökhan Gürses from Turkey, and Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by the Quebecois author Guy Delisle. There are four main chapters in this thesis. The first chapter, ‘Comics Journalism’, analyses this hybrid genre and tries to place it with a theoretical framework. The second chapter, ‘National Identities and Comics Journalism’, discusses how national identities are represented in comics journalism. The third chapter examines Ayşegül Savaşta: Irak Şahini and shows how comics journalism can function as a response to a war. The fourth chapter discusses Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City and explores comics journalism as cultural reportage. This thesis argues that the roots of comics journalism can be found in the Glasgow Looking Glass of 1825. While Joyce Brabner and Lou Ann Merkle together created today’s understanding of comics journalism, Joe Sacco popularized the genre via his coverage of the Palestinian issue and the Bosnian War. Another conclusion is that the September 11 attacks explain the rise of comics journalism, as output related to comics journalism has since blossomed. I will claim that comics journalism functions as an alternative to mainstream journalism and serves to show unreported news. Additionally this thesis will find that stereotypes play a very important role in picturing the relationship between comics and national identities, and will show how Muslim stereotypes have changed in comics, especially in superhero comics, produced after 9/11. This observation leads me to argue that comics journalists, regardless of their backgrounds, use essentially the same stereotypes when they draw Middle Easterners, Arabs especially, although negative Muslim stereotypes are very rare in comics journalism. Since religion and nationalism are undeniably intermingled in the Middle East, the comics journalists studied here employ Islam as a part of their narratives.

The aim of this research project was to find out why the employees in the Middle East region, as a part of a large global company, did not use a project tracking information system. The research was conducted with a mixed method, starting with a qualitative study in order to gain an understanding of the problem and the current setting. Thereafter, hypotheses were tested with an e-survey sent out to the entire user group, which were around 350 persons. The outcome of the survey was surprisingly that the hypotheses, which were based on the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), were rejected. The findings in this study showed that if the user experiences a relative advantage with the system it has a positive effect on use as well as good data quality. This study has found that the opinions of colleagues and managers play a role on use and also the lack of integration. This research will serve as a base for future studies to investigate how the system is used and how it supports the business process. Furthermore, these findings contribute to the criticism on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its successor.