An Introduction to Psychology for the Middle East (and Beyond) is more than the average psychology textbook. Written in simple English by local contributors in the field of psychology and academia, it not only covers broad concepts and major theories, but also provides students in the Middle East with culturally-relevant examples and indigenous research studies that highlight the ways in which psychology can be applied in their local contexts. Topic Boxes appear throughout the chapters to bring regional concepts to life, and discussion questions at the end of each chapter provide ideas for further exploration. With photos that capture the diversity of the Middle East, students will be able to envision a psychology that is representative of their experiences as they explore this visually-appealing textbook. In doing so, they will be better prepared to understand the relevance of the discipline to their personal lives and the societies in which they live.

An Introduction to Psychology for the Middle East (and Beyond) is more than the average psychology textbook. Written in simple English by local contributors in the field of psychology and academia, it not only covers broad concepts and major theories, but also provides students in the Middle East with culturally-relevant examples and indigenous research studies that highlight the ways in which psychology can be applied in their local contexts. Topic Boxes appear throughout the chapters to bring regional concepts to life, and discussion questions at the end of each chapter provide ideas for further exploration. With photos that capture the diversity of the Middle East, students will be able to envision a psychology that is representative of their experiences as they explore this visually-appealing textbook. In doing so, they will be better prepared to understand the relevance of the discipline to their personal lives and the societies in which they live.

This volume looks at positive psychology from a culturally-responsive, empirically-driven perspective to avoid a descent into pseudoscience. Through evidence-based, regionally relevant topics in the field of well-being, this volume shows how increasing levels of excellence in the GCC region enhance upon business, education, research, and social innovations. Grounded in the empirical research literature, each chapter applies psychological concepts to locally relevant considerations, such as culture, religion, and socio-political contexts, making this book an essential tool for understanding positive psychology and well-being in the GCC nations and beyond.

Beyond The Two-State Solution, by Jonathan Kuttab, is a short introduction to the current crisis in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism have been at loggerheads for over a century. Some thought the two-state solution would resolve the conflict between them. Jonathan explains that the two-state solution (that he supported) is no longer viable. He suggests that any solution be predicated on the basic existential needs of the two parties, needs he lays out in exceptional detail. He formulates a way forward for a 1-state solution that challenges both Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism. This book invites readers to begin a new conversation based on reality: two peoples will need to live together in some sort of unified state. It is balanced and accessible to neophytes and to experts alike.

This book is designed to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a conceptual level. The focus on behaviour and empiricism has produced a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. The beginning of each section includes learning objectives; throughout the body of each section are key terms in bold followed by their definitions in italics; key takeaways, and exercises and critical thinking activities end each section.

Although there are as many answers to the question of how organizations can gain competitive advantage in today's global economy as there are books and experts, one lesson seems very clear: traditional answers and resources are no longer sufficient. This seminal book offers not only an answer regarding how to gain competitive advantage through people, but also a brand new, untapped human resource--psychological capital, or simply PsyCap. Generated from both the positive-psychology movement and the authors' pioneering work on positive organizational behavior, PsyCap is a rigorous concept: to be included in PsyCap, a given positive construct must be based on theory, research, and valid measurement, must be open to development, and must have measurable performance impact. The positive constructs that have been determined to best meet these PsyCap criteria--efficacy (confidence), hope, optimism, and resiliency--are covered in separate chapters in Psychological Capital and Beyond. Following an exploration of other potential positive constructs such as creativity, wisdom, well-being, flow, humor, gratitude, forgiveness, emotional intelligence, spirituality, authenticity, and courage, the authors summarize the research demonstrating the performance impact of PsyCap. They go on to provide the PsyCap Questionnaire (PCQ) as a measurement tool, and the PsyCap Intervention (PCI) as a development aid. Psychological Capital and Beyond provides theory, research, measurements, and methods of application for psychological capital, a resource that can be developed and sustained for competitive advantage. Each copy includes a complimentary PsyCap online self-assessment.

The sudden, huge price hikes in Middle Eastern oil in late 1973 yielded, almost overnight, an enormous flow of resources to states and societies that could not have anticipated such instant affluence. With this came unprecedented political power because of the control the oil states were able to maintain over oil production and prices until the second half of 1982. Thus, though covering barely nine years, the period may appropriately be dubbed the "Oil Decade". In this study of fundamental aspects of the oil decade, Gad G. Gilbar first examines the influence the production, export and revenues of oil exerted on domestic, regional and international relations. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the expansion of higher education, no doubt the single most significant social change the oil decade engendered. Throughout the Arab world many new universities began opening their doors to an ever-increasing number of students, especially in the sciences and civil engineering. Significant also was the proportion of women students enrolling. Finally, the author traces how, as of the early 1970s, the official Arab boycott on goods manufactured in Israel was increasingly being circumvented, and a wide range of agricultural and industrial products were beginning to find their way to customers in Arab states.

This book introduces the politics of the modern Middle East, which includes the countries of the Persian Gulf, the eastern Mediterranean countries, and North Africa. It covers the major geographical regions that make up the Middle East, and summarizes the post-World War I history of the Middle East.

Jihad' is a highly charged word. Often mistranslated as 'Holy War', it has become synonymous with terrorism. Current political events have entirely failed to take account of the subtlety and complexity of jihad. Like many concepts with a long history, different cultural ideas have influenced the religious aspects of jihad. As a result its original meaning has been adapted, modified and destabilized - never more than at the present time. How does jihad manifest itself in Muslims' everyday lives? What impact has 9/11 and its backlash had on jihad? By observing the current crisis of identity among ordinary Muslims, this timely book explores why, and in what circumstances Muslims speak of jihad. In the end, jihad is what Muslims say it is. Marranci offers us a nuanced and sophisticated anthropological understanding of Muslims' lives far beyond the predictable cliches.A PDF version of this book is available for free in open access via the OAPEN Library platform, www.oapen.org

This book presents an in-depth analysis of the role played by the EU accession process in Turkey’s democratic evolution and in the empowerment of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the early 2000s. Often moving against the grain of consolidated analytical positions, the author finds that the accession process can have a critical impact on the political evolution and institutional setting of an aspiring member state that goes well beyond the simple Europeanization process (or EU accession conditionality). In the case of Turkey, that process created the essential conditions and environment for the country’s political modernization by helping the emergence of a “periphery” (including Kurds, “conservative” Muslims and non-Muslims) that secularism had pushed into a marginal, secondary status in Turkish society. Turkey’s gradual evolution in an authoritarian direction, following the stalling of the EU accession process, offers further proof of the decisive role that the EU accession can play in a country’s democratic advancement. The book additionally indicates how Turkey’s EU-driven democratic evolution for a number of years had important implications in terms of regional and global order.