The case method in the teaching of contemporary Arab political thought: The shutdown of the pan-Arab newspaper al-Ḥayāt as a case study

Backed by the development of postcolonial studies and subaltern studies, the teaching of contemporaryArab political thought as a “border” and interdisciplinary subject must provide students with the theoretical and conceptual tools to respond to the ideological, social, political and intellectual dynamism of contemporary Arab societies in transformation. To apply this methodological approach, this article presents a practical activity based on the case method (CM). As its general objective, the method challenges students to assume learning as a space for cross-cultural reflection through the analysis and argumentation of a real case history: in this instance, the definitive closureof the influential pan-Arab newspaper al-Ḥayāt in March 2020, after almost 75 years of existence. The activity trains students in general and instrumental competences, such as critical text analysis, by positioning them face-to-face with the case under study. After analyzing and evaluating the caseelements provided in the classroom, students can apply any previously acquired knowledge aboutreform, identity, democracy, culture, Arab nationalism, capitalism, etc. Responding to the case in question, students proved to be able to develop alternatives and synthesize their own views. This method also encourages students to analyze their self-perception of this process. Respaldado por el surgimiento de los estudios poscoloniales y los estudios subalternos, la enseñanza del pensamiento político árabe contemporáneo, como materia “fronteriza” e interdisciplinaria, debe dotar a los estudiantes de las herramientas teóricas y conceptuales que respondan al dinamismo ideológico, social, político e intelectual de las sociedades árabes contemporáneas en transformación. Para aplicar este enfoque metodológico, este artículo presenta una actividad práctica basada en el método del caso. Su objetivo general es que los alumnos asuman el aprendizaje como un espacio de reflexión intercultural a través del análisis y la argumentación de un caso real: el cierre definitivo en marzo de 2020 del influyente diario panárabe al-Ḥayāt tras casi 75 años de existencia. La actividad fomenta la formación de competencias generales e instrumentales, como el análisis crítico de textos, a través del posicionamiento de los alumnos frente al caso de estudio. Los conocimientos adquiridos previamente sobre reforma, identidad, democracia, cultura, nacionalismo árabe, capitalismo, etc. se aplicarán tras analizar y evaluar los