Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces the interdisciplinary field of International Studies to all undergraduates and IS majors. Examines the major global challenges of our time, including poverty and inequality, environmental degradation, nationalism, civil war, and armed conflict. Explores the challenge of global governance and global citizenship. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course equips students with the tools needed to understand international affairs and to identify structural global inequalities. Central to this course is the exploration of how colonialism and resistance to colonialism have produced the world around us, including its institutions and global challenges. To achieve this understanding, the course will introduce students to major challenges of the 21st century through a lens that incorporates global (non-Eurocentric) perspectives on addressing these issues.

The world was global before the political borders we see on the map today came into existence. What did global affairs look like then? By centering anti-racist and anti-colonial ideas, we will reframe our understanding of international affairs, examining how historical and contemporary forms of colonialism have shaped current global dynamics.

Recommended readings will cover pressing global challenges of the 21st century related to security and armed conflict, poverty, migration, nationalism, environmental change, and global health. These readings will also provide students with the conceptual tools and foundation for understanding international affairs, including critiques from scholars focused on social justice.

We will begin by examining key aspects of contemporary global affairs, such as the system of sovereign states, global capitalism, globalization, and the international human rights regime. We will also explore the roles of key actors in global governance and world affairs, including states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and transnational corporations.

To understand the multifaceted nature of contemporary global problems, the course will incorporate research from across the social sciences and relate it to contemporary events.

The course will cover a series of themes that ask the following questions:

• Where can we trace the beginning of the modern world? In other words, if you open google maps you see a world divided into seemingly sovereign countries. How old is this image?
• What is the relationship between power and mobility.
• What is the difference between “state”, “nation” and “government”? Why do people feel emotionally connected to “their” nation?
• What are the causes and consequences of war and armed conflict; and how can such conflicts be prevented?
• Why is it difficult to address environmental problems at a global level?
• Why has poverty persisted in different areas of the world and what should be done to reduce it?

This course provides valuable knowledge for careers in international development, international law, diplomacy, human rights, humanitarianism, journalism, and environmental sustainability.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

In this course students will develop the ability to:

• Describe and critically analyze the nature and causes of contemporary global challenges related to security, development, environmental change, migration and global health.
• Describe and evaluate key international responses to these challenges.
• Describe and critically analyze the system of sovereign states, capitalism, globalization, and the human rights regime.
• Describe and critically assess the roles played by states, intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations in addressing global challenges.
• Communicate ideas clearly and persuasively in writing.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All reading material will be circulated via Canvas. You do not need to purchase a textbook for this course.

REQUIRED READING NOTES: