Spring 2021 - POL 373 D100
Human Security (4)
Class Number: 5286
Delivery Method: Remote
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 11 – Apr 16, 2021: Mon, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 20, 2021
Tue, 11:59–11:59 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Kanya Adam
kadam@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Explores what is involved in shifting the focus in the security realm from 'national interest' to the safety and needs of humans. Addresses several contemporary issues of human insecurity such as genocide, terrorism, civil wars and other complex emergencies; the political economy of conflict (small arms, "blood" diamonds); 'new' inequalities (economic, gender, class, ethnicity); and new health risks (e.g. HIV/AIDS, SARS, ecological degradation). Considers recent initiatives and trends that have emerged to deal with these issues (e.g. humanitarian intervention, International Criminal Court, new coalitions of state and non-state actors such as the Ottawa Process on anti-personnel mines). Students with credit for POL 349 'Special Topics' for credit under this title may not take this course for further credit.
COURSE DETAILS:
Human Security
Peacemaking in Divided Societies: Explorations in Transitional Justice
Course Details
Nowadays most wars are civil wars within multi-national countries rather than violent conflicts between sovereign states. Groups fight in the name of ethnic or religious identity for supremacy. Unlike regular armies pitched against each other in previous world wars, irregular forces cause havoc through terrorism. Established rules of warfare and predictability of such strife fall by the wayside, despite stronger outside powers trying to impose solutions.
The course will examine the application of theories and methods across a broad spectrum of international conflicts. Diverse notions of peace and conflict resolution will be examined including cultural, religious and feminist perspectives. The course will cover Johan Galtung’s theories of peace and violence, the pioneering work of John Burton in the field of conflict resolution and John Paul Lederach’s conflict transformation approach to peacebuilding. We’ll explore Arendt Lijphard’s proposal of power-sharing in divided societies, partition and constitutionally guaranteed secession (Buchanan) and Mahmood Mamdani’s recommended co-existence with a vanquished adversary rather than retribution. The experience with dozens of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions around the world will be assessed.
This course, held online will combine lectures, films, case studies, discussions and interactive presentations to highlight linkages between theory and practice.
Grading
- Oral Presentation 15%
- Short Essay 40%
- Final Take Home Exam 45%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Martha Minnow, Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History After Genocide and Mass Violence, Beacon Press,1998. ISBN: 0-8070-4506-3
Heribert Adam (ed), Hushed Voices: Unacknowledged Atrocities of the 20th Century, Berkshire Academic Press, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-1907784-03-3 (Selected Reading to be provided online)
Antjie Krog, Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa, Three Rivers Press, New York, 1999. ISBN: 0-8129-3129-7
Philip Gourevitch, We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, 1999. ISBN-13: 9780312243357
Department Undergraduate Notes:
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2021
Teaching at SFU in spring 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).