Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines contemporary security and governance challenges by drawing on insights from across the social sciences. Includes such topics as: war, nuclear proliferation, genocide, human trafficking, and global health threats. Explores the role of international organizations (the UN, EU, NATO and others) in addressing security challenges and advancing global governance. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of security. In the first half of the course, we critically assess key conceptual frameworks for thinking about security and major events which have changed our understandings of security and international relations. The course will then focus on analysing the role of intelligence and diplomacy. Finally, we will critique traditional and non-traditional security issues, as well as the strategies to counter perceived “threats” to security.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The objective of the course is to promote critical engagement with a wide range of empirical, historical and theoretical literature. Students will learn to display this engagement through analytical essay writing and the presentation of complex arguments in seminar discussions and presentations. By the end of the course, they should have acquired a sound knowledge of key theoretical and practical debates in security studies.

The course should enable students to understand competing definitions of security, to critically evaluate key debates in international security studies; to assess how and why “new” security challenges are advanced and dismissed; to understand how institutions are evolving to counter “new security threats; and finally to gain knowledge of key transnational and cross-border security issues and an understanding of how they may be best addressed both practically and theoretically.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: