Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - IS 451 D100

Seminar on Core Texts in International Studies (4)

Class Number: 4216

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    90 units. International Studies major or honours students.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An interdisciplinary course which aims to bring together different disciplinary perspectives on international affairs through the study of influential texts which, between them, involve study of core themes to the program: development, governance and civil society, war and peace, human rights and questions of culture and ethnicity.

COURSE DETAILS:

This seminar-style course offers students the opportunity for in-depth reading and discussion of influential texts in the social sciences, alongside more recent works that address pressing social and political issues of the twenty-first century. Reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of International Studies, we will engage with writings by leading scholars in anthropology, economics, geography, law, and political science. Through these texts, we will examine the history and significance of state formation; the rise and spread of capitalism, neoliberalism, and inequality; the challenges and limitations of securing international law and human rights; the causes and dynamics of armed conflict; and the complex role of identity in either holding us together or driving us apart. Each book is relevant to one or more concentrations within the IS Major, and indeed, a key goal is to draw connections across the three streams of our program.

As a capstone course, the class provides students the opportunity to synthesize insights from prior coursework and to reflect on their intellectual journey through the IS major. Together, we will reflect on what each of us has learned, what we have yet to learn collectively, and the challenges ahead for our fragile, shared humanity.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The learning goals for this course include:

  1. Gaining exposure to a range of disciplinary approaches and arguments within international studies;
  2. Developing the ability to read full-length texts critically and to identify their core arguments and contributions;
  3. Building substantive knowledge of the political, social, and economic forces that shape the contemporary world;
  4. Honing analytical skills through both written and oral engagement with complex texts and ideas.

Grading

  • In-class Participation 30%
  • 5 Short Analysis Papers 50%
  • Term Paper (~10 pages) 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

James Scott, Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed.

David Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism.

Noura Erakat, Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine.

Barbara Walter, How Civil Wars Start.

Amartya Sen, Identity and Violence.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.