Instructor: Dr. Adam Jones Office: A257 Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 1:30-2:30 p.m., or by appointment

Transcription

1 POLI 222 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS II Instructor: Dr. Adam Jones Office: A257 Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 1:30-2:30 p.m., or by appointment COURSE TIME AND LOCATION Tuesday-Thursday, 11:00-12:30 ART 103 PURPOSE OF THE COURSE The discipline of International Relations was developed almost exclusively by scholars from the Global North ( First World ), whose primary concern was relations among Northern states. To the extent that the Global South ( Third World ) has entered the picture, it has overwhelmingly been as a derivative of Northern international politics. This course aims, by contrast, to approach global politics from the perspective of the Global South. How does an understanding of Southern perspectives contribute to a reappraisal of core IR concepts and analyses, including the state, sovereignty, realism, and war? The first part of the course concentrates on a theoretical overview of IR from a Southern viewpoint, with attention to themes such as regionalism and alliances, international regimes, globalization, and human rights. The second part of the course introduces students to the region of the South whose politics and crises arguably most affect the world as a whole: the Middle East. It focuses on themes such as the politics of oil, war and superpower rivalry, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Regular video and multimedia presentations will accompany the lecture materials. ASSIGNED READINGS The course textbook is: Stephanie G. Neuman, ed., International Relations Theory and the Third World (St. Martin s Press, 1998). The text constitutes the readings for the first five weeks of the course. For the remainder of the course, a reading package, consisting of journal articles drawn from the UBCO online collection and the Internet, will be available free of charge on the WebCT Vista page for the course. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Takehome midterm exam 30% distributed February 9 in class; due Monday, February 13, by midnight to the professor s .

2 P o l i t i c a l S c i e n c e I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o l i t i c s I I Term Paper 40% due Monday, March 26 by midnight to the professor s . Takehome final exam 30% distributed April 5 in class; due Monday, April 9, by midnight to the professor s . TAKEHOME EXAMS Each of the takehome exams will consist of two questions answered essay-style from a choice of three, words (3.5 to 4 pages double-spaced) per answer. The midterm will focus on the theoretical materials introduced in the first five weeks of the course; the final concentrates on the Middle East case study that occupies the latter half of the course. TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT The term paper assignment should be words in length (approx pages double-spaced). The assignment is thematic in nature. Students should choose a particular theme relevant to the Global South, either from the subjects covered in the first part of the course, or ranging beyond them (e.g., women and politics in the Global South; the politics of the environment; indigenous peoples). A comparative case study among countries or regions of the Global South is also possible. The paper should be both well-grounded in the theoretical material of the course, and well-illustrated with empirical examples. Students are strongly urged to consult with the professor to ensure that their subject and approach are appropriate for the assignment. Important note: All assignments should be submitted by in MS-Word, RTF, or PDF format, one file only (i.e., do not submit each answer on the takehome exams as a separate file; do not supply separate files for title pages or bibliography). Make sure your name is on the assignment; provide a title for the term paper assignment, and in the case of the takehome exams, be sure to clarify which questions you are answering. LATE ASSIGNMENTS Late paper assignments will be accepted, subject to a 5 percent penalty per day, to a maximum of 5 days. After this time, no papers will be accepted, and a grade of 0 will be recorded. The takehome midterm and final exam will be accepted up to 24 hours late, with a penalty of 20 percent. No exams will be accepted thereafter. Exceptions to this policy will only be made in the case of documented medical excuse, disability, or serious personal crisis. (Note: having a busy schedule does not qualify as a serious personal crisis.)

3 P o l i t i c a l S c i e n c e I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o l i t i c s I I OUTLINE OF THE COURSE PART I: INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH Week 1 January 5 Course Introduction & Overview None. Week 2 January 10 & 12 Origins of the Global South ; Key Events and Leaders Neuman, ch. 1 (Neuman) Week 3 January 17 & 19 The International Politics of the Global South Neuman, ch. 6 (Puchala) Week 4 January 24 & 26 Realism and Reality in the Global South Neuman, chs. 2 & 3 (Ayoob, Escudé) Week 5 January 31 & February 2 War in the Global South Neuman, chs. 4 & 5 (David, Holsti) Week 6 February 7 & 9 Regionalism, Alliances, and International Regimes (1) Louise Fawcett, Regionalism in World Politics: Past and Present (online paper) (2) B.R. Tomlinson, What Was the Third World?, Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 38, No. 2 (April 2003), pp [Midterm exam distributed February 9 in class; due on Monday, February 13, by midnight to the professor s .] Week 7 February 14 & 16 The Global South and the World Economy

4 P o l i t i c a l S c i e n c e I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o l i t i c s I I (1) Ganesh K. Trichur, "The North-South Divide and the Future of Global Political Economy in the Twenty-First Century," ISA Conference Paper, (2) Dirk Willem te Velde, The Global Financial Crisis and Developing Countries, Overseas Development Institute, [Midterm break, February No classes] PART II: INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST Week 8 February 28 & March 1 The Middle East in Global Politics (1) Fawaz A. Gerges, The Study of Middle East International Relations: A Critique, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2 (1991), pp (2) Bezen Balamir Coskun, Region and Region Building in the Middle East: Problems and Prospects, UNU-CRIS Occasional Papers, (3) Larbi Sadiki, Al-Jazeera: The Arabs Vox Populi, Al-Jazeera.net, December 19, Week 9 March 6 & 8 The Politics of Oil and Rentier States (1) Gwenn Okruhlik, Rentier Wealth, Unruly Law, and the Rise of Opposition: The Political Economy of Oil States, Comparative Politics, Vol. 31, No. 3 (April 1999), pp (2) Anne Brocard and Stephanie Vallet, The Rentier States in the Middle East. Periwork.com/Coursepoints. Week 10 March 13 & 15 War and Superpower Rivalry in the Middle East (1) Thierry Gongora, War Making and State Power in the Contemporary Middle East, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3 (August 1997), pp (2) Hussein A. Amery, Water Wars in the Middle East: A Looming Threat, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 168, No. 4 (December 2002), pp Week 11 March 20 & 22 The Arab Spring

5 P o l i t i c a l S c i e n c e I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o l i t i c s I I (1) Jack A. Goldstone, Understanding the Revolutions of 2011: Weakness and Resilience in Middle Eastern Autocracies, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011, pp (2) Shadi Hamid, The Rise of the Islamists: How Islamists Will Change Politics, and Vice Versa, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011, pp (3) John Fund, Moderation in Morocco, National Review Online, December 30, Week 12 March 27 & 29 The Arab-Israeli Conflict (I) (1) Israel and Palestine, Global Perspectives, [note: not included in reading package] (2) In a Nutshell: Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Mideastweb.org [Term paper due Monday, March 26, by midnight to the professor s .] Week 13 April 3 & 5 The Arab-Israeli Conflict (II) (1) Hussein Agha and Robert Malley, The Last Negotiation: How to End the Middle East Peace Process, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 3 (May-June 2002), pp (2) Gwynne Dyer, The Middle East Peace Process is Dead, Straight.com, December 20, [Takehome final exam distributed in class on April 5; due Monday, April 9, by midnight to the professor s .] Important Note: Academic Integrity The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidents of plagiarism or cheating usually result in a failing grade or mark of zero on the assignment or in the course. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recidivism. A more detailed description of academic integrity, including the policies and procedures, may be found at