INRE / PLSC 44801: Network Theory for International Political Economy

Transcription

1 INRE / PLSC 44801: Network Theory for International Political Economy Spring 2015 Committee on International Relations University of Chicago Mondays 9:30a-12:20p Room: 242 Saieh Hall for Economics Instructor: Matthias Staisch Office: 514 Foster Hall Office hours: M, 12:30-2:30p, and by appointment Phone: (773) mstaisch@uchicago.edu Web: 1

2 Course description This course introduces students to prominent concepts and precepts of social network theory (SNT). We will examine how SNT has recently been deployed to generate novel solutions to prominent puzzles in the study of international political economy. We will become sensitive to the main intuitions behind SNT through careful study of empirical work in political science, sociology, and public policy. Each reading for this course introduces a set of networkanalytic tools, and applies them in a way that does not require advanced training in what has become an increasingly technical methodology. The aim of this course is threefold. First, students will learn to replace purely metaphorical (and vague) talk of networks with focused propositions about the network properties and dynamics of contemporary phenomena such as international inequality, regional integration, and transnational activism. Second, students will explore what it is about the current state of the international political economy that leads analysts to abandon conventional analytical tools in favor of network theory. Put differently, this class will historicize network theory by discussing what it replaced and when. Finally, students will critically assess the validity and utility of empirical findings that network theory has generated. They will do this, in part, by devising a research proposal of their own that explicitly defends the adoption of a network-theoretic lens vis-a-vis some competitor. Prerequisites A course in International Relations. Advanced undergraduate students may enroll with the consent of the instructor. Readings Required for purchase, and available at the Seminary Co-Op: 1. David A. Lake. Hierarchy in International Relations (Cornell University Press, 2009). 2. Charles Kadushin. Understanding Social Networks: Theories, Concepts, and Findings (Oxford University Press, 2012). All remaining readings are accessible via Chalk. 2

3 Determination of Grades The final course grade will be determined by weighting your performance in the following areas: 1. Class Participation (25%). 2. Journal (25%); due June 10, 5p. 3. Memo 1: History of Concepts (25%); due May 1, 5p. 4. Memo 2: Research Proposal (25%); due June 1, 9:30a. Late assignments will be dropped one letter grade for each day past the due date. Student Responsibilities Attendance and Participation This course is designed to facilitate direct student engagement with the material. It is essential that students attend every class fully prepared to discuss the readings with each other. In order to help launch discussion, everyone must submit 2 discussion points via no later than 24 hours before each class. These discussion points must not be clarification questions, but ought to develop something you picked up across the week s readings in a generative way. I will post these discussion points (anonymously) to Chalk before each seminar session to allow you to compare and contrast your own reactions to the material with those of your peers. Your participation grade will be determined by your in-seminar contributions, including a short presentation of your research proposal on June 1, and the quality of the points submitted for discussion. Reading It is imperative that students complete all the assigned readings in the order they appear on the Course Schedule below. This being a reading-intensive seminar, I encourage students to form study groups; not for the purpose of reducing the reading load each student has to bear, but in order to be able to process the material in advance of the weekly seminar, and to identify and answer any clarification questions they may have. 3

4 Paper-Free Assignment Policy All written assignments and resulting feedback will be handled 100% electronically. To minimize compatibility and formatting problems, I request that all paper assignments be submitted in the form of a.pdf attachment to a message sent to mstaisch@uchicago.edu, time-stamped before the relevant deadlines. I will return marked up assignments as an attachment to the address they were submitted from for your own safekeeping. Journal The purpose of this assignment is to boost individual learning by continually triangulating three arenas: assigned reading, initial student reflection through discussion points, and conversation in class. After each week s session, students will create a journal entry of words in which they react and respond to the discussion points they submitted (see above) in light of the conversation that took place in class. The instructor will collect this journal (a combination of discussion points and reaction points) at the conclusion of the course. Memo 1: History of Concepts As a theory of international political economy, network theory defines well-known concepts such as globalization, leadership, and power in non-conventional ways. In this assignment, students pick a single concept of some relevance to scholars of IPE, and track when, how, and why this concept began to be articulated in network-theoretic terms. More specifically, students write a (double-spaced) memo of 1,500-1,800 words (incl. footnotes) in which they: Assemble an annotated bibliography of eight to twelve peer-reviewed articles in which this concept features prominently (students must clear their selection with the instructor; the assigned readings can serve as a starting point; no two articles may be by the same author(s)); Catalogue the ways in which the authors in question defend their choice of network theory over some alternative; Discuss the alternative conception that is being replaced; Judge the utility of conceptualizing the concept in network-theoretic terms. Memo 2: Research Proposal The purpose of this assignment is to translate network-theoretic claims into empirical resarch, and to defend network theory as the proper way of analyzing (and solving) a public policy 4

5 problem. More specifically, students conduct an in-class presentation based on a (doublespaced) memo of 3,000-3,600 words (incl. footnotes) in which they: Pose a question for investigation by analysts of international political economy; Specify a hypothetical answer that follows network-theoretic precepts; Defend said hypothesis by explicitly rejecting an alternative hypothesis on theoretical grounds; Sketch a preliminary recipe for examining the hypothetical answer using empirical evidence. Electronic Etiquette and Communication with your Instructor I request that students not use their laptops, cell phones, or PDAs during class for any reason. This means that you will need to come to class with the relevant materials and notes in hardcopy. I encourage every student to contact me with any problems, concerns, or questions about the course as soon as they arise. You can sign up for my office hours via Starfish on Chalk. If you are unable to meet during designated times, simply send me an , and propose a few time slots during which you are available. I ask that you give me at least 48 hours to accommodate you. Policy on Academic Honesty and Integrity The University of Chicago s Academic Integrity statement reads: It is contrary to justice, to academic integrity, and to the spirit of intellectual inquiry to submit another s statements or ideas of work as one s own. To do so is plagiarism or cheating, offenses punishable under the University s disciplinary system. Because these offenses undercut the distinctive moral and intellectual character of the University, we take them very seriously. Proper acknowledgment of another s ideas, whether by direct quotation or paraphrase, is expected. In particular, if any written or electronic source is consulted and material is used from that source, directly or indirectly, the source should be identified by author, title, and page number, or by website and date accessed. Any doubts about what constitutes use should be addressed to the instructor. If you have questions, ask me before submitting work, and/or consult Charles Lipson s Doing Honest Work in College (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2008). 5

6 Course schedule Part I: Introduction 1. March 30 - Network Theory Meets International Political Economy Abbott, Andrew Transcending General Linear Reality, Sociological Theory 6 (2): Emirbayer, Mustafa Manifesto for a Relational Sociology, American Journal of Sociology 103 (2): , read Wellman, Barry Structural Analysis: From Method and Metaphor to Theory and Substance, in: Wellman, Barry, and S.D. Berkowitz, eds. Social Structures: A Network Approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. Hafner-Burton, Emilie M., Miles Kahler, and Alexander H. Montgomery Network Analysis for International Relations, International Organization 63 (3): , read Nexon, Daniel H The Struggle for Power in Early Modern Europe: Religious Conflict, Dynastic Empires and International Change. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, Chapter 2 ( Theorizing International Change ). Part II: Relations Into Structure 2. April 6 - Anarchy and Hierarchy Galtung, Johan A Structural Theory of Imperialism, Journal of Peace Research 8 (2): , read pp Van Rossem, Ronan The World System Paradigm as General Theory of Development: A Cross-National Test, American Sociological Review 61 (3): Lake, chs. 2 and 3. Oatley, Thomas, et al The Political Economy of Global Finance: A Network Model, Perspectives on Politics 11 (1): , read pp , Kadushin, pp. 14-7, 21-6, 31-2, 35-7, 38-9,

7 3. April 13 - Integration and Fragmentation Housekeeping: Discuss Memo 1. Beckfield, Jason The Social Structure of the World Polity, American Journal of Sociology 115 (4): Bandelj, Nina, and Matthew C. Mahutga Structures of Globalization: Evidence from the Worldwide Network of Bilateral Investment Treaties ( ), International Journal of Comparative Sociology 54 (2): Taneja, Harsh Media Consumption on the World Wide Web: Integrating Theories of Media Choice and Global Media Flows to Explain Global Cultural Consumption. Ph.D. Thesis, Northwestern University, Chapters 4 and 5. Shami, Mahvish Collective Action, Clientelism, and Connectivity, American Political Science Review 106 (3): Kadushin, pp , 29, 32-5, 44-9, Part III: Relations As Process 4. April 20 - Power across Space Hafner-Burton, Emilie M., and Alexander H. Montgomery Globalization and the Social Power Politics of International Economic Networks, in: Kahler, Miles, ed. Networked Politics: Agency, Power, and Governance. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Carpenter, R. Charli Vetting the Advocacy Agenda: Network Centrality and the Paradox of Weapons Norms, International Organization 65 (1): Grynaviski, Eric Brokering Cooperation: Intermediaries and U.S. Cooperation with Non-State Allies, , European Journal of International Relations Online First. MacDonald, Paul Networks of Domination: The Social Foundations of Peripheral Conquest in International Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, Chapter 2. Kadushin, pp. 31-2, 56-73, ,

8 5. April 27 - Power over Time Lake, David A., and Wendy H. Wong The Politics of Networks: Interests, Power, and Human Rights Norms, in: Kahler, Miles, ed. Networked Politics: Agency, Power, and Governance. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Pelc, Krzystof J The Politics of Precedent in International Law: A Social Network Application, American Political Science Review 108 (3): Manger, Mark S., et al A Hierarchy of Preferences: A Longitudinal Network Analysis Approach to PTA Formation, Journal of Conflict Resolution 56 (5): Oatley, Thomas, et al The Political Economy of Global Finance: A Network Model, Perspectives on Politics 11 (1): , read 137-9, ***Due on May 1, 5p: Memo 1*** 6. May 4 - Diffusion and Contagion Kinne, Brandon J Network Dynamics and the Evolution of International Cooperation, American Political Science Review 107 (4): Elkins, Zachary, et al Competing for Capital: The Diffusion of Bilateral Investment Treaties, , International Organization 60 (4): Lazer, David. The Free Trade Epidemic of the 1860s and Other Outbreaks of Economic Discrimination, World Politics 51 (4): Cao, Xun Global Networks and Domestic Policy Convergence: A Network Explanation of Policy Changes, World Politics 64 (3): Kadushin, pp Part IV: Identity From Relations 7. May 11 - The United States: Leader or Imperial Power? Housekeeping: Discuss Memo 2. Cooley, Alexander, and Daniel H. Nexon The Empire Will Compensate You : The Structural Dynamics of the U.S. Overseas Basing Network, Perspectives on Politics 11 (4):

9 Khong, Yuen Foong The American Tributary System, Chinese Journal of International Politics 6 (1) Slaughter, Anne-Marie A Grand Strategy of Network Centrality, in: Fontaine, Richard, and Kristin M. Lord, eds. America s Path: Grand Strategy for the Next Administration. Washington, DC: Center for a New American Security, pp Lake, preface, chs. 4 and 5. Staisch, Matthias, and Liwu Gan Do Not RSVP: How International Organizations Allow Leaders to Delay Costly Action. Working Paper, University of Chicago. Kadushin, pp , 82-8, and May 18 - Identity as a Project(ion) Boltanski, Luc, and Eve Chiapello The New Spirit of Capitalism. New York: Verso, Chapters 1 ( Management Discourse in the 1990s ), 2 ( The Formation of the Projective City ), and Appendix 3. Jackson, Patrick T Civilizing the Enemy: German Reconstruction and the Invention of the West. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, Chapters 2 ( The Language of Legitimation ), and 3 ( The Topography of Postwar Debates ). Bueger, Christian, and Felix Bethke Actor-Networking the Failed State - An Enquiry into the Life of Concepts, Journal of International Relations and Development 17 (1): Mohr, John W Graphing the Grammar of Motives in National Security Strategies: Cultural Interpretation, Automated Text Analysis, and the Drama of Global Politics, Poetics 41 (6): Kadushin, pp ***no class on May 25: Memorial Day*** Part V: Conclusions 9. June 1 - Discussion of Student Research ***Due at the beginning of class: Memo 2*** 9

10 10. June 8 - Possible Futures of Network Theory in International Political Economy Hafner-Burton, Emilie M., Miles Kahler, and Alexander H. Montgomery Network Analysis for International Relations, International Organization 63 (3): , read Jung, Danielle F., and David A. Lake Markets, Hierarchies, and Networks: An Agent-Based Organizational Ecology, American Journal of Political Science 55 (4): Galloway, Alexander Protocol: How Control Exists After Decentralization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 3-17, 20-7, 60-78, Chapters 3 ( Power ), and 5 ( Hacking ). Maliniak, Daniel, Ryan Powers, and Barbara F. Walter The Gender Citation Gap in International Relations, International Organization 67 (4): Kadushin, pp ***Due on June 10, 5p: Journal*** 10