Semester at Sea, Course Syllabus Colorado State University, Academic Partner

Transcription

1 Semester at Sea, Course Syllabus Colorado State University, Academic Partner Voyage: Spring 2017 Discipline: Political Science Course Number and Title: POLS 131 Current World Problems Division: Lower Faculty Name: Dr. Will Jennings Semester Credit Hours: 3 Pre-requisites: None COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides an understanding of some of the most pressing issues that face our world today. Over the course of the semester we will look at classic political problems that face the world (with a special emphasis on the countries on our journey). These will include issues of war and civil strife, political development and democratization, racial reconciliation, transnational crime, environmental degradation, and economic inequality. The knowledge gained from examining current world problems will benefit you because as a citizen of the world, whether or not you try to shape political events and global problems, they affect you. We will examine these issues from a variety of cultural perspectives, gaining insight into how Americans (and the American government) is viewed abroad. We will use theories and research from political science to look at how and why these issues impact our community and the world beyond, and we'll discuss opportunities and strategies to get involved and participate in addressing these problems in the communities we visit during our journey, as well as when we return to the United States. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To understand current world problems, especially those affecting the countries we visit. To analyze how the forces of globalization and global inequality shape our world. To become more cognizant about how we, as citizens of the world, can make a meaningful impact on addressing many of these current world problems. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Beeson, Mark and Nick Bisley TITLE: "Issues in 21st Century World Politics" PUBLISHER: Palgrave MacMillan ISBN #:

2 DATE/EDITION: 2013 Articles Placed on Electronic Reserve TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE Depart Ensenada January 5 A1 January 7: Issues in 21st Century World Politics (1-12) "Why the World Needs America," Robert Kagan, The Wall Street Journal, 2/11-12/2012. A2 January 9: Emerging Powers and the Landscape of World Politics (13-29) "China's Search for a Grand Strategy," Wang Jisi, Foreign Affairs, March/April A3 January 11: Globalization and Statehood (30-46) "Who Will Rule the World," Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, NPQ: New Perspectives Quarterly, Summer Honolulu January 12 A4 January 14: The Colonial History of Our SaS Destinations/Regions and Regionalism in World Politics (60-79) "The Revenge of Geography," Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Policy, May/June A5 January 17: Inequality and Underdevelopment ( ) "NGOS, the State, and Development in Africa," Berhanu Nega, Review of Social Economy, No class January 19 A6 January 20: Governing the Global Economy: Multilateral Economic Institutions (47-59) A7 January 22: The Global Financial Crises and Japan's Lingering Economic Malaise (80-91) "Fettered by the Past in the March Forward: Ideology as an Explanation for Today's Malaise in Japan," Perter von Staden, Asia Pacific Business Review, April Yokohama January Transit January 26 Kobe January 27-28

3 A8 January 29: Energy Security and World Politics: China's Resource Quest ( ) "China's Global Quest for Energy Security," Wenran Jiang, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, Shanghai January 31 February 1 Transit February 2 3 Hong Kong February 4-5 A9 February 6: New Forms of Security and the Challenge for Human Security ( ) "A New Era in US-Vietnamese Relations," Murray Hielbert, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Pages 1-21), June Ho Chi Minh City February 8-12 A10 February 13: Midterm Today A11 February 15: Nationalism and Ethnicity: The Case of Burma's Hill Tribes ( ) "Burma: The War Goes On," Tyler Stiem, World Policy Journal, Fall A12 February 17: Democracy and Democratic Change: The Unique Case of Burma ( ) "The Lady and the Generals," Donovan Webster, Virginia Quarterly Review, Summer "Aung San Suu Kyi and the Rhetoric of Social Protest in Burma," Valerie Palmer Mehta, Women's Studies in Communication, Summer Rangoon February A13 February 24: Climate Change and the Politics of the Global Environment ( ) "Shifting Discourses on Climate Change in India," Jagadish Thaker, Climatic Change, January A14 February 26: Population Movements and Their Impact on World Politics: India's Ecological Refugees ( ) "Population and Sustainability," Robert Engelman, Scientific American, Summer Cochin February 27 March 4 A15 March 6: Transnational Terrorism: From the Taliban to ISIS ( )

4 A16 March 8: Peace Operations and Humanitarian Interventions in Africa ( ) "Peacekeepers at War," Christopher Rhoads, The Wall Street Journal, June "AIDS, NGOs, and Corruption in Nigeria," Daniel Jordan Smith, Health and Place, Current World Problems Reaction #1 Essay is Due Today (3/8)! No Class March 10 A17 March 11: The Media and World Politics: From the CNN Effect to Rwanda to the Arab Spring ( ) "The Western Media and the Falsification of Africa," Molefi Kete Asante, China Media Research, "Mediated Culture and the Well-Informed Global Citizen: Images of Africa in the Global North", Kristen Orgeret, Nordicom Review, A18 March 13: Gendering World Politics in the 21st Century ( ) "Do Local Needs Matter?: The Relevance of Women's NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa," Oceane Jasor, Gender, Place, and Culture, June A19 March 15: From Mandela to BRICS Building: Is South Africa a Rising World Power? "South Africa and China as BRICS Parterners: Media Perspectives on Geopolitical Shifts," Herman Wasserman, Journal of Asian and African Studies, Spring "The BRICS Fallacy," Harsh V. Pant, The Washington Quarterly, Summer Cape Town March A20 March 23: Transnational Crime Networks "Mafia State," Moises Naim, Foreign Affairs, May/June "Transnational Crime: IS Cross-Border Criminality Getting Worse," Peter Katal, CQ Researcher, August 29, No Class March 25 A21 March 26: The Lingering Effects of Colonization on Africa: From Slavery to Coca Cola Tema March Takoradi March 31-April 1

5 A22 April 2: After Neoliberalism: Varieties of Capitalism in World Politics ( ) "Africa's Hopeful Economies; The Sun Shines Bright," The Economist, December 3, A23 April 4: International Law, Justice, and World Politics ( ) "Morocco: A Reformist Monarchy," Mohammad Darif, The Journal of the Middle East and Africa, A24 April 7: Conclusion: Paradoxes, Problems, and Prospects ( ) "Globalization and Its Contents," Peter Marber, World Policy Journal, Winter 2004/2005. "Humanity's Common Values: Seeking a Positive Future," Wendell Bell, The Futurist, September/October Study Day April 14 A25 Final April 15: Casablanca April 9-April 13 Arrive Southampton April 19

6 FIELD WORK Field Class proposals listed below are not finalized. Confirmed ports, dates, and times will be posted to the Spring 2017 Courses and Field Class page when available. Field Class attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of your field class. Field Classes constitute at least 20% of the contact hours for each course, and will be developed and led by the instructor. Experiential learning is the key to understanding the challenges that women face in the Global South. Meeting with women that have faced an unjust rape laws, and learning about the challenges of fighting institutionalized sexism is the key to having our classroom lectures and movies/documentaries become events that sear our consciousness and spur us to greater action for positive change in the world. FIELD CLASS AND ASSIGNMENT Proposal Title #1: "Understanding the Evolving Relationship between the United States and Vietnam" Country: Vietnam Idea: To expose students to how America's relationship with Vietnam has evolved from confrontation to neglect to active engagement. Objectives: To have students meet with volunteers at the Ho Chi Minh Child Welfare Foundation and understand their mission of protecting victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Then to tour the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and understand how US efforts like The American Center are working to actively engage Vietnamese people through cultural exchanges and events. Lastly, to visit the War Remnants Museum (Previously known as the Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes) to help students understand the Vietnamese perspective on the Vietnam War. Proposal Title #2: "South Africa and the World: BRICS is Best" Country: South Africa Idea: To help students to understand the evolving role of South Africa in the world and as a leader in the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) group of countries. Objectives: To meet with BRICS expert Dr. Karen Smith at the University of Cape Town to discover how South Africa is carving a place as an emerging leader in the Global South. Then we will visit the South African Parliament to better understand South Africa's political system, before ending with a visit to the Consulate General of China in Cape Town to understand the evolution of relations between South Africa and China.

7 Field Lab Assignment (20%) Before departing the ship you will need to turn in ten questions to me that you plan to pose to the scholars, government officials, and NGO leaders, we are likely to meet during our Field Lab. You will be then be asked to write a four page journal entry about your experiences that relates course content (lecture and articles) to your experiences in the field. What did you learn about "Current World Problems" we have discussed in class during the field lab? Which Current World Problems did you gain insight into? What solutions to those problems would you now propose? How did your conceptions of Vietnam or South Africa change after the field lab? Current World Problems in Port Reactions (Two at 10% each, 20%total) While in each of our international destinations, you are to write a one page reaction to a current world problem that you witnessed in each country. In your reaction you are to be both a cultural and political observer of the phenomena around you. Your first reaction is to cover ports in Japan, China, Vietnam, and Burma (due 3/8); while your second response is to cover ports in India, South Africa, and Ghana (due 4/4). METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING SCALE Current World Problems in Port Reactions (Due 3/8 and 4/4) (2 at 10%) 20% Midterm Exam (2/13) 15% Journal from your Field Class 20% Attendance and Participation in Class Discussion 20% Final Exam (4/15) 25% The following Grading Scale is utilized for student evaluation. Pass/Fail is not an option for Semester at Sea coursework. Note that C-, D+ and D- grades are also not assigned on Semester at Sea in accordance with the grading system at Colorado State University (the SAS partner institution). Pluses and minuses are awarded as follows on a 100% scale: Excellent Good Satisfactory/Poor Failing %: A %: A 90-93%: A %: B %: B 80-83%: B %: C %: C 60-70%: D Less than 60%: As a matter of habit, I don't reflexively round grades up, or respond to requests that can be construed as grade-grubbing. However, I am known to offer opportunities for extra credit-- which may involve cultural opportunities close to the vessel that you can write a simple one page cultural response to. Such opportunities, when they are available, will be announced prior to disembarkation in each port and participation is purely at your discretion.

8 ATTENDANCE/ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Attendance in all Semester at Sea classes is mandatory, but it is at the instructor s discretion to assign a grade to the participation and attendance requirement. Remember to include information concerning the evaluation of Field Assignments and the Field Classes, which must constitute at least 20% of the total grade in a course. While I don't doubt that you will attend class, your attendance/participation grade will largely be used to measure your engagement with the material and your colleagues in class. Please read the assignments before the date assigned and come to class prepared to discuss them. I will keep track of student participation and reserve the right to include reading quizzes as a part of this grade if participation is lacking during class discussion. Students must inform their instructors prior to any unanticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed work in a timely fashion. Instructors must make reasonable efforts to enable students to make up work which must be accomplished under the instructor s supervision (e.g., examinations, laboratories). In the event of a conflict in regard to this policy, individuals may appeal using established CSU procedures. LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS Semester at Sea provides academic accommodations for students with diagnosed learning disabilities, in accordance with ADA guidelines. Students who will need accommodations in a class, should contact ISE to discuss their individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner prior to implementation. A memo from the student s home institution verifying the accommodations received on their home campus is required before any accommodation is provided on the ship. Students must submit this verification of accommodations pre-voyage as soon as possible, but no later than December 15, 2016 to academic@isevoyages.org. STUDENT CONDUCT CODE The foundation of a university is truth and knowledge, each of which relies in a fundamental manner upon academic integrity and is diminished significantly by academic misconduct. Academic integrity is conceptualized as doing and taking credit for one s own work. A pervasive attitude promoting academic integrity enhances the sense of community and adds value to the educational process. All within the University are affected by the cooperative commitment to academic integrity. All Semester at Sea courses adhere to this Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Code. Depending on the nature of the assignment or exam, the faculty member may require a written declaration of the following honor pledge: I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance on this exam/assignment.

9 RESERVE BOOKS AND FILMS FOR THE LIBRARY None ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS Articles as Listed under Course Calendar ADDITIONAL RESOURCES None