Politics 310-12700-01: First Year Seminar: Politics of the Global Community
Prof. Chip Gagnon
Fall 2002

Daily Assignments

Go to reading assignments for:
W 8/28 - M 9/30, Introduction and Theory | W 10/2 - F 9/4 Media and IR | M 10/7 - M 10/14, Security and Nukes | M 10/14 - M 10/28 Terrorism and wars of the future | W 10/30 - M 11/18, Global economy | W 11/20 - W 12/11 Culture and the global community | F 12/13 The future of the global community

I. Introduction: Thinking about the international

In this first section we pose the questions we hope to answer in the course. We look at the assumptions that underlie how people think about international politics, examine a number of approaches to understanding international relations and world politics, and relate them to issues of interest.
 

W 8/28  Introductions. What is a community? What is international? Why is it of interest?
 

F 8/30 Introduction to Ithaca: A walking tour of downtown Ithaca and/or Cascadilla gorge
Second hour:
For discussion:What is a community? Do communities have borders? How do communities resolve conflicts? How does someone become a member of a community? How is membership in a community determined? What communities do you consider yourself a member of? Why?

M 9/2 Labor Day: No Classes

W 9/4 Thinking about the international: The war in Kosovo
In class we'll think about the different ways that the war in Kosovo, including US involvement, can be explained.
Required reading:
Madeleine Albright, "US and NATO policy towards the crisis in Kosovo", pp.1-7
To think about: According to Albright, why is the US involved in Kosovo? What specific reasons does she give? Are you convinced by them?

F 9/6 Kosovo continued
Required reading:
Kucinich, "What I learned from the War", pp.8-14
Dimitrijevic, "The Collateral Damage is Democracy" , pp.15-16
To think about:
Why are these two writers opposed to NATO bombings over Kosovo? How do they differ from Albright's arguments? Can you pick out how their assumpions and / or beliefs differ from Albright's?

F 9/6 second hour What is community? Is there a global community?
Assignment: for Friday 8/28. Briefly think about and jot down your thoughts on the following questions: What is a community? Do communities have borders? How do communities resolve conflicts? How does someone become a member of a community? How is membership in a community determined? What communities do you consider yourself a member of? Why?

M 9/9 Health issues as international issues?
Required reading:
Kidder, "The Good Doctor", pp.17-32
Suggested reading:
Web site of Partners in Health; the Zanmi Lasante project run by Paul Farmer (online)
Farmer, "Whither Equity in Health? The State of the Poor in Latin America" (online)
To think about:
As you read this article, think about how health issues such as AIDS are international issues. Can AIDS be understood through traditional ways of looking at international relations? What kind of framework could help us understand the international politics of AIDS? How does Paul Farmer understand it? Think about the moral and ethical aspects as well as security aspects of the issue. Does morality have a place in international relations?

W 9/11 No Class

F 9/13  Guest Speaker
Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
Please note: This event is in the Klingenstein Pavilion in the Campus Center
Essay #1 Due Friday 9/13 by 4pm (ungraded)

M 9/16 Thinking about World Politics: Perspectives and Approaches
To think about:
What is a theory? Why are there competing theories in the social sciences? What is an assumption?
Required reading:
"What's a theory?" pp.33-36

W 9/18 Human nature, politics and the state
Required reading:
Schweizer, excerpts, pp.38-52
"Perils of Complacency" (on "liberalism"), pp.53-57
To think about:
Schweizer's thought experiment about abolishing the police (bottom of p.41). Why do states (governments) exist? What is a liberal?

F 9/20 Introduction to theories of international relations
Required reading:
Take a look at the table on p.58
To think about:
How can we understand the complexity of the international? How do we define the international?
F 9/20, second hour:
Student governtment presentation/discussion
 

M 9/23 International Politics: Realism
Required reading:
Mearsheimer, "Anarchy and the Struggle for Power", pp.59-72
To think about:
How do Realists see world politics? What do they consider as important, and what do they see as less important?
 

W 9/25 International Politics: Liberalism
Required reading:
Rosenau, "The Liberal Paradigm", pp.73-81
To think about:
How do Liberals see world politics? What makes a country liberal? How does the liberal view of domestic society influence their view of international relations?
 

F 9/27 International Politics: Globalism
Required reading:
Gurtov, "World Politics in Global-Humanist Perspective", pp.82-90
To think about:
How do Globalists see world politics? What is more important, and what is less important for them than for Realists and Liberals?
F 9/27, second hour: Sharon Policello, Office of First Year Programs, on Time Management

M 9/30 International Politics: Gender theory
Required reading:
"Critical Theory, Constructivism, and Post-modernism", p.91
Miedzian, "'Real Men,' 'Wimps,' and Our National Security," pp.92-102

M 9/30, 11am Why do we disagree:
Theories of International Politics: Conclusion
(this is a makeup class for 9/11/02)
NOTE: class will be held in the DeMotte Room, Campus Center

II. The Media and International Relations

Most people get most information about international politics and US foreign policy from the mass media, especially television. What is the impact of media on international relations? What gets covered and why? What are the links between government and the media? What is the impact on how we think about the international? What kind of information is available on the world wide web?

W 10/2 - F 10/4 The Panama Deception
Required Reading:
"Media Complicity in a 'Fine Little War'", pp.103-115
 

F 10/4, second hour Discussion of Panama and media
Required Reading:
Skocox and Woodger, "The Military and the Media," pp.116-120
"Desert Storm Disinformation", pp.121-126
"Pentagon Readies Efforts to Sway Sentiment Abroad", pp.127-129
To think about:
Why was there such discrepancy between what the media told us and what actually happened on the ground? Should we be told the truth about what is being done in our names?

III. Security: the future of nuclear weapons

This section of the course considers the term "security," which is one of the focuses of traditional international relations. We consider several definitions of the term and ways in which it has been extended to cover non-military issues. We discuss in particular the issues of nuclear weapons and arms control.
Links of interest:
Go to Chip's links on nuclear weapons and military security

M 10/7 Weapons of Mass Destruction and security
Required Reading:
"Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Weapons," pp.130-149
Suggested reading:
Vogel, "Bin Laden Bioterrorism?," p.150
To look at:
"The Missile Threat" (chart), p.151
"A-bomb Damage to Hiroshima, August 6, 1945" (chart), p.152
To think about:
What impact did nuclear weapons have on international politics during the Cold War? What are the implications of nuclear weapons for traditional ways of thinking about security?
Essay #2 Due Monday 10/7 by 4pm (20 percent of final grade)

W 10/9 Nuclear weapons: The more the better? And Missile Defense?
Required Reading:
Waltz, "The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More may be better," pp.153-159
To think about:
Why would the spread of nuclear weapons increase world peace and security according to Waltz? Is anything missing? What are his assumptions? How would missile defense affect his arguments?

F 10/11 Nukes: Abolition?
In class: Zero Alert
Required reading:
General Lee Butler, "National Press Club Remarks", pp.160-164
Admiral Shanahan, "Prepared Remarks" , pp.165-170
Carroll, "War Inside the Pentagon", in CR, p.171
Suggested reading:
Statement on Nuclear Weapons by International Generals and Admirals (online)
To think about:
What arguments do Butler and Shanahan use to call for abolition?  What are the assumptions and bases of their calls to abolish nuclear weapons? How have General Butler's assumptions changed from the time he was in charge of the Strategic Air Command (the US nuclear bomber force)?  How do these arguments compare to Waltz's arguments?
Links of interest:
Go to Chip's links on nuclear weapons and military security

F 10/11, second hour: Friends 110 Technology Classroom
Intro to On-line International Sources

IV. Terrorism and wars of the future

M 10/14 The aftermath of the Cold War
Required Reading:
Klare, "The Geopolitics of War", pp.172-176
Cooley, Unholy Wars, "Introduction", pp.177-182
Media Essay Due Monday 10/14 by 4pm (10 percent of final grade)

W 10/16 Terrorism: roots
Required reading:
Lemann, "What Terrorists Want: Is there a better way of defeating Al Qaeda?" in CR, pp.183-188
To think about:
What is the definition of terrorism? What are the causes of terrorism?

F 10/18 Fall Break
 

M 10/21 Terrorism and religion
Required reading:
Juergensmeyer, "Understanding the New Terrorism", pp.189-194

W 10/23 The Future of War? "The Revolution in Military Affairs"
Lemann, "Dreaming About War", pp.195-200
Alexander, "Afghanistan signalled start of robotic warfare era", pp.201-204
Link of interest:
Revolution in Military Affairs resources from the Project on Defense Alternatives

F 10/25 Alternate views of security : The "war" on drugs
Guest speaker: Mary Jo Dudley, Latin America Studies Program, Cornell Univ.

Required reading:
Dudley, "Drug-Trafficking, Gang Members and Immigrants: The Human Face of the Drug Wars in Bolivia and the U.S.", pp.205-219
Suggested readings:
"In the Grip of the Anaconda", pp.221
Kohl, "The Coca Boom in Bolivia" pp.222-225
"Widening Destruction" p.226
To think about:
How does "opening up the state" lead us to think differently about international security?  About peace? What is the interrelationship between US domestic policies and the life of peasants in Latin America?
Link of interest:
The US war on drugs and the US war in Colombia