Global and Thematic Issues

Classes

INTS 305/POLISCI 305 : Democracy and Democratization

What is democracy? Who benefits from it? Is democracy better suited to some peoples than to others? What causes democracy – does it come from within a country or is it caused by international factors? (Why) is democracy desirable? This course addresses these and other questions in a comparative context, looking at established democracies, emerging democracies, and recalcitrant authoritarian regimes from around the world. Students are expected to leave the course with a critical, nuanced view of democracy, an appreciation of various electoral systems, and in-depth knowledge of both a democratic and nondemocratic country of their choice. 

Units

3

Prerequisites

Previous course in International Studies or Political Science, or instructor consent.

INTS 348W/ANTH 348W : Gender and Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective

This course uses ethnographic case studies to understand how sex, gender, and sexuality are socially constructed in different societies around the world and how these social constructions generate different identities, social categories, and relations of power. The course uses analytical tools of Anthropology to understand the cultural logic behind practices and beliefs that are informed by culturally specific sex/gender/sexuality systems; how those cultural logics and practices are related to relations of power between individuals; how they become embedded in institutions of the state that affect the way rights are distributed and often violated; and what happens when they come into contact through various types of transnational movements of people and ideas. The course will also expose students to debates about how we use these understandings of the cultural logics of gendered practices and ideologies in order to address specific examples of gender/sexuality discrimination, gender violence, and international human rights discourse and policies.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

Units

3

Prerequisites

INTS 365W/POLISCI 365W : State-Society Relations in Comparative Context

What is the state?  How is it organized?  How do different countries select leaders, where is power located, who rules, and who is excluded?  Under what conditions do people obey the state, resist it, or transform it?  Which societal configurations challenge state control?  How do states gain the legitimacy to rule?

INTS/POLI 365, State - Society Relations in Comparative Context, provides students with a conceptual understanding of the composition of states in diverse societal contexts.  The course begins with a discussion of regimes, leading to the first assignment, in which students assess the regime of a country of their choice.  The second part of the course is concerned with defining the state and understanding its institutions.  This will motivate the second assignment, in which students will design what they feel to be an ideal institutional configuration for their country.  The third part of the course pushes back, looking at societies and how they undermine your designs.  Your third paper will consider resistance from various societal forces.  You will then assemble and revise your three papers to form a broader paper on state / society relations.

Students will develop a heightened understanding of democratic and non-democratic regimes, how electoral systems turn votes into seats, the tradeoffs in different systems, and how these systems interact with a myriad of societal forces that may resist the state (sometimes for good reason).

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

Units

3

INTS 381 : Political Islam

The course provides a multidisciplinary glimpse into the various ways that Islam manifests itself politically around the world. Part One looks to the faith – the scripture and organization of Islam. Part Two looks to the rise of Islamic politics in the post-colonial world. Then, the course will shift to discuss five manifestations which speak to the Janus-faced, conservative and progressive nature of Political Islam: violence, simmering wars, Sharia Law, social justice, and human rights. The course concludes by considering democracy in the ongoing evolution of Political Islam. The primary objective of this course is to help students understand the fragmented, even contradictory nature of Political Islam. Even terms such as jihad or sharia contain diverse messages, from demanding violence or promoting education. Students are expected to overcome images of Islam as monolithic, and instead to look to Islam as a living religion, one struggling with the same social issues facing all other world faiths.

Units

3

Prerequisites

Sophomore standing or instructor consent.

INTS 382 : Political Buddhism

This course seeks to unravel the Janus-faced nature of Political Buddhism. It provides a multidisciplinary glimpse into the ways that Buddhism manifests itself politically around the world. Part One looks to the faith – the beliefs, scripture and organization of Buddhism. Part Two looks to the rise of Buddhist politics in the post-colonial world. Part Three, the heart of the course, looks at key themes in Political Buddhism, such as democracy, war, gender, and other political issues. This course is more about the intersections between faith and politics more than it is about the faith in and of itself. Students are expected to overcome images of Buddhism as monolithic and as necessarily peaceful, even if it does contain a great wealth of peaceful, non-violent teachings. Buddhism is a living religion, one struggling with the same social issues facing all world faiths.

Units

3

INTS 410W : Plagues and Peoples

Through lectures, discussion, student presentations, and other pedagogies, this class aims to achieve four primary objectives: 1) To explore the role that disease and medicine played in important historical events; 2) to study the social, institutional and cultural dimensions of disease, ailments and medicine in today’s global societies; 3) to become familiar with some of the basic mechanics of epidemic diseases, such as smallpox, influenza, yellow fever, cholera, bubonic plague, syphilis and AIDS; 4) and to understand how some of the most important policy debates in international studies take (or should take) infectious diseases into consideration. Western (bio)medicine is emphasized, but Eastern traditions and alternative medicine are not excluded. Students interested in careers in medicine, public health, and global health policy may consider this class.

“W” Fulfills Advanced Writing Requirement. Students are required to satisfactorily complete one W-coded, writing-intensive course taught in any Concentration or in the Writing Program. Advanced Writing Skills courses in the concentrations may satisfy other degree requirements (e.g., one of the five courses taken in the upper division in their home concentration). Dual concentrators are only required to complete one Advanced Writing Skills course. Additional W-designated INTS courses are to be added to the course rotation. Students should expect to see two “W” courses per semester.

Units

3

Prerequisites

Sophomore standing.