Reading Schedule

 

All readings will be linked to the course website.

 

Week 1: Theories and Provocations:

6/23: Introduction: Theories, Paradigms, and Lenses

o   Coral Bell, “The End of the Vasco de Gama Era: The Next Landscape of World Politics.” Lowy Institute for International Policy, 2007.

o   Dan Koeppel, "Yes, We Will Have No Bananas" New York Times. June 18,2008.

o   Andrew E. Kramer, "Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back." New York Times. June 19, 2008.

6/24: Competing Theoretical Lenses

o  Jack Snyder, “One world, rival theories.” Foreign Policy. 145 (Nov-Dec 2004).

o  Karen Mingst. Theory Grid.

o Bell Notes

6/25: Realism

o   Saban Kardas, “Human Rights Policy and International Relations: Realist Foundations Reconsidered.” Human Rights & Human Welfare Working Papers, University of Utah. 2005.

6/26 Idealism/Constructivism

o   Immanuel Kant, "Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch" (1795)

o   Wilson, Woodrow. “An Address to a Joint Session of Congress (14 Points)” (January 8, 1918).

o   Steven Geoffrey Gieseler. "Debate on the 'Democratic Peace'." AmericanDiplomacy.org. (3 March, 2004).

o   Christian Science Monitor, "Neocon 101: Some Basic Questions Answered" (2004)

o   Christian Science Monitor, "Q&A: Neocons' niche in American history" an interview with historian Walter Russell Mead (2004)

 

Week 2: Realism and Security

6/30: The Insight

o    W. Julian Korab-Karpowicz, "How international relations theorists can benefit by reading Thucydides." The Monist 89.2 (April 2006).

o   Thucydides, "Melian Dialog." History of the Pelopennesian War (431 BCE)

7/1: The System

o   Kenneth N. Waltz, “Structural Realism after the Cold War.” International Security 25.1 (Summer 2000).

o   Washington Post, "Global Power Barometer" (2007) [Explore the rankings and articles]

·      7/2: Security Threats: Nuclear Proliferation

o   Film: Thirteen Days + Briefing

o  The World On the Brink: John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis

o   Ernest May, "Thirteen Days in 145 Minutes."The American Prospect 12.1 (Jan 1, 2001)

o   Michael Dobbs, "Cool Crisis Management? It's a Myth. Ask JFK." Washington Post. 6/22/08

o   Sharif Shuja. "America, North Korean, and Iran." Contemporary Review 289.1687 (Winter 2007).

o   “A World without WMDs? Modern Challenges to Nuclear Non-Proliferation. (An interview with Hans Blix.)” Harvard International Review 29.3 (Fall 2007

o   BBC "Q&A: US missile defence"

o   BBC "Missile plan on Bush-Putin agenda"

·      7/3: Security Threats: Failed and Failing States and Contemporary Conflict

o   Foreign Policy. The Failed States Index, 2007

o   Susan Woodward. "On War and Peace-Building: Unfinished Legacy of the 1990s." Social Science Research Council/After Sept. 11 (2001) Accessed: 3 January, 2008.

Week 3: Liberalism and Globalization

·      7/7: International Political Economy as context for Globalization

o   Take-Home Midterm Due Online

o   Benjamin Cohen. “Bretton Woods System.” Routledge Encyclopedia of International Political Economy

·      7/8: Institutions, Economics, and Development

o   Sutherland, Peter D. "Transforming nations: how the WTO boosts economies and opens societies." Foreign Affairs.  87.2 (March-April 2008)

o   Serge Michel. "When China met Africa." Foreign Policy.  166 (May-June 2008): 38(9). J

o   James Fallows. "China Makes, The World Takes." The Atlantic (July/August 2007), 48-72.

·      7/9: Globalization

o   Brinkman, Richard L., and June E. Brinkman. "Globalization and the nation-state: dead or alive.(Report)" Journal of Economic Issues  42.2 (June 2008).

o   John Sniegocki. “Neoliberal Globalization: Critiques and alternatives.” Theological Studies 69.2 (June 2008).

·      7/10: Critiques of Globalization

o   Owen Worth and Carmen Kuhling. "Counter-hegemony, anti-globalisation and culture in International Political Economy. " Capital & Class.  84 (Winter 2004)

o   Tom Nairn. "Globalization and the unchosen: leaving America behind. " Arena Journal.  19 (Fall 2002)

Week 4: Constructivism, Human Security, and Rights

·      7/14: Law, Organization, and Problem of Sovereignty

o   George Soros. "The Age of Open Society." Foreign Policy.  (Summer 2000): 52.

o   Henry Kissinger. "The Pitfalls of Universal Jurisdiction." Foreign Affairs (July/August 2001)

·      7/15: Law and Crimes Against Humanity

o    Start Film: Nuremberg (2000)

o UNHCHR. "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide"

o    Kenneth Roth. "The Case For Universal Jurisdiction." Foreign Affairs (September/October 2001)

o   Michael Brendan Dougherty. "What Would Jack Bauer Do?" The American Conservative (12 March, 2007)

o   Alessandra Stanley. "Abu Ghraib and Its Multiple Failures." New York Times (22 February, 2007)

·      7/16: State Security and Human Security

o   Finish Film: Nuremberg (2000)

o   Gerb Oberleitner, Gerd. "Human security: a challenge to international law?" Global Governance.  11.2 (April-June 2005)

o Ban Ki-moon. "Global Action to Save Global Growth." Washington Post (7/3/08)

o Josh Ruxin. "Africa's Food Crisis Opportunity" The Washington Post (7/3/08)

·      7/17: Environmental Security and Political Conflic

o  Gregg Easterbrook. "Global Warming: Who Loses—and Who Wins?" The Atlantic (April 2007)

o  "The (Annotated) Climate Declaration from the Industrial Powers" The New York Times (July 8, 2008)

o   Stephan Faris. "The Real Roots of Darfur." The Atlantic (April 2007)

o BBC, "Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict"

o   United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Crisis in Darfur" (be sure to view the Google Earth exhibit)

o   Samantha Power, "Bystanders to Genocide." The Atlantic (September 20001)

o   The Eight Stages of Genocide

o   Julie Flint and Alex de Waal, "Justice Off Course In Darfur." Washington Post. 6/28/08.

Announcements:

• FINAL EXAM available at 5:00 PM via the class dropbox
• Course Evaluations will be administered on 7/17/08

Week 5: What does the future hold?

·      7/21: Wrap Up and Review—Bell Revisited and Q&A for the final exam

·      7/22: Study Day

·      7/23-Final Exam Due by 2:20 PM

 

catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/rdatta/6408/

We will be using this discussion board for a variety of tasks this quarter: the reading response journal, any group work, and (of course) your own questions.

Reading Response Journal Defined:

Each week I would like you to respond to the readings. In specific, each week you will be responsible for the following:

• A clear summary of the author’s main points/argument
• A clear discussion of how the piece fits into our emerging discussion (i.e., how does it fit into the view(s) of International Relations we are developing this quarter)
• Three or four critical questions derived from this piece (i.e., What points need to be clarified? What interesting claims are made?)

I will start a thread each week for this purpose. Each of you should post your journal entries by replying.

How long should these be? As long as you need them to be to develop your ideas and thoughts about each article. The more thoughtful you are, the more I will have to work with. Quick posts with little thought or attempt at understanding will result in lower grades in this aspect of the class.

Your entries should be submitted no later than midnight on each Thursday (6/26, 7/3, 7/10, 7/17)

I will provide individual feedback directly to your UW email account.

 

 

 

 

 

Midterm Exam Submission
(due no later than 2:20 on Monday, 7/7/08)

Final Exam Submission
(due no later than 2:30 on Wednesday, 7/23/08)

 

You can always download the syllabus here

 

Course Schedule:

Teich Readings are denoted by “(T and the reading number).”

E-Reserve materials are denoted by “(ER).”

Assigned Reading Briefs are indicated in between [. . .]

07/24/ Day 1: Introductions and Initial Discussions

07/25/ Day 2: Instructor out of town. Group topics and constitution

Week 1: What is Technology? (and what is political about technology?)

07/28: Defining Technology: The Difference between "Science" and "Technology"

• Heidegger. “The Question Concerning Technology." (ER) [ATsimberov]
• Mumford. “Chapter One: Prologue." The Myth of the Machine: Technics and Human Development. (ER) [ATsimberov]
• Mumford. “Technics and the Nature of Man.” Oehser. Knowledge Among Men. (ER) [ATsimberov]
• Pool. “How Society Shapes Technology" (T2) [NUddin]
• Street 1 [JHarmon]

07/29: Does Technology Drive History?

• Marx, Does Improved Technology Drive History? (T1) [AWagner]
• Florman, Technology and the Tragic View (T5) [DMuyco]
• Street 2 (14-37) [MStevens]

07/30: Technological Systems and Power

• Mesthene, The Role of Technology in Society (T10) [?]
• Wajcman. “Feminist Perspectives on Technology” (T8) [CVukas ])
• Street 2 (37-45) [MStevens]

07/31: Does the “Enola Gay” Have Politics?

• Winner, Do Artifacts Have Politics? (T7) [EGerrard]
• Post, A Narrative for Our Time: The Enola Gay “and after that period” Technology and Culture, April 2004; 45, 2. (ER) [RDonahue]
• Harwit. “How Lobbying Changed the History of Enola Gay.” (ER) [?]
• Mayr. “The Enola Gay Fiasco: History, Politics, and the Museum” (ER) [ATracy]

08/01: In-Class Viewing: “Who Killed the Electric Car?” [92 min,       http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/]

Week 2: Technology, Politics, and the State?

08/04: The State and Technology

• Street 3 [?]
• NPR. “Highway System at Fifty” [www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5515154] [DWu]
• Cabanatuan. “The Interstate Highway System at Fifty” San Francisco Chronicle, June 17, 2006 [sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/06/17/MNG72JG1851.DTL] (ER) [EGerrard]
• Great Engineering Achievements of the 20^th Century [www.greatachievements.org/] (ER) [AWagner]

08/05: The Political Effects of Science Technology

• Street 4-5[JHarmon][?]
• Lovins and Lovins. “Terrorism and Brittle Technology” (T15) [ATracy]
• Martin. “Technological Vulnerability” (T16) [DHuber, NUddin]

08/06: Which Technology should we choose?

• Street 6 [MStevens]
• Weinberg. “The Dark Side of the Genome” (T19) [DWu]
• Bush. “Remarks by the President on Stem Cell Research” (T20) [SHealy]
• Murray. “Hard Cell” (T21) [DHuber]

08/07: The Green Solution

• Street 7 [CVukas]
• Berry. “Why I Am Not Going To Buy a Computer”(T4) [CVukas]
• Karl and Trenberth. “Modern Global Climate Change” (T22) [DHuber]
• Abraham. “The Bush Administration’s Approach to Climate Change” (T23) [SHealy]

08/08: The Technological Fix

• Street 8 [CVukas]
• Weinberg, Can Technology Replace Social Engineering (T3) [RDonahue]
• McDermott, Technology: The Opiate of the Intellectuals (T11) [NUddin]
• The 9-11 Commission. “How to Protect Against and Prepare for Terrorist Attacks” (T17) [DMuyco]
• Dempsey. “Civil Liberties in a Time of Crisis” (T18) [ATracy]

Week 3: The Fourth Information Age: Technology in the Evolution of Political Power

08/11: A Cultural Approach to Technology and Politics

• Street 9 [AWagner]

08/12: Information Revolutions in American Politics

• Cortada. “Do We Live in the Information Age?: Insights from Historiographical Methods.” (ER) [DWu]
• Sterling. “A Short History of the Internet” [www.library.yale.edu/div/instruct/internet/history.htm] (ER) [SHealy]

08/13: The Fourth Information Revolution & the Political Process

• Bolgherini. “The Technology Trap and the Role of Political and Cultural Variables: A Critical Analysis of the E-Government Policies.” (ER) [?]
• Bimber. “The Internet and political transformation: populism, community, and accelerated pluralism.” (ER) [EGerrard]

08/14: Empowered Citizens or Herd-based Hyper-Politics?

• Carr. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (ER) [ATracy]
• Radio Opensource. “The Limits of Crowds” [www.radioopensource.org/the-limits-of-crowds/] (ER) [NUddin]
• Lanier. “Digital Maoism: The Hazards of the new online Collectivism” Edge. May 30, 2006 [edge.org/3rd_culture/lanier06/lanier06_index.html] (ER) [CVukas, EGerrard]

08/15: Surveillance, Technology, and Privacy

• Simmons. “Why 2007 is not like 1984: a broader perspective on technology's effect on privacy and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.” (ER) [DWu]
• Zittrain. “Tethered Appliances, Software as Service, and Perfect Enforcement.” (ER) [DWu]

Week 4: Contemporary Technological Conundrums (Group Presentations)

08/18—Group Work Day

08/19—Group Presentations: Energy and BioTech

08/20—Group Presentations: Privacy Wrap-Up Discussion

• Bill Joy. “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.” (T27) [CVukas]
• Brown and Duguid. “The Response to Bill Joy and Doom-and-Gloom Technofuturists.” (T28) [DWu]
• Shostak. “In Touch at Last.” (T29) [DWu]

08/21: Study Day/Final Exam Opens @ 8:30 AM

08/22: FINAL EXAM DUE 12:00 Noon via the Submission Area

Class Peer Review Area

http://catalyst.washington.edu/webtools/pr/slogin.cgi?owner=rdatta&id=4599

Final Exam Submission

https://catalysttools.washington.edu/collectit/dropbox/rdatta/2983

 

Class Go Post

https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/rdatta/6761/