| | | | Course module | | LET-NAS403 | Category | | - | Language of instruction | | English | Offered by | | Radboud University; Faculty of Arts; English Language and Culture; | Lecturer(s) | | | | Academic year | | 2017 | | Period | | PER 1-PER 2 | (01/09/2017 to 04/02/2018) |
| Starting block | | PER 1 | |
| Course mode | | full-time | |
| Remarks | | Accessible to exchange students. | Registration using OSIRIS | | Yes | Course open to students from other faculties | | Yes | Pre-registration | | No | Waiting list | | No | Placement procedure | | - |
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Upon successful completion of the course, you will have developed a global framework for:
- analyzing international politics from multiple national perspectives (North American but also European, Asian, Latin American and African), as these have been shaped by and shaped US political activity in the world;
- analyzing international politics that attends to the legacy of 19th-century imperialism for contemporary global relations and conflicts;
- analyzing the ways in which international politics and nation-states are transforming today, including the United States;
- relating the analysis of formal political relations - via institutions, organizations, and laws - to the influence of such informal actors as social movements, (social) media, activists, artists, and ideologues;
- presenting your own approach to researching and analyzing one (or more) of the more complex aspects of the place of the US in global politics that most engage and intrigue you.
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The future of world politics and of US power in the world is being hotly debated. Are we seeing the end of the American Era and is a new world order taking shape as we watch - driven by the rise of China, India, Brazil and Russia? Or is the existing order simply dissolving into a more chaotic form, rife with instability and violence? How much can the US (or any other country) - individually or in alliance with others - influence these developments? How might the US strive to live up to its ideals of democracy, equality and opportunity for all? Or - does US power and it position in the world make it destined to be a country defined by militarism, ruthless corporations, self-interested and frequently brutal intervention in other societies? Is it possible for the US to be a great power, yet act in the interest of global justice and welfare? And if not the US, might another country achieve such an ideal?
We will reflect over the course of the semester on these "big" questions through a careful consideration of specific aspects relevant to the question. The first half of the course develops the general framework for understanding the relation between global politics and the United States. Of particular concern here is the significance of historical precedents (the US frontier wars against Native Americans; the Civil War; and the Spanish-American-Philippine War of 1898). These historical examples are then contrasted to the recent, influential text by Joseph Nye: The Future of Power. In the second half of the course, we address specific issues and cases. These vary year to year, depending on current events and student interest. Students are the ones who select the case studies. Topics addressed in the course include some combination of the following:
- specific global issues (for example, cybersecurity, human trafficking, global warming, gay rights);
- specific global actors (for example, corporations, hackers, ISIS, NGOs, alter-globalists);
- specific regions and/or countries (for example, Israel, Iran and the Middle East; China and Asia; Latin America; and Sub-Saharan Africa).
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| Assumed previous knowledgeNote for exchange students: you cannot take this course if your English proficiency level is not at least C1 (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC or Cambridge). A statement from your home university won't be accepted. |
| | | Recommended materialsBookJoseph Nye, Jr., The Future of Power (New York: Public Affairs, 2011) |
| Course materialFurther material to be announced. |
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Instructional modesLectureAttendance Mandatory | | Yes |
| SeminarAttendance Mandatory | | Yes |
GeneralSeminars consisting of brief lectures, active extended discussions, close and critical reading, group work, argumentative writing and multi-media resources.
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| TestsEssayTest weight | | 35 |
Test type | | Essay |
Opportunities | | Block PER 1, Block PER 2 |
Minimum grade5,5
| ParticipationTest weight | | 20 |
Test type | | Participation |
Opportunities | | Block PER 2 |
Minimum grade5,5
| AssignmentTest weight | | 45 |
Test type | | Project |
Opportunities | | Block PER 2, Block PER 3 |
Minimum grade5,5
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