Courses ofInstruction
International Relations
Program Faculty
Christopher Annear, Anthropology
Kevin Dunn, International Relations
Jack Harris, Sociology
Alla Ivanchikova, English and Creative Writing
Matthew Kadane, History
Feisal Khan, Economics
David Ost, Political Science
Stacey Philbrick Yadav, International Relations, Chair
Colby Ristow, History
Richard Salter, Religious Studies
Jennifer Tessendorf, Economics
Vikash Yadav, International Relations
Lisa Yoshikawa, History and Asian Studies
International Relations examines questions of power, order, cooperation, and conflict that emerge as national and international actors relate across state boundaries. Such factors include states as well as international organizations like the United Nations, transnational advocacy groups (such as environmental and human rights networks), multinational corporations, ethnic and racial groups, and individuals. Patterns include diplomacy and war, exchanges of commodities and ideas, ethnic conflict, transnational networking, and the flow of people and problems across borders.
The program also includes theoretical studies of why these actors do as they do—from the pursuit of national self-interest, to the promotion of universal standards of justice, to personal or group gain. The major in particular encourages students to explore how aspects of the international system, such as security and trade regimes, are fluid and ever-changing, how they have emerged over time, and how they are presently being "re-imagined" and reconstructed by an increasingly diverse range of actors.
For its core curriculum, International Relations utilizes an interdisciplinary approach that encourages students to recognize that the collective "imagining" of international affairs is also expressed through a variety of perspectives, including economics, political science, history and anthropology, as well as literature, art, and music. As a result, the major is flexible in its design, and adaptable to students' interests regarding relevant themes, world regions, and disciplinary perspectives.
Mission Statement
International Relations is dedicated to cultivating engaged, empowered, and reflective global citizens who are prepared to succeed in a range of professional careers. INRL faculty strive to enhance the educational development of students by offering academically challenging courses that develop students’ analytical, critical, and creative thinking. Our core curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous interdisciplinary foundation for students to develop the skills, sensibilities, and knowledge necessary to be active participants in discussions, debates, implementation, and administration of international policy matters. Each student focuses on a specific ‘thematic track,’ which enables students to focus on a specific set of issues and concerns, and to cultivate and develop active and dynamic means of addressing challenges in their given interest area. The global language proficiency requirement ensures that students have the competency necessary to communicate across cultures globally.
Offerings:
Note that when an advanced language course is listed under area studies or one of the concentrations, it can both satisfy the area studies or concentration requirement and count toward language competency.
International Relations Major (B.A.)
interdisciplinary, 11 courses
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and be able to summarize arguments by scholars and experts who address questions from a range of analytic and theoretical perspectives; identify and critically evaluate the evidence offered in support of these arguments.
- Identify and analyze a range of factors that generate prosperity, inequality, entrenched poverty, and externalities at various scales.
- Identify and analyze the complex forces that contribute to insecurity, contention, and solidarity at various scales.
- Design original research projects using relevant primary and/or secondary sources, utilizing appropriately formatted citations and bibliographies.
- Communicate effectively and formally in the written and spoken word through individual and collective assignments.
- Effectively communicate in a global language other than English.
Requirements:
Six core courses; a methods course; three courses in a thematic track, at least one from the list of keystone courses, with two courses at the 200-level or higher; and a capstone seminar course. IR majors must take at least three courses with content focusing on a region or regions outside of the United States (these can include courses taken in the thematic track and the capstone seminar course). In addition, IR majors must demonstrate competency in a foreign language equivalent to four semesters of language study. All courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better.
International Relations Minor
interdisciplinary, 5 courses
Requirements:
INRL 180 and two of the three core courses selected from POL/INRL 140, ECON 160, or ECON 240; two courses in a thematic track, at least one taken from the list of keystone courses; and at least one course with content focusing on a region outside of the United States (this can include courses taken in the thematic track). All courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Core Courses
Students will take each of these four courses. (Please note that some courses may require a prerequisite.)
INRL/POL 140 Introduction to Comparative Politics
INRL 180 Introduction to International Relations
ECON 160 Principles of Economics
ECON 240 International Trade
Plus two from this list of core electives:
GLS 101 Introduction of Global Studies
AFSD 150 Foundations of Africana Studies
ANTH 110 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ASN 102 Ottoman Worlds
Any REL 100 or 200-level course dealing with global religions
Any HIST 100 or 200-level course with a non-US focus
Methods Courses
ANTH 273 Research Methods
ECON 202 Statistics
ENG 205 Narrative Methods
HIST 308 Historian’s Craft
POL 361 Quantitative Research Methods
INRL 371 Qualitative and Interpretive Research Methods
INRL 380 Theories of International Relations
SOC 211 Research Methods
SOC 212 Data Analysis
Thematic Tracks
Students will take three courses in one of the thematic tracks. At least one must be drawn from the keystone courses listed below, while the other two are chosen in consultation with the advisor. The three courses must come from more than one discipline, and at least two of the courses in the thematic track should be at the 200-level or higher. Students also have the option of developing a self-designed theme in close consultation with their advisor and the approval of the program faculty.
Global Security and Diplomacy Keystone Courses
HIST 320 Asia Pacific Wars
HIST 327 US Intervention and Human Rights in Central America
HIST 362 Mexican Drug Trade
INRL 260 Human Rights and International Law
INRL 275 International Environmental Insecurity
INRL 283 Political Violence
INRL 290 American Foreign Policy
Political Economy and Development Keystone Courses
ECON 233 Comparative Economics
ECON 344 Economic Development
INRL 205 Capitalism: Theoretical Foundations
INRL 248 Politics of Development
INRL 254 Globalization
INRL 387 Neoliberalism
Politics, Culture and Identity Keystone Courses
ANTH 205 Race, Class and Ethnicity
ANTH 280 Environment and Culture
ANTH 354 Food, Meaning and Voice
ENG 376 Who Am I? Identity in Global Literature
REL 237 Christianity and Culture
REL 238 Liberating Theologies
REL 350 Nationalism
SOC 221 Race and Ethnic Relations
Transnational Issues and Cooperation Keystone Courses
ANTH 280 Environment and Culture
ENG 213 Environmental Literatures
ENV 200 Environmental Science
ENV 201 Community and Urban Resilience
ENV 204 Geography of Garbage
INRL 254 Globalization
INRL 260 Human Rights and International Law
INRL 275 International Environmental Insecurity
Capstone Course
Any of the approved seminars offered by program faculty (list updated each year based on curriculum offerings) or an Honors project. The Capstone Course must be taken after completion of the methods core course and should reflect the student's thematic and/or regional concentration, whenever possible.
Language Requirement
Competency in a foreign language as demonstrated by four semesters of language study in a single language, or by an equivalent score on a proficiency test arranged in consultation with the program coordinator.
Regional Focus
Students are required to take at least three courses with content focusing on one region outside of the United States. These courses may—but need not—include courses taken in a Thematic Track and as a Capstone Course. Regions in which we offer a number of courses include 1) Africa, 2) Latin America and the Caribbean, 3) Europe, 4) Middle East and North Africa, 5) East Asia, 6) Southeast Asia, 7) South Asia, and 8) Russia and Central Asia.
Course Descriptions
INRL 140 Introduction to Comparative Politics An ambitious introductory course, aimed at teaching students basic theoretical and empirical concepts necessary for comparison across the world's political systems. Student will be introduced to the fundamental tenets of diverse political and economic systems and ideologies, explore the foundations of political order and disorder (including discussions of nationalism, state-building, globalization, revolution, and more), and consider the myriad ways in which relationships between state, society, and market are ordered. Theoretical discussions will be supplemented with empirical case studies from around the world. Combining theoretical insights with political, social, and economic history and current events will help students as they endeavor to understand just why it is that the world's political systems are organized the way they are. Also listed as POL 140. (Philbrick Yadav, Ost, offered each semester, subfields: CP)
INRL 180 Introduction to International Relations As a broad introduction to the study of international relations (IR), this course is designed to give students an understanding of the basic concepts of world politics, an appreciation of the evolution of the current state system, and a sampling of various approaches and theories of IR. Readings come from primary documents, as well as a standard text. The course is grounded in an awareness of current events. Students examine how the lens used to view the world shapes understanding of the world, its problems, and possible solutions. (Dunn and Yadav, offered every semester)
INRL 205 Capitalism: Theoretical Foundations What is capitalism? How did this mode of organization become both universal and particular? What are its consequences for human flourishing and political freedom? To what extent does the contemporary global economy still reflect the values of liberal political economy from the 18th century? What are the perennial threats and emerging challenges to a liberal economic order at local, national, and global scales? This course examines the historical, philosophical, and political foundations of liberal political economy with an intensive focus on the seminal work of Adam Smith. (Prerequisites: POL 180 or POL 140 or POL 160 or ECON 160; Offered annually; Yadav).
INRL 254 Globalization Globalization is a process through which trans-boundary flows of goods, capital, labor, and ideas come to be increasingly interdependent on a planetary scale. The phenomenon of globalization affects core political institutions as well as multiple facets of cultural re-production, social practices, and conceptions of personal identity. Although technological innovations enhance processes of globalization, the legal and coercive authority of states ultimately underwrite the process of globalization. Globalization is a fragile phenomenon; it is neither inevitable nor unstoppable. This course investigates the political economy of the global order that has emerged in the post-Bretton Woods era. Prerequisite: INRL 180 or INRL 140 or ECON 160. (Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 258 State, Society, and Market in the Middle East and North Africa This course explores the complex and shifting relationships between state and society in the late colonial and post-colonial Middle East and North Africa. Paying particular attention to questions of state-building and development, it explores the ways in which state legitimacy is variously supported and challenged by alternative sites of authority in society. Course topics will address a variety of secular and religious movements, the role of state and anti-state violence, and the impact of economic and cultural globalization, among others. (Philbrick Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 259 African Politics The course traces the evolution of the African state from its colonial creation to its modern day "crisis" through an examination of how political, economic and social considerations have shaped and transformed African politics. The first section of the course examines the historical creation of contemporary African polities from the era of European colonization. In the second section, attention is paid to the creative solutions that African societies have employed as a response to both unique and universal problems of governance. (Dunn, offered alternate years)
INRL 260 Human Rights and International Law Where do "human rights" come from and how are they best defended within and outside of institutions? This course will consider the normative bases on which people claim human rights and will examine how and why international legal institutions have (and have not) created, expanded, and/or defended these rights. Historically, the course will locate legal institutions as central to the politics of the mid-20th century post-war settlement and will ask how these politics have related to the global movement for decolonization. The course will address the role of human rights in the rise and institutionalization of a "liberal international order," and will likewise ask why this order has so consistently failed to advance or protect human rights on a global scale. (Offered alternate years)
INRL 275 International Environmental Insecurity and Global Climate Change This course will focus on three major sources of international environmental insecurity: mass extinction and the loss of biodiversity; over-population and resource scarcity; and global climate change. The course will ask which actors and factors have been involved in the historical development of these crises. The course will also ask what options are there for global solutions, investigating the role of diplomacy, policies, international institutions and laws, and civic activism. How can transnational cooperation be realized around these three crises? What are the actors and factors involved in possible solutions? What challenges and opportunities exist? What are the normative bases upon which transnational cooperation can be achieved? (Dunn, offered alternate years)
INRL 281 International Relations of South Asia This course provides an introduction to the major contemporary political issues and trends in the region of South Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). This course is organized thematically to address issues of finance, production, trade, poverty an inequality, regional integration, and environmental concerns. (Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 283 Political Violence and Non-Violence Conflict has been a central issue in the relations among states since the advent of the modern nation-state system. Well before Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism had become a central feature of how conflict has been expressed in the modern international system. This course examines the causes of terrorism, the ways in which individuals and social groups have chosen to wage terrorism, the goals they have established, and the ways in which political and military leaders have chose to engage in counter-terrorist strategies. Using specific case studies, the course compares the motivations and implications of ethno-nationalist terrorism, political terrorism, and religious terrorism, and the future of terrorism in a post-Sept. 11 world. (Dunn, Philbrick Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 285 Borders, Belonging, and Rights in the Middle East and North Africa This course examines the politics that have produced and sustained the Middle East and North Africa as a region from the late-colonial to the contemporary period. The course examines the role of borders and bordering practices, the dynamics of migration and the construction of national and transnational publics. Placing particular emphasis on the many ways in which the high politics of states shape the lived experiences of different communities in the region, it works to better understand how and why borders shape the rights and rights-claims of different communities of belonging. (Philbrick Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 290 American Foreign Policy This course is an introduction to the study of American foreign policy. The first section provides an historical overview of American foreign policy since World War II, highlighting the important events, themes, and trends that have shaped - and continue to shape - the making and practice of American foreign policy. The second section explores the process of foreign policy making within the American political context. This section examines the "nuts-and-bolts" of how decisions are made and implemented. The third and final section presents key foreign policy issues facing the United States today. (Dunn; offered annually)
INRL 301 International Relations of India This course examines the history, domestic politics, and international relations of the modern state of India. The course will focus on the democratic-federal institutions, political parties, social movements, ideologies and identities that shape the contemporary Indian polity as well as India’s foreign policy in its region and globally. (Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 350 International Relations of China This course examines the history, political economy, regional and international relations of modern China. The course will focus on economic policy making and implementation as well as China's relations with its domestic periphery, neighboring states, regional organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and the great powers. (Yadav, offered alternate years).
INRL 371 Qualitative and Interpretative Research Methods This course maps major changes in the way social scientists have come to understand the possibilities, limits, and obligations of research in the field of International Relations. It includes discussion of epistemology and method and introduces specific research techniques commonly used in qualitative and interpretive approaches to the study of international relations and comparative politics. The goal is to engage debates in philosophy of social science in order to help students defend research projects that they design and is designed to prepare students for INRL 400 or an alternative capstone experience in the International Relations major. (Philbrick Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 380 Theories of International Relations Why do states act the way they do? How do we explain conflict and cooperation between states? What about non-state actors, from terrorist networks and drug cartels to international organizations? How have social forces such as gender and race impacted the development of world politics? The objective of this course is to expose students to a wide range of theories and approaches to the study of international relations. Students will examine how the lens we use to view the world shapes our understanding of the world, its problems and possible solutions. (Dunn, offered annually)
INRL 387 Neo-Liberalism This course investigates and problematizes the war of ideas about the proper relationship between states and markets that shaped economic arrangements within and between states in the last century. Specifically, we will examine the running battles between Neo-Liberal thought collective, known as the Mont Pelerin Society, and their critics (e.g., Keynesians, Communists, Corporatists). The course will deal with country-level case studies from Asia that illustrate these policy debates. (Yadav, offered alternate years)
INRL 401 Capstone Experience Designed as the culminating experience for students in the International Relations major, students will bring insights and skill developed over the course of their program to bear on research that they design and carry out. This research may reflect a core question introduced in the student's thematic track, a question of pressing significance in the student's region of concentration, research initiated while studying abroad, or some combination of these. It will require students to employ the methodological skills developed in the major and, where appropriate, to rely on source material in the language(s) they have studied as part of their program. Students who share the same core theoretical foundation will be well prepared to serve as research interlocutors and offer peer guidance in workshops throughout the semester. A symposium of student work will communicate student research to the wider community.