Wells College
Instructor:
Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo
Cleveland 108
Telephone: 364-3220
Offices Hours: Monday: 11:00-12:00p.m.
Tuesday:
2:00-4:30p.m.
Thursday:
2:00-4:30p.m.
Required Books:
Evan Luard, Basic Texts in International Relations,
NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo, The Dynamics of Political
and Economic Relations between Africa and the Foreign Powers: A Study in
International Relations, CT: Praeger, 1998.
Jill Steams, Gender and International Relations,
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1998.
Course Description:
What are the socio-historical and philosophical
foundations of the contemporary formal interactions among the states? Why do states and their institutions behave
the way they do? This seminar deals with theories and the dominant approaches
to international relations and their philosophical foundation as articulated by
some well-read scholars, specialists in international relations. We will examine the nature of the states as
the major actors in international relations, gender issue in international
relations, the nature of the structures of international relations, major
themes and paradigms in the sub-field of international relations.
Requirements:
¨
Attendance and active
participation in all the discussions of the seminar are required. They will
count for 15% of the total grade.
¨
There will be a
mid-term paper; it will count for 30% of the total grade. The topic of the
paper is:
Write a critical essay in which you compare the
perceptions and the definitions of international politics of John F. Kennedy,
Indira Ghandi, and Mao Zedong. The paper has to define the national and
international contexts in which each political leader and figure articulated
his/her ideas.
In this essay, students have to identify the
approaches used by the three leaders, the differences and agreements among
them, if any. The length of the paper is
between 13 and 15 pages, typed double and spaced. The paper is due on October 8. 2002.
There will be a class presentation. Each student is
free to choose any topic in international relations that she is interested
in. However, this topic should be either
on theory of international relations, empirical issues of international
relations or on the behavior of international systems. Before starting to do research on the topic,
student will have to meet with me to discuss the relevance of this topic. Two
or more students will not be allowed to work on the same topic. The presentation will be made between 15 and
20 minutes. It will be on December 3,
2002.
¨
A two-page summary including the complete
bibliography is due at the time of presentation. It will count for 20% of the total grade.
¨
The final paper
is due on December 10, 2002. Each
student is free to choose any topic that is not fully dealt with in our
discussions. The length of the paper is
between 16 and 18 pages, typed and double-spaced. This paper will count for 35% of the total
grade.
Schedule:
September 3: Interests and Competitiveness of the
states
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2,chapters 10 and 11.
September 10: Duties and Reasons of the State
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapters 12 and 13.
September 17: Nationhood and Interventionism
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapters 14 and 15.
September 24: Imperialism and Geography
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapters 16 and 17.
October 1: State’s Interest and Search for Peace
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapters 18 and 19.
October 15: State and Power (Students will write a
one-page summary of the main arguments at the chapter. There will not be any
class because the Instructor will be participating in a lecture series in Case
Western Reserve University)
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapter 20.
October 22: The Defence of the State
Luard,
Basic Texts, part 2, chapter 23.
October 29: Gender, Feminism, and International
Relations
Stearns, Gender and International Relations,
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998, chapter 1.
November 5: States, Nationalism, and Gender Identities
Stearns, Gender and International Relations,
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998, chapter 3.
November 12: Feminist Perspective on Security
Stearns, Gender and International Relations,
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998, chapter 5.
November 20: Reflections on International Relations
between the Industrialized Countries and the Developing World: a case study
Lumumba-Kasongo,
The Dynamics of Economic and Political Relations Between Africa and Foreign Powers, CT: Westport: The Praeger,
1998, First section
November 26: Reflections on International Relations
After the end of the Cold War Era:
General
Trends, Reconstructions and Resistances
Lumumba-Kasongo, The Dynamics of Economic and
Political Relations Between Africa and Foreign Powers, CT, Westport: The
Praeger, 1998, Last section and Stearns, Gender and International Relations,
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998, chapter 7.