INT640- CURRENT ISSUES IN WORLD POLITICS
Spring 2013-2014
Hacettepe University
Department of International Relations
Instructor: Dr. Şebnem Udum
Time: Tuesday 10.15-13.00
Room: Meeting Room
E-mail: usebnem@hacettepe.edu.tr
Course Description: This course aims at introducing the current issues in the world agenda.
It is designed to give an understanding of international and regional issues, such as
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, humanitarian intervention, energy security, the
Middle East, as well as newly emerging ones such as environment, migration and cultural
diversity.
Requirements:
1. Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to regularly attend classes and
do their readings for effective participation. Those who do not attend more than 30 %
of the classes will receive an F regardless of their other grades. They must inform the
instructor for their absence and its excuse before the session. 10 %
2. Presentation: Classes will be based on lectures and presentations by students. There
will be a discussion session afterwards. Presentation topics will be assigned in the
beginning of the semester. 20 %
3. Paper: Students will write a research paper on the topic of their presentations. 20 %
4. Final Exam: The exam will include short definition questions and essay questions.
Since this is a graduate level course, students are expected to write an analytical piece
and to observe the principles of writing and punctuation. 50 %
Make-up Policy
There are NO make-up exams for the course except for the cases of serious health issues
which should be documented. Note that non-physical health issues (psychological or psychosomatic) require an extensive healing time, thus they are neither acceptable nor credible
excuses when the medical report is given for the exam date.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this
class and will result in an automatic grade of “F” for the course. You must consult with the
academic writing guidelines before submitting your paper.
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Readings:
The readings will mainly be taken from the following books:
Mark Beeson and Nick Bisley eds., Issues in 21st Century World Politics, New York: Palgrave
MacMillan, 2010. (on reserve)
Brian White, Richard Little and Michael Smith eds., Issues in World Politics, New York:
MacMillan, 2001. (on reserve)
John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens, The Globalization of World Politics: An
Introduction to International Relations, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Outline:
Week I- Feb 18 Introduction
Week II- Feb 25 No class
Week III- Mar 4 Main Debates and Issues in World Politics
White, Little and Smith, pp. 1-14; Beeson and Bisley, 1-7.
Week IV- Mar 11 Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
“Arms and Arms Control” by Joanna Spear and Fiona Robertson-Snape
Joseph Cirincione ed, Deadly Arsenals, Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction, CEIP, 2002,
Ch 1, 2 and 3.
Nuclear Proliferation by Darryl Howlett (Baylis, Smith and Owens, pp. 341-355).
Iran and North Korea, readings will be provided.
Week V- Mar 18 No class
Week VI- Mar 25 Terrorism and WMD Terrorism Threat
Transnational Terrorism by Andrew Phillips (in Beeson and Bisley, pp. 136-148).
Matt Killingsworth, “Old and New Wars,” (in Beeson and Bisley, pp. 125-135.)
“Terrorism and Globalization”, James D. Kiras.
Transnational Crime and Corruption by Phil Williams, (in White, Little and Smith pp, 232251).
UN Security Council Resolution 1540: www.un.org/en/sc/1540
SUA Convention and Protocol (2005):
https://www.unodc.org/tldb/pdf/Protocol_2005_Convention_Maritime_navigation.pdf
Week VII- Apr 1 Energy Security
“Energy Security and World Politics” by Frank Umbach (in Beeson and Bisley, pp. 202-213).
Jan H. Kalicki and David L. Goldwyn, Energy and Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy
Strategy, Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2005.
“Energy Security” by Sam Raphael and Doug Stokes, in Alan Collins, Contemporary Security
Studies, 2nd. Ed., Ch 22.
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Week VIII- Apr 8 Peace Operations and Humanitarian Intervention
Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Intervention by Michael Pugh (in White, Little and Smith,
pp. 113-131).
Humanitarian Intervention in World Politics (in Baylis and Smith, pp. 513-525).
Peace Operations and Humanitarian Intervention; Old and New Wars (in Beeson and Bisley,
pp. 149-161; 125-135).
Week X- Apr 22 Migration and Refugees-Guest Lecture
White, Little and Smith, pp. 171-190.
Week IX- Apr 15 Intelligence and International Relations
“The Role of Intelligence in National Security,” by Stan A. Taylor, in Alan Collins
Contemporary Security Studies, 2nd. Ed., Ch 18.
“Will Wikileaks Hobble US Diplomacy?” Council on Foreign Relations,
http://www.cfr.org/diplomacy-and-statecraft/wikileaks-hobble-us-diplomacy/p23526
“What is the NSA controversy and what did Edward Snowden leak?”
http://www.boomerangbeat.com/what-is-the-nsa-controversy-and-what-did-edward-snowdenleak/
Optional: Edward Snowden’s Letter to the German government:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/edward-snowden-letter-to-germangovernment-in-full-nsa
Week XI- Apr 29 Environmental Issues
Climate Change and Politics of the Global Environment by Neil Carter (in Beeson and Bisley,
pp. 52-65).
Environmental Issues by John Vogler (in Baylis, Smith and Owens, pp. 348-361).
Environment by John Vogler (in White, Little and Smith, pp. 194-213)
Week XII- May 6 Student Presentations
Week XIII- May 13 No class
Week XIV- May 20 Religion and Culture
Religion by Jeff Haynes (in White, Little and Smith, pp. 155-172).
Culture in World Affairs by Simon Murden (in Baylis, Smith and Owens, pp. 416-427)
“The Clash of Civilizations” by Samuel J. Huntington, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 72, No. 3
(Summer 1993), pp. 22-49.
“A Globalized God: Religion’s Growing Influence in International Politics” by Scott Thomas,
Foreign Affairs, Vol. 89, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 2010), pp. 93-101.
“Media and Communications Technology” Susan Carruthers
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