ISCOR 320: INTERNATIONAL SECURITY IN THE NUCLEAR AGE
Professor Allen Greb
Fall 2012
Phone: 619-594-3768
Classroom: WC-320
Office: Adams Humanities AH-4122
Wednesday: 4:00 - 6:40pm
Email: iscor@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: Mon/Wed, Noon-3:00pm; Tuesday, 1:00-4:00pm; and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: ISCOR 320 is an introduction to international security, broadly defined.
International security is more than national security; it is envisioned to involve more than international
relations and more than the traditional emphasis on military and economic power and the threat or use of
force. As the first issue of International Security, a prominent journal in the field, indicated in 1976,
“Nations are increasingly defining their security not only in the conventional modes of military strength,
economic vigor, and governmental stability, but also in terms of capabilities previously less central:
energy supplies, science and technology, food, and natural resources.” Accordingly, ISCOR 320 will
examine such diverse issues as security during the Cold War period, weapons of mass destruction,
nonproliferation, regional security, and emerging challenges for security in the twenty-first century.
COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:
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Ability to organize and analyze information and data relating to issues of international security
Identify the great variety of security issues facing the United States and the international
community; recognize there are multiple perspectives on these issues
Understand and articulate differences between and among national, international, and human
security
Demonstrate awareness of significant historical, scientific, and political concepts and events of
the Cold War and post-Cold War world
Ability to think and write clearly and critically
Ability to collaborate and work effectively in groups to address problems and achieve common
solutions
TEXTS/READINGS:
Joseph Cirincione, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons. Columbia
University Press, 2007.
Joseph Cirincione, et. al., Deadly Arsenals. 2d ed., Carnegie Endowment, 2005.
John Lamberton Harper, The Cold War. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Additional readings put on Blackboard.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Exams (three)
Simulation/Role Playing Exercise
20% each
40%
Regular class participation will also be important, and will be factored into your final grade.
EXAMS: There will be three semester exams. Each will count 20% of the grade and will consist of
essay-type identifications. They will cover material in the required reading, videos, and class discussions.
They will NOT be cumulative, but will deal with issues discussed in each particular section of the class.
If you miss an exam, it will be averaged into your grade as a ZERO. If you have a confirmed excuse, a
make-up may be taken.
SIMULATION EXERCISE: The simulation will allow the opportunity for students to pro-actively
engage in addressing in depth particular problems of international security. In all probability, role playing
will be focused on the nuclear question in Iran or North Korea or ??????. It will involve written papers
and proposals as well as oral presentations, negotiations, and mock debates. DETAILS TO BE
PROVIDED LATER IN THE SEMESTER. Obviously, REGULAR ATTENDANCE will be necessary
for this exercise.