ISCOR 320: INTERNATIONAL SECURITY IN THE NUCLEAR AGE
Professor Allen Greb
Fall 2013
Phone: 619-594-3768
Classroom: SSE-1401
Office: Adams Humanities AH-4122
Wednesday: 4:00 - 6:40pm
Email: iscor@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: M, 2:00-5:00pm; Tu, 2:00-5:00pm; Wed, 1:00-3:00pm; and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: ISCOR 320 is an introduction to important issues in international security.
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:
diplomacy, science and technology, food, and natural resources.” 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 national and international 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 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 for 20% of the total grade and will
consist of short essays and essay-type identifications. They will cover material in the required reading,
videos, and class lectures/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 can 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. It will involve written papers and
proposals as well as oral presentations, negotiations, and mock debates. FULL DETAILS TO BE
PROVIDED LATER IN THE SEMESTER. REGULAR ATTENDANCE will be necessary.
USING SIMULATION IN THE CLASSROOM: WHY PLAY GAMES?
Especially at a time when the world situation is changing rapidly, a simulation exercise can be an
effective technique to allow you to research and learn about key issues, and draw conclusions about
how to approach them. One of the best ways to understand an issue more fully is to see it from
multiple points of view. The simulation will ask you to “inhabit” the perspectives of one of the actors
involved, and in so doing, enable you to more fully address some of the problems we have raised and
discussed in class.
The simulation will make you active participants in learning. By reading and analyzing materials and
drawing conclusions that are translated into action, your critical thinking skills will be honed.
Moreover, the simulation encourages and demands group work that will develop your interpersonal
and negotiation skills.
Some caveats, however. It is important to remember that a simulation cannot begin to capture the full
texture and complexity of the issues, nor does it try to. You will not emerge from the exercise being
able to think like Chinese or Russian or American officials, nor will you emerge from the experience
as trained negotiators. You will, however, begin to get an understanding of the complexities of the
contemporary international situation, become more sensitive to other countries’ positions (and those of
international organizations and non-governmental organizations as well), and be exposed to the
intricacies of international negotiations.
As the instructor for this exercise, my primary role will be that of “facilitator,” encouraging students to
do the work involved, and to ask appropriate questions to guide you when necessary. Ultimately,
however, this will be your exercise; it is up to you to take on the responsibility for the simulation.
Because of the rapidity with which current events evolve, newspapers, journals, and magazines are
some of the best sources of information for a simulation of this sort. You should follow real-world
events in sources such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Economist,
Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.
SIMULATION GRADING BREAKDOWN:
Plenary Presentations/Debate
TA/Instructor Evaluations
Peer Evaluations
10%
15%
15%