International Studies

This course examines paradigms in Brazilian foreign policy, as well as the role of economic development on Brazilian foreign policy. Topics include the Republican regime and foreign policy; Americanism and Pan-Americanism; the Cold War and foreign policy; impact of the economy on foreign policy; independent foreign policy and globalism; foreign policy of the military regime and Americanism; geopolitics and national security doctrine; revival of globalism and consolidation; democracy and foreign policy; post-Cold War and Brazilian international insertion; actors in Brazilian foreign policy.

Globalization and Japan is usually connected with the oft researched policy of “Cool Japan, ” which emphasizes popular culture, particularly anime and manga. Courses on anime and manga tend to focus on an analysis of the object, whether it is a particular anime or manga title. This course aims to fill the gap, by shifting the focus to the industries as popular culture cannot exist without the complex structures of business, form and application of anime and manga.

The course aims: 

1. To introduce the student to the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of anime and manga.
2. To introduce the student to research on anime and manga from a case study.
3. To engage students in critical approaches towards familiar topics.
4. To encourage students in think critically through their own projects of a chosen case study.

This course explores the social, cultural, and political history of the global Cold War through the lens of forced migrations and humanitarian aid. While traditional Cold War narratives perpetuate images of refugees fleeing from Eastern Europe to the West, the course challenges this clear-cut dichotomy. It expands the geographical range of forced displacement to include emergencies in the Global South by paying attention to entanglements across and within different regions. It studies major organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees across other agents, such as non-governmental organizations, regional, and national institutions. It takes into consideration refugees' agencies, trajectories, and cultural production. It then situates refugees within local communities, stressing the challenges and the opportunities of integration. Sessions are organized through a combination of lectures, discussions of primary and secondary sources, and students' presentations.

This course surveys political thought in Meso- and South America, translated into English. It introduces a broad range of (mostly left) political currents in Castilian- and Portuguese-dominant societies, across historical periods. It covers a variety of thinkers and texts, including Vasconcelos, Mariátegui, Guevara, Anzaldúa, Nascimento and Quijano, among others. 

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories, hold on to misinformed beliefs even in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, and/or spread rumors that may have little basis in fact? This course explores case studies of the causes, consequences, and tenacity of misinformation. Students able to think about understanding such situations and possible approaches to combat them

This is an introductory course on international migration. The course explores various issues and challenges that come with growing migration today, focusing on multiculturalism, policy issues, racial and ethnic relations, social inequality, identities, xenophobia and nationalism. While taking a global, comparative approach, the course focuses on Japan, along with other industrial countries, such as the US, the UK, and South Korea. Through lectures, discussions, videos, and other class activities (e.g., guest speakers and field visits), the course collectively examine who migrates; why and how immigrants assimilate and integrate, and how states try to control immigration.

The course begins by exploring the historical background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the events which led to the creation of the state of Israel. Particular attention is paid to studying the development of the conflict over the course of the 20th century from a domestic, regional as well as international perspective. The impact of various Israeli and Palestinian movements on the conflict is studied as well as the ongoing involvement of regional and international state and non-state actors. The course concludes with an analysis of the conflict in the 21st century, which includes studying what proposals for peace have been put forward and evaluating their merits. The course is organized according to key events, themes as well as case studies.