Political Science

This course discusses the causes, consequences, and trends of conflict in the world. Topics include: types of conflict (inter-state wars, intra-state wars, terrorism, ethnic conflict, and state repression); their long-term evolution; political, economic and social causes of conflict; their consequences for the world order. 

The first part of the course deals with the historical development of European integration from WWII through to the Lisbon Treaty and the main actors that contribute to the working and functioning of the EU. The second part focuses on some key policies of the EU: students look at economic and monetary policies, justice and home affairs, the common agricultural policy, environmental and climate policy, trade, and democracy promotion. The third part looks at some current challenges and controversies that the EU is facing. Students consider whether the EU is an efficient and legitimate system, current challenges to the rule of law, Euroscepticism and the increasing domestic contestation. The class then concludes with a discussion on differentiation, (dis)integration, and the future of the EU.

This course addresses how to define and interpret key humanitarian concepts such as human rights, human security and the responsibility to protect. The course also addresses how to define democracy and study trends in democratization over the last 100 years. The class reviews the content of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Charter in some detail. The class also considers the strengths and weaknesses of the UN Security Council and discuss the possibility of UN reform. 
 

This course explores the history of political and social movements in Spain and Catalonia from medieval times to present day. Topics include: the Reconquista; formation of the Spanish state; the Spanish Civil War; the Franco era; transition to democracy; dynamics of Catalonia and the quest for autonomy.

This course employs two perspectives to understand the histories of modern Japan in the context of East Asia and globalization from the early 20th century to the present. It examines how modern boundaries, identities, and cultures are shaped in a rapidly emerging modern world order. The course also looks at how individuals respond to and are shaped by the variety of modernity(ies).

This course examines the role of gender in Western political theory and the implications for the practice of politics.

The course is designed to expose students to different styles of qualitative and mixed methods research including, among many others, comparative case studies; process tracing and historical methods; interpretive and discursive methods; social network analyses, and natural experiments. The course uses practical sessions to help students prepare their own research design into an important and real-world question of their own choosing. Participants present their research designs in the final two weeks of the class and receive feedback from their peers.

The course is divided into three parts. The first introduces the fundamentals of positivist and interpretative qualitative methods. The next investigates case selection, mixed method, and causal inference. The third considers more specific techniques including the practical considerations involved in collecting primary materials, considering logics of historical process, and designing social experiments.

This course covers international migration and multicultural phenomena from a political perspective. International migration brings not only economic impacts but also significant political, social, and cultural challenges. These include issues such as border control, membership in the nation-state, and the social integration of immigrant groups. South Korea is no exception to these trends. Since the late 1980s, the influx of migrant workers, ethnic Koreans from China entering the domestic labor market, and the sharp rise in international marriage migration in the 2000s have presented the country with a new multicultural reality—one it had not previously experienced. Through this course, students critically examine Korea's multicultural landscape both theoretically and comparatively, drawing on case studies from other countries. 

This course examines key questions in the study of Canadian public administration, such as: How is the public service structured and why? What is the relationship between elected officials and the machinery of government? How do public servants shape public policy? Can government respond effectively to the needs of citizens? Should government be run more like a business? 

The international community has become more globalized - increasingly become more interdependent and enhancing opportunities for people to acknowledge their common humanity across arbitrarily drawn political borders and cultural divides. What does the term "globalization" really mean? How does it affect our lives? This course explains the various dimensions of globalization: cultural, economic, political and ecological. It also discusses the positive and negative effects of globalization as well as its future outlook.