Political Science

This course introduces students to the methodology and major concepts and theories in the Political Science field of comparative politics. Students learn how to analyze and assess similarities and differences among political systems. Students study and compare the domestic politics, political institutions and conflicts of various countries and through time within single countries. Students learn how to identify and explain political similarities and differences among countries, in the process gaining a critical perspective on politics in the U.S.

This course examines the dynamic between music and politics from the Haitian and French Revolution until Black Lives Matter, or, alternately, from Beethoven to Beyoncé. Large thematic topics will include the Enlightenment, liberalism, nationalism, fascism, the Cold War and globalization. Musical case studies will include opera, symphonic tone poems, ballet, film scores, folk and pop songs, hip hop and punk, as well as global genres such as Afrobeat and Tropicalia. 

This course examines a number of questions regarding education and schooling from a normative perspective. It considers the relevant criteria for evaluating the moral rights and duties of children, parents, and states with regard to education. Students explore some of the most important concepts in political theory such as justice, equality, liberty, autonomy, and community. They also discuss the different aims of education as well as which agents have which responsibilities with regard to enabling children to acquire the capacities for full membership in society. In addition, the course considers which understandings of freedom and equality should inform our thinking about multicultural education and/or demands for equal opportunities for the socially disadvantaged and discuss whether and in how far state schools ought to be neutral with regard to religious and/or cultural norms relating to conceptions of the good life.

This course offers a comprehensive examination of the dynamic interplay between religious freedom and secularism in the diverse cultural landscape of the Americas. From the early colonial encounters to the contemporary socio-political debates, it explores the complex interactions between religion, state, and society in shaping the religious and secular identities of the Americas. Competing understandings of religious freedom and secularism in human rights (what they are, what they should be, and how they operate) are examined. The course is organized into two sections each with a distinctive set of themes: the first section focuses on the conceptual approaches to religious freedom and secularism in the Americas, including historical context. The second section focuses on the circulation of ideas among the continent and beyond, by exploring the transnational impact of politics of religious freedom and secularism in the world.

This course provides an overview of important international conflicts of the present time, their causes, main agents, and recent developments. Students investigate a number of case studies,  identifying and learning in detail about different areas of international controversy, and study models of international cooperation. Students analyze a variety of current conflicts by diagnosing the conflict, providing an outlook for the medium-term future, and proposing solutions. Classroom content is supplemented and enhanced by debate meetings with experts and practitioners from different organizations and institutions. The course addresses the following and other questions: In which policy domains can one find contemporary / future international controversies? What are the ways in which these controversies are diffused and settled? What are existing obstacles to the resolution and settlement of international conflicts? What major multilateral forums exist? Is global governance a realistic and desirable goal? What could possible forms look like?

By critically examining the influence of science and technology on the governance of human and non-human communities, this course equips students with theoretical tools to analyze nature politics and reflective skills about the role of science and technology in the world they live in. Topics include public and political problems such as examining the concerns about environmental degradation, extractivism, climate change, development infrastructure, and land distribution. Students examine the framework of (Western) scientific knowledge as objective and truth-revealing, and technological innovations as horizons for progress. “Rendering Nature Technical” explores: (i) how scientific and technological practices shape nature (its elements, dynamics, relationalities), (ii) how nature governance takes place in the interplay of science, technology, and society, (iii) the co-constitution of socio-cultural, political and economic contexts, and, science and technology, (iv) the effects of these dynamics on power, contestation and resistance in distributional conflicts. 

This course introduces students to the political system of the People’s Republic of China and the politics of its ruling entity, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The course first provides a historical foundation for understanding CCP rule, covering major events in the 20th Century. It then examines the party’s relationship to the state and policymaking, China’s foreign relations and foreign policy, as well as the politics of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. The politics of Taiwan are covered. 

This course introduces students to theoretical approaches to studying international relations, including scholarly debates old and new. This course is an introduction to the positive, descriptive study of international relations. Why do states make war? What are the conditions for the growth of cross-border trade and finance? What is the impact of international organizations on relations between states? This course considers these questions by looking at differing theoretical approaches to international relations and a selection of topics in historical and contemporary politics. 

This course begins with a look at the meaning of "peace" in theory and practice. Then, discussing real examples of breaches of peace, the course examines the causes and conditions that allow such breaches, as well as how they might be avoided. Finally, the course looks at cases of peace settlements and how justice and reconciliation can be achieved for lasting peace. Each week the course will consist of a variety of formats, including student presentations, lectures from the instructor, and group discussions.

This course introduces the comparative study of civil wars and post-civil war politics. Of various forms of political conflict, it focuses on civil wars (or intra-state conflicts) as they account for over 95 percent of armed conflicts around the world since the end of the Cold War. Drawing on cutting-edge research, it covers six major topics in the field, such as the causes of civil war onset, United Nations peacebuilding operations, and institutional approaches to peacebuilding in civil war-torn countries. The course helps students develop solid understanding and critical thinking about how deadly conflict can be prevented and, if it occurs, what could be the effective ways of managing the violence and building a sustainable peace in the aftermath of conflict.