Political Science

This course investigates the interconnectedness of poverty, human development as a measure of collective and individual quality of life and social progress, and human rights as an international discourse, legal and political construct. The course combines theoretical approaches to case studies with a historical and comparative perspective. Students learn how to analyze poverty and human development indicators; interrogate and compare different conceptions of rights and their effects in shaping analysis, policies and objectives; and evaluate the roles of social movements, governments and NGOs in social and economic development.

This course has two main objectives: First, to introduce some essential features of American politics such as its political culture, the organization of its political system and political institutions, and the electoral logics that shape the contours of the state and the policies implemented. The second objective is to critically discuss key issues of today's U.S. political debate, such as political and party polarization, rising economic inequalities, and minorities and women rights.

Empirically, this course deconstructs Lebanese political institutions and culture as they relate to collective violence. It models the latter, and draws out possible lessons that can be used to decipher other cases of turbulent consociativity. From a theoretical point of view, Lebanon provides a formidable laboratory in which to interrogate the definitions, categories and theses of classical political science. Civil war, intercommunal tensions, invasion and occupation, annexation, trusteeship and foreign intervention are all notions of political violence observed in situ in Lebanon. More broadly still, Weberian sociology of the state, Gellner's theory of the nation and theories of social movements are profoundly challenged by the Lebanese case. This course proposes a whole new approach to collective violence and to institutional and political sociology, using Lebanon as a case study.

This course examines the complex relationship between politics and gender. It introduces various theoretical perspectives on the ways in which politics, public policy, and international relations are shaped by and contribute to gender dynamics. In particular, the course delves into the gendered and gendering nature of politically relevant phenomena such as representation, political behavior, and war and conflict. Moreover, by presenting empirical cases through a variety of methodological and analytical lenses, the course introduces a wide range of ways of carrying out feminist, gender, and intersectional studies of politics and policy. 

This service-learning course combines a structured curriculum and extensive partnership with a local community-based organization to offer tangible community service. Here, student community service includes direct
engagement as well as a research-based action plan addressing a specific challenge or goal identified by a community-based organization. Students begin by exploring key community-based organizations: examining their
mission, vision and goals, and the place of the organization in the local community. Each student then works with an assigned partner organization and invests at least 90 hours partnering with the organization, working with them
and investigating ways to solve a challenge or issue the organization has identified. Student service-learning includes exploring the proximate and ultimate drivers of the organization's chosen challenge, and the organization's
infrastructure, resources, limitations and possibilities for reducing barriers to achieving the organization's self-identified goals. In concert, coursework probes the role of community-based organizations in both local and global
contexts, common challenges of community-based organizations in defining and implementing their goals, the role of service-learning in addressing these issues, and effective ways for students to help them achieve their mission,
vision, and goals. Coursework also guides the student's service-learning experience by helping students develop sound international service ethics, provide tools to investigate solutions to common development issues, aid in
data analysis and presentation, and provide best practices to illustrate findings and deliver approved joint recommendations orally and in writing. Throughout, students use service-learning as a means to expand their global awareness and understanding, explore shared aspirations for social justice, and develop skills to work with others to effect positive change.

This course delves into the multifaceted landscape of social policies across Europe, examining the diverse approaches taken by various nations to address social welfare challenges. The course begins by providing a foundational understanding of social policy concepts and theories. It then transitions into an in-depth analysis of the evolution of welfare systems in Europe from the post-war period to the present day. Emphasis is placed on understanding the historical legacies, institutional frameworks, and ideological underpinnings that influence the design and restructuring of social policies in different European countries. The course finally delves into the comparative examination of key areas of social policy, including family policy, labor market policy, healthcare, and long-term care.

The extensive independent study field research paper produced by the student is both the centerpiece of the intern's professional engagement and the culmination of the academic achievements of the semester. During the preparatory session, IFE teaches the methodological guidelines and principles to which students are expected to adhere in the development of their written research. Students work individually with a research advisor from their field. The first task is to identify a topic, following guidelines established by IFE for research topic choice. The subject must be tied in a useful and complementary way to the student-intern's responsibilities, as well as to the core concerns of the host organization. The research question should be designed to draw as much as possible on resources available to the intern via the internship (data, documents, interviews, observations, seminars and the like). Students begin to focus on this project after the first 2-3 weeks on the internship. Each internship agreement signed with an organization makes explicit mention of this program requirement, and this is the culminating element of their semester. Once the topic is identified, students meet individually, as regularly as they wish, with their IFE research advisor to generate a research question from the topic, develop an outline, identify sources and research methods, and discuss drafts submitted by the student. The research advisor also helps students prepare for the oral defense of their work which takes place a month before the end of the program and the due date of the paper. The purpose of this exercise is to help students evaluate their progress and diagnose the weak points in their outline and arguments. Rather than an extraneous burden added to the intern's other duties, the field research project grows out of the internship through a useful and rewarding synergy of internship and research. The Field Study and Internship model results in well-trained student-interns fully engaged in mission-driven internships in their field, while exploring a critical problem guided by an experienced research advisor.

This course focuses on the transatlantic Cold War and thus on developments in and interactions between the US, the USSR and Europe from the angles of primarily diplomatic, as well as cultural and technological history.  After completing this course students are able to: summarize the main developments in international politics in the post-World War II world, as well as some of the main themes in international relations theory; plan their own research, i.e. find relevant literature, and work out a thesis on their particular topic; and present the results of their research, both orally and in writing.  Prerequisites include one of the following courses: Ancient Literature and History, Ancient History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Modern History, or Introduction to Political Theory. Knowledge of modern history (especially post-World War II history) is required for this course. If students have not taken a prerequisite course, they must request permission from the instructor to enroll.

This course examines he study of public policy. It provides an overview of the main theories of public policy processes and examples of their application in the scholarly literature. The course will review the key challenges facing public policy makers. The approach will blend theory and case studies.