| POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | |||||
| Bachelor | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF-LLL: Level 6 | ||
| Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theoretical | Practical | Credit | ECTS |
| POL4412 | Current Issues in World Politics | Spring | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| The course opens with the approval of the Department at the beginning of each semester |
| Language of instruction: | En |
| Type of course: | Departmental Elective |
| Course Level: | Bachelor |
| Mode of Delivery: | Hybrid |
| Course Coordinator : | Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU |
| Course Lecturer(s): |
Prof. Dr. EBRU ŞULE CANAN SOKULLU |
| Course Objectives: | The purpose of this course is to guide students on current events while thinking reflexively about the contemporary global agenda; to use our analysis of these trends as a prism for understanding broader global trends with regard to power competition, and debates such as populism, energy politics, security, and democratization and human rights that relates to the power competition over these actors and to develop a set of theoretical instrument with which to critically analyze the events and trends under scrutiny and critically compare the insights furnished by use of one or another theoretical approach. In the first part, it concentrates on area studies particularly concerning the contemporary global and rising powers as actors in international system. The second part of the class aims to equip students with debates about the seminal issues which not only shape politics but also design global economic and social system. Some of these issues include security, technological innovations, conflict resolution, energy, global inequality and the rise of populism. |
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The students who have succeeded in this course; The students who have succeeded in this course; 1. Become familiar with contemporary debates and issues on the world political scene 2. Assess debates on globalization which has become an overarching concept that finds its way into all discussions of world politics 3. Analyze states, supranational organizations, global civil society actors and transnational practices, which all play a role in world politics, in interaction with each other. 4. Analyze and debate current issues such as democratization processes around the world, global mobility, security and war, global inequality, environmental crisis, politics of energy, and migration. 5. Develop critical thinking skills. |
| Globalization debate, global civil society, structure and issues of global civil society, international security and terrorism, migration, war and conflict, global governance: international organizations, human rights regime, environmental politics. |
| Week | Subject | Related Preparation | |
| 1) | Introduction to and overview of the Course | ||
| 2) | Power and its derivatives | Conceptual debate – What is Power and its derivatives? Nye, (2004) ‘Hard and Soft Power’ in Power in the global information age pp: 1-11 Nye, (2004) ‘The Changing Nature of Wold Power’ in Power in the global information pp: 53-68 Cooper, (2003) ‘Introduction’, ‘The Old World Order’ and ‘The New World Order’ The Breaking of Nations pp: 1-55 Keohane, R. O. and J. S. Nye (1987) ‘Power and Interdependence Revisited’ International Organisation 41 (4): 725-753 Lukes, S. (2003) ‘The Question of Power’ Constellations 10 (3) pp: 352-357 | |
| 3) | US leadership in global affairs | Ranney, A. And T. Kousser (2008) ‘Politics in the United States’ in Almond, G. et al Comparative Politics Today: A World View New York: Pearson, pp: 712-752 | |
| 4) | US leadership in global affairs | Overview of weekly international news on the US. Issues: 1. Biden presidency 2. Transatlantic partnership 3. US-China relations 4. US-neighbors relations (Canada-Latin American states) 5. US role in the Middle East politics 6. US-Turkey relations 7. US-Covid management 8. US-domestic politics | |
| 5) | Russia’s struggle to dominate global and regional power-politics | Ioffe, G. (2011) “Russian Federation: Economic and Political Change 1992-2009”, in Goldman, M. F. (ed.) Global Studies: Russia, The Eurasian Republics and Central / Eastern Europe, Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, 25-76. Ioffe, G. (2011) “Russia’s Foreign Relations” in Goldman, M. F. (ed.) Global Studies: Russia, The Eurasian Republics and Central / Eastern Europe, Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, 76-100. | |
| 6) | Russia’s struggle to dominate global and regional power-politics | Overview of weekly international news on Russia 1. Putin’s political leadership 2. Russia-EU relations 3. Russia-China relations 4. Russia-CIS relations (commonwealth of independent states) 5. Russia and the Middle East politics 6. Russia-Turkey relations 7. Russia -Covid management 8. Russian domestic politics | |
| 7) | The Middle East: The region of conflicts | Layachi, A. (ed) (2011) “The Middle East: Theatre of Conflict” and “the Middle East: Heartland of Islam” in Layachi, A. Global Studies: The Middle East Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, pp:4-27 Layachi, A. (ed) (2011) “The Middle East: Theatre of Conflict” and “the Middle East: Heartland of Islam” in Layachi, A. Global Studies: The Middle East Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, pp:4-27 | |
| 8) | The Middle East: The region of conflicts | Overview of weekly international news on the Middle East 1. War – Syria 2. Middle East politics - Israel 3. Middle East politics - Iran 4. Middle East politics – Saudi Arabia 5. Russia and the Middle East politics 6. Turkey and the Middle East relations 7. Covid management in the Middle East 8. US (Biden administration) in the ME | |
| 9) | European Union (with a focus on member states and populism) | ‘Europe: Centuries of Commonalities and Conflict’, in Frankland, E. G. (ed.) Global Studies: Europe, Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, pp: 2-46 Hans-Georg Betz “Exclusionary Populism in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland” International Journal, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Summer, 2001), pp. 393-420 Isaiah Berlin, Richard Hofstadter, Donald MacRae, Leonard Schapiro, HughSeton-Watson, Alain Touraine, F. Venturi, Andrzej Walicki and Peter Worsley “To define populism” Government and Opposition, Vol. 3, No. 2 (SPRING 1968), pp. 137-179Bram Spruyt, Gil Keppens and Filip Van Droogenbroeck (2016) Who Supports Populism and What Attracts People to It?” Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2; 335-346 Stephan Lewandowsky “Why is populism popular? A psychologist explains” It’s not the economy, stupid, it’s how people feel.” (2016) https://theconversation.com/why-is-populism-popular-a-psychologist-explains-61319 Chris Cillizza (2016) “The 13 most amazing findings in the 2016 exit poll” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/10/the-13-most-amazing-things-in-the-2016-exit-poll/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d85edb9e1950 | |
| 10) | Rise of populism in Europe | Overview of weekly international news on Europe Union 1. EU - transatlantic relations 2. Russia-EU relations 3. EU-China relations 4. EU domestic politics - Brexit 5. EU domestic politics – immigration and refugee 6. EU - Covid management (European Union level) 7. EU – Covid mang. (member states level) 8. EU – Turkey relations | |
| 11) | Latin American Quagmire | Overview of weekly international news on Latin American politics 1. LA – economic crises 2. LA – US relations 3. LA and the Pacific Rim 4. LA – EU relations (individual countries) 5. LA – poverty (individual countries) 6. Venezuala – government crisis 7. Brazil – Covid mang. (member states level) 8. LA – elections | |
| 12) | China and the Pacific Rim | China and roads to socialist market economy and democracy Zhu, Z. (ed) (2010) “China (People’s Republic of China)”, in Zhu, Z. (ed.) Global Studies: China, Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, pp: 4-49 Japan and the Pacific Rim Collinwood, D. W. (2008) “Japan and the Pacific Islands: Opportunities and Limits” in Collinwood, D. W. (ed) Global Studies: Japan and the Pacific Rim Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, pp: 14-34 | |
| 13) | China and the Pacific Rim | Overview of weekly international news on China and the Pacific Rim 1. China – Covid 2. China – North Korea 3. China – immigration/refugees 4. China – EU relations 5. China – US relations 6. China – Middle East relations 7. China – Turkey relations 8. China – economic power | |
| 14) | Review/general assessment of the course | ||
| Course Notes: | Scholte, J. A. 2005. “Chapter 1: Globalization Debates”, in Globalization. A Critical Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan: p. 13-48; Kaldor, M., H. Anheier and M. Glasius. 2003. “Global Civil Society in an Era of Regressive Globalization”, in Anheier, H., M. Glasius and M. Kaldor (ed.), Global Civil Society 2003. Oxford University Press: 3-33; Scholte, 2004, “Civil Society and Democratically Accountable Global Governance”, Government and Opposition, 39, 2: 211-233; Adamson, F. 2005. “Globalization, Transnational Political Mobilization, and Networks of Violence”, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 18, 1: 31-49; Held, D., A. G. Mcgrew, D. Goldblatt, and J. Perraton. 1999, “Contemporary patterns of migration”, in Global Transformations, Polity Press: 298-304, 321-6; Visual material: Fast Food Nation (1-15’, 34-60’, 1:24-1:29’) Kaldor, M., 2003, ‘Chapter 5: Globalization, the State and War’, Global Civil Society: An Answer to War, Polity: 109-141; Newell. 2005. ‘Towards a political economy of global environmental governance’ in P. Dauverge (eds.), Handbook of Global Environmental Politics, Edward Elgar: 187-201; Woods, N. and A. Narlikar. 2001. “Governance and the limits of accountability: the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank”, International Social Science Journal, 53, 170: 569-83; Glasius, M. and M. Kaldor. 2005. “Individuals First: A Human Security Strategy for the European Union”, Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft (IPG), (01/2005): 62-84. Available at http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/staffprofessorkaldorpubl.htm; Grugel, J. and E. Peruzzotti, 2010, “Grounding Global Norms in Domestic Politics: Advocacy Coalitions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Argentina”, Journal of Latin American Studies, 42: 29-57; Risse, T. and K. Sikkink. 1999. “Chapter 1: The Socialization of international human rights norms into domestic practices: introduction”, in T. Risse, S. C. Ropp, and K. Sikkink (eds.), The Power of Human Rights. International Norms and Domestic Change. Cambridge University Pres: 1-38; Held, D. 2010. “Democracy, Climate Change and Global Governance”, in D. Held, Cosmopolitanism, Ideals and Realities, Polity Press; Wapner, P. 1995. “Politics Beyond the State: Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics”, World Politics, 47, 3: 311-40; Visual material: Age of Stupid; Milanovic, B., 2007, ‘Globalization and Inequality’, in D. Held and A. Kaya (eds.), Global Inequality, Polity Press: 26-49. |
| References: | Ders Paketindeki Makaleler |
| Semester Requirements | Number of Activities | Level of Contribution |
| Attendance | % 0 | |
| Laboratory | % 0 | |
| Application | % 0 | |
| Field Work | % 0 | |
| Special Course Internship (Work Placement) | % 0 | |
| Quizzes | % 0 | |
| Homework Assignments | 3 | % 60 |
| Presentation | % 0 | |
| Project | % 0 | |
| Seminar | % 0 | |
| Midterms | % 0 | |
| Preliminary Jury | % 0 | |
| Final | 1 | % 40 |
| Paper Submission | % 0 | |
| Jury | % 0 | |
| Bütünleme | % 0 | |
| Total | % 100 | |
| PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK | % 60 | |
| PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK | % 40 | |
| Total | % 100 | |
| Activities | Number of Activities | Workload | |
| Course Hours | 14 | 42 | |
| Laboratory | |||
| Application | |||
| Special Course Internship (Work Placement) | |||
| Field Work | |||
| Study Hours Out of Class | 13 | 49 | |
| Presentations / Seminar | |||
| Project | 1 | 10 | |
| Homework Assignments | 6 | 48 | |
| Quizzes | |||
| Preliminary Jury | |||
| Midterms | |||
| Paper Submission | |||
| Jury | |||
| Final | 1 | 2 | |
| Total Workload | 151 | ||
| No Effect | 1 Lowest | 2 Low | 3 Average | 4 High | 5 Highest |
| Program Outcomes | Level of Contribution | |
| 1) | Grasp basic theoretical and conceptual knowledge about the field and relations between them at the level of practice. | |
| 2) | Possess basic knowledge about the causes and effects of political transformations in societies. | |
| 3) | Possess knowledge about quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods in social and behavioral sciences. | |
| 4) | Recognize historical patterns while evaluating contemporary political and social developments. | |
| 5) | Demonstrate interdisciplinary and critical approach while analyzing, synthesizing and forecasting domestic and foreign policy. | |
| 6) | Conduct studies in the field professionally, both independently or as a team member. | |
| 7) | Possess consciousness about lifelong learning based on Research & Development. | |
| 8) | Communicate with peers both orally and in writing, by using a foreign language at least at a level of European Language Portfolio B1 General Level and the necessary informatics and communication technologies. | |
| 9) | Apply field-related knowledge and competences into career advancement, projects for sustainable development goals, and social responsibility initiatives. | |
| 10) | Possess the habit to monitor domestic and foreign policy agenda as well as international developments. | |
| 11) | Possess competence to interpret the new political actors, theories and concepts in a global era. | |
| 12) | Evaluate the legal and ethical implications of advanced technologies on politics. |