1POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY GEOG 4712: Spring 2006 Instructor: Ian Feinhandler Teaching Assistant: Marco Antonsich [email protected] [email protected] Office: Guggenheim 201 H Office: Guggenheim 301 Off Hrs: Mon & Wed 4-5 Off Hrs: W 4-5, F 1-2 Course Web Page: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_4712_s06/ This course examines political, economic and social aspects of international relations from a geographical perspective, and focuses on societies in transition in the post Cold War and post 9/11 world. This course has an integrative character and requires basic knowledge about international affairs, global locations and current events; I recommend that students regularly read a substantive newspaper or magazine, such as The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, or The Economist. This course will not engage in a systematic survey of regional issues and conflicts. Instead, contemporary developments in the world’s regions are used to illustrate the concepts and theories from the lectures and readings. This is an upper division course; the readings and the work-load reflect our expectations of a 4000-level class. The course is divided into two parts: 1. World-Systems Theory and Geopolitics. After briefly introducing the political-economy approach found in world-systems theory, we will examine historical and contemporary geopolitics – the struggle for control over territory and resources; a primary goal of this section is to reach a better understanding of America’s role in the world. 2. Nationalism, Globalization, and Democratization. In the second section we analyze the upsurge of various nationalisms since the end of the Cold War, and evaluate their impact on the existing state-system. Finally, we place global economic and political change within the world-systems framework. We examine how economic globalization challenges traditional state structures, and we evaluate the viability of recent democratic transitions. Course readings come from (1) the required text by Peter J. Taylor and Colin Flint (T&F below), Political Geography, 4th edition; and (2) electronic reserve. The electronic reserves (listed below in CAPITAL LETTERS) can be accessed through a link on our course web page. You will need your Identikey login and password to access these online reserve readings. Readings for each week must be completed by lecture on Monday. A complete bibliography for the course is available online. Grades are assigned on the basis of: Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 30% Quizes 5% Term Paper 25% Recitation 10% NOTE: Email is considered an official means of communication by the university. It is your responsibility both to ensure that you are on the instructor’s email list, and to check your email regularly.2Attendance in both lecture and recitation is required, and vital to your success in this course. It is not the responsibility of the instructor or TA to provide students with information they have missed due to unexcused absences. Absolutely no make-up exams will be given without a written excuse from a doctor or without some other valid reason for absence, such as observance of a religious holiday (see next paragraph). Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. Please inform your instructor within the first two weeks of the semester if you will be missing any part of this course due to religious obligations. The university policy on religious observance can be viewed at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html Any student may dispute a grade they receive in this course. The first step for a student wishing to question a grade is to bring up the matter with the person who gave them the grade (either the course instructor or the TA). If the TA is the student’s first contact, and the TA is not able to resolve the issue with the student, the student should bring the question to the instructor. If the student and the instructor cannot reach an agreement on the matter, the question will be referred to a third party – a faculty member in the Geography Department who has experience teaching this course. The student must notify the TA or instructor that they wish to dispute a grade within two weeks of receiving that grade. If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to the instructor a letter from Disability Services within the first four weeks of the semester so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322; information is also available at: www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions. University policies on behavioral standards can be viewed at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and also at: http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council ([email protected]; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member (a failing grade in the course) and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Information on the Honor Code can be found at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at: http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/ The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual harassment is
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