POS 300 CONTEMPORAY CONROVERSIES IN GLOBAL POLITICS

 

Instructor: Dr. Akan Malici

Coor Hall 6707

Phone: 480 727-7717

Email: Akan.Malici@asu.edu

 

 

Catalog Description: Exploration of key controversies in global politics including security, economic stability, poverty, gender, race, and the environment.

 

Required Book: John T. Rourke ed. (2004) Taking Sides. Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in World Politics. Eleventh Edition. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin (available at the ASU Bookstore).

 

The underlying philosophy of this course is to take education seriously.  The etymology of the term “education” is latin (ex-ducere) and translates into “leading someone out of him or herself.” If a person is being led out of him or herself, it means that boundaries of established mindsets start to crumble and are eventually erased. This is a healthy process, as those who do not participate on this walk are prone to dogmatism, the host for an abundance of negative isms in the past, present, and future. Among these we find nazism, fascism, racism, separatism, and many more. If we all participate in education – as teachers or as students – if we all are ready to go out of ourselves – sometimes – then we might at times meet somewhere out there. When we meet, we can start to talk and begin to contribute to the emergence of improvement and more togetherness

 

One possible path to education is to participate in existing debates or discourses and to locate oneself within that discourse. Locating oneself within a discourse entails listening to other participants of the discourse, taking their arguments into consideration, and then articulating an own argument that stands in relation to other’s prior arguments. This leads to a specification of the requirements in this course.

 

 

Requirements:

 

Our book contains approximately twenty “issues” pertaining to domestic controversies. Each issue has two readings, one pro and one con. Each is accompanied by an issue introduction, which sets the stage for the debate (discourse), provides some background information on each author, and generally puts the issue into its political context. Each issue concludes with a postscript that summarizes the debate, gives the reader paths for further investigation, and suggests readings that might be helpful. The editor also provides relevant internet site addresses (URLs) in each postscript.

 

Students are to select ten issues and write ten one-page essays pertaining to these issues. The essays must be in Times New Roman, no bigger than twelve-point font, with one-inch margins, and single-spaced.  The due dates for the essays are noted below.

 

The task in writing these papers is not to summarize or re-iterate what another author already said. A paper that does not move beyond a summary can, and will not reach a satisfactory grade. In its ideal form a university is to be considered a marketplace of ideas. Therefore, the task in writing these papers is sapere aude – think on your own. You are expected to position yourself within the discourse of the selected materials and to identify your own position vis a vis other contributors to the same issue. Your argument(s) however must be of academic nature. This is to say, you must be able to credibly support them by reference to academic material.

 

For a satisfactory paper you ought to address the following criteria:

 

-         Introduce the subject matter, i.e. the issue.

-         State why it is important to study this subject (1-2 sentences).

-         State your main argument or thesis (1-2) sentences.

-         Summarize briefly each of the contenting arguments (no more than 2-3 sentences on each).

-         Critically evaluate each of the contending arguments.

-         Develop your argument in a coherent and consistent manner.

-          If you refer someone else, be sure to make that evident to the reader. For example: “According to Kenneth Waltz (1979: 22), the proliferation of nuclear missiles will ensure world peace.” Then, in a bibliography on a separate page, provide the complete citation for this reference. For example: Kenneth Waltz (1979) Theory of International Politics. New York :McGraw-Hill.

 

Students are also required to check the announcement page of blackboard and their individual email accounts on a daily basis for postings of the instructor.

 

Paper Due Dates:

 

Your papers are due on the following dates:

1st paper – Friday, 28 January 2005

2nd paper – Friday, 4 February 2005

3rd paper – Friday, 18 February 2005

4th paper – Friday, 25 February 2005

5th paper – Friday, 4 March 2005

6th paper – Monday, 11 March 2005

7th paper – Tuesday, 25 March 2005

8th paper – Wednesday, 1 April 2005

9th paper – Thursday, 15 April 2005

10th paper – Friday, 29 April 2004

 

Papers are to be submitted to blackboard’s “Digital Drop Box” by clicking on the “Send File” (not “Add File”!) button by 11:00am on the due date (the Digital Drop Box can be found in the “Tools” Menu). Papers that reach the instructor after 11:00am of the same day will be downgraded. Papers that are more than one day late (i.e. have not reached the instructor by 11:00 am of the next day) will not be accepted. Grades will be posted online.

 

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism and any form of cheating on an assignment will result in an automatic loss of all points for that assignment and possibly an F for the entire course or expulsion. Refer to the relevant ASU policy, particularly the Student Academic Integrity policy, at the following website: http://www.asu.edu/studentlife/judicial/integrity.html

 

Grading:

The final grade is a composition of the ten short papers. Each paper accounts for 10 percent towards the final grade.

 

Grading Scheme:          100 – 90 percentile = A

                                    89 – 80 percentile = B             

                                    79 – 70 percentile = C

                                    69 – 60 percentile = D

                                    59 and less  = E

 

Please note that because this is an internet, class instructor-student interactions in the same quality as in conventional classes are not possible. While I will make an effort to provide individual feedback in select cases, most of the feedback will be general and posted on the announcement page of blackboard. Where this is not sufficient, or where this is perceived to be unsatisfactory, you are encouraged to call me (480-727 7717) to discuss any questions and concerns. I will be available at this number for much of the semester.