Global Politics

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Dr. Andrew Clem
E-mail: e-mail
Telephone: 555-1234
Office: 999 Thornbuckle Hall


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This general education course is designed to introduce students to the major political, social and economic processes and structures found in the contemporary interconnected global community. The course will fulfill the Cluster Four Tier II objectives. The course also places particular emphasis on the reinforcement of Cluster One skills through the use of a series of exercises requiring class discussion, information retrieval, writing, and critical thinking and analysis.

Required textbook: (probable)

Michael T. Snarr & D. Neil Snarr, Introducing Global Issues 2nd ed. (2002).

In addition, all students are strongly urged to read the Washington Post or similar nationally-recognized newspaper to keep up with current events in foreign countries. First, it will help you understand the significance of the course material, and second, there will be a few current events questions on the quizzes and exams.



Maps of the World: Different perspectives

The World

Cultural regions:
Clash of Civilizations?

NOTE: The information in the table below is extremely generalized; students should be aware that there are a large number of exceptions among the countries within each cultural region. For more information on the categories and concepts on those pages, see the Comparative Politics page.

Region Era of independence Status of democracy Level of development Common cultural traits
(religion and language/ethnicity)

Jan. 13   Western industrial

1000s-1870s Established Advanced Secular, Catholic, Protestant;
Latin & Germanic

Jan. 15   Slavic-Orthodox

1200s-1990s Emerging Uneven Atheist (?), Orthodox;
Slavic

Jan. 20   Latin America

1810s-1820s Semi- established Uneven Catholic;
Spanish, Port., Indigenous

Jan. 22   South and East Asia

1860s-1950s Varied Advanced / Uneven Hindu, atheist, Muslim, Buddhist;
Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, etc.

Jan. 27   Arabic-Turkic-Islamic

1920s-1970s Weak Uneven Muslim;
Arabic, Turkic, Farsi, Urdu, etc.

Jan. 29   Africa

1950s-1970s Weak Backward Traditional, Christian, Muslim;
French, English, Indigenous


Topics

Jan. 27   Introducing Globalization and Global Issues

PART ONE: Conflict and Security

Feb. 3-5   Weapons Proliferation and Conflict

Feb. 10-12   Nationalism

Feb. 17-19   Human Rights

Feb. 24-26   Peacekeeping and Peacemaking

PART TWO: The Global Economy

Mar. 2-4   International Trade


SPRING BREAK


Mar. 16-18   International Capital Flows

Mar. 23-25   Poverty

PART THREE: Development

Mar. 30   Population and Migration

Apr. 1   Women and Development

Apr. 6   Children

Apr. 8   Health

Apr. 20   Natural Resources

PART FOUR: The Environment

Apr. 27   Atmosphere; Wildlife Conservation

PART FIVE: Conclusion

Apr. 29   The "War on Terrorism" *

Apr. 29   Future Prospects


Research / information links

Newspapers, magazines

Broadcasters

Government sources


Any questions?

I have tried to make this web site as accessible and comprehensive as possible, to help students learn what is most important in this course. Nevertheless, there are bound to be a few issues that need clarification, both in terms of how the course is run and in terms of the subject material itself. Whatever it is that you need to ask, you are always welcome to contact me via e-mail (e-mail) or telephone (???-????), or to stop by and visit during my office hours (see above). Please don't wait until the last minute before coming to talk to me!