INT 200: Introduction to International Studies Concepts and Methods
Fall 2023, TTh 11-12:15, DHC 210
Professor Jonathan Skaff, Director of International Studies
Class Website: http://webspace.ship.edu/jkskaf/
IS Program website: http://www.ship.edu/ISM/
E-mail: jkskaf@ship.edu Office Telephone: 717-477-1907 (MOW 246 during office hours)
Office Hours in Mowrey 246: MW 2:00-3:00, T 1:00-1:50, Th 1:15-3:15, and other times in-person or over Zoom by appointment.
Introduction to International Studies Concepts and Methods is an interdisciplinary course that helps students understand other cultures and countries, and the forces of globalization that increasingly knit the world together. It is the required introductory course for the International Studies major and minor, and International Development minor. The course is taught according to a case study method to introduce the following concepts and methods that are essential to operate successfully in an international environment.
Concepts:
Methods:
The ultimate goal of the class is to put students on the path to being ethical and effective global leaders!
Do you want to be a successful student? This course has an important study aid: My personal website where the syllabus for this class is posted (http://webspace.ship.edu/jkskaf/). Each class session on the syllabus has a link to a study guide. Each study guide lists KEY TERMS from the lecture marked with *asterisks, and STUDY QUESTIONS about the lecture and readings. All exams are based on the *key terms and study questions. All students should look at the study questions before class and bring the textbook, supplementary readings, and notes on readings to class.
Recommended prerequisites for INT 200: Grades of C or better in ENG 114 Academic Writing and one Global Perspectives general education course: ANT 111, GEO 101, HIS 105 or 106, or PLS 141.
1. Two one-hour essay exams (40%)
2. Cumulative final essay exam (22.5%)
3. One research proposal and one research paper (25%)
4. Spokesperson assignment (average of 3 highest grades, for grading standards, see Policy #3 below, 5%)
5. Class participation (complete assigned readings, attend class, and participate in group discussions, 5%)
6. Campus participation (2.5%):
· Attend 1 approved international event. Write a summary and review (1-2 pages, double-spaced). The events will be announced in class. Submit a hard copy in class and electronic copy to the D2L Assignment Folder. The paper is due two weeks after the event.
7. Extra Credit:
· Attend and write summaries and reviews of 1 to 3 additional international events. Follow the instructions above. Each paper earns a bonus of 1 to 5 points on the campus participation grade.
1. Health and safety: The professor had a bad experience with COVID-19 in 2021 and is wary of reinfection.
2. Attendance is mandatory. The class attendance grade will be based on percentage of classes attended and my observations during group work of your participation, attention to readings, and notetaking.
3. Spokesperson Assignment: Students will be divided into 4 or 5 cohorts to serve as spokespersons during class discussions 4 times on scheduled dates during the semester. The 3 highest grades will apply. Spokesperson grades will be awarded according to the following standards:
90-100: Student demonstrates mastery of readings by making thoughtful & insightful comments.
80-89: Student shows that he/she/they has completed reading assignments.
60-79: Student serves as spokesperson without evidence of having completed the reading.
50: Spokesperson attends class on assigned date without answering any questions.
0: Spokesperson has an unexcused absence on assigned date.
4. Absences will be excused if you can document a serious illness, COVID-19 infection, family emergency, varsity athletic event, military duty or religious observance. Only students with documented excuses can make up exams and spokesperson assignments. A student with a medical condition that prevents attendance or a COVID-19 infection, must submit a note from Etter Health Center or a doctor. For a family emergency, I require a phone call from a parent or guardian, or a death notice. Athletes should provide a memo from the head coach with the team schedule. If you have military duty, inform your dean’s office. They will send notification to all of your professors. The university’s policy on religious observances is the following: “At the beginning of each academic session (fall, spring, summer), the student will be required (in writing) to provide his/her faculty with the dates of scheduled religious observances.”
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. I encourage you to study together with other students, but all papers and exams must be written in your own words without human assistance or artificial intelligence. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the policies in the “Academic Dishonesty” section of the Undergraduate Catalog (https://catalog.ship.edu). Students who intentionally or irresponsibly violate university policies on academic dishonesty will receive a penalty of a grade of “F” for the course. To check for plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence, all papers must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. Students looking at or handling electronic devices or other unauthorized objects during exams will receive a grade of “F.”
6. “Smartphones make you dumb in class.” All electronic devices are banned in class, except for those used to take notes or view course readings. Educational research has shown that electronic communications, including text messaging, create distractions that interfere with learning. Violations of this policy will result in a attendance grade of zero for that day’s class session.
7. I comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to keep your academic records confidential, and Title IX requirements to “report incidents of sexual violence shared by students.” To read the full Title IX syllabus statement, click on this link: https://www.ship.edu/EIC/title_ix_statement/
8. I welcome students with disabilities in my classroom. Any student who needs an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) in Mowrey 252 to discuss specific accommodations. For more information, see the website: www.ship.edu/oar
9. I assign letter grades used in the Shippensburg University grading system to the following numerical scores:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 70-76
D 60-69
F Below 60
Steger, Manfred B. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. 5th ed. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2020. Library reserves call #: JZ1318 .S74 2020
Storti, Craig. The Art of Crossing Cultures. 3rd ed. Yarmouth, ME: Nicholas Brealey-Intercultural Press, 2021. Library reserves call #: GN517.S76 2021
Case Study Books at University Bookstore, Library E-Reserves, or Lending Library:
Amin, Galal A. 2004. Whatever Else Happened to the Egyptians?: From the Revolution to the Age of Globalization. Translated by David William Wilmsen. Cairo, New York: American University in Cairo Press. Library reserves call #: HN786.A8 A4413 2004
Anderson, Terry H. 2011. Bush's Wars. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA.
Available in Ship library electronic edition: SHIP PERMALINK
Mann, Jim. Beijing Jeep: A Case Study of Western Business in China. Boulder: Westview, 1997.
Available in Ship library E-Reserves paperback and electronic editions: SHIP PERMALINK
Library paperback reserves call #: HD9710.U54 A6574 1997
Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq. New York: Feminist Press, City University of New York, 2005. Library reserves call #: DS79.76 .R587 2005
Also available free online: Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq...let's talk war, politics and occupation. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/.
Youde, Jeremy R. Globalization and Health. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. Library reserves call #: RA441 .Y6843 2020
B. Articles on the COVID-19 Pandemic at D2L, Library E-Reserves, or Links Below.
Buckley, Chris, et al. "25 Days That Changed the World: How Covid-19 Slipped China’s Grasp." New York Times, Late Edition, Dec 30, 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html
Brown, Theodore M., and Susan Ladwig. "Covid-19, China, the World Health Organization, and the Limits of International Health Diplomacy." American Journal of Public Health 110.8 (2020): 1149-51. SHIP PERMALINK.
Gostin, Lawrence O. "Global Health Institutions Reached Their Limits." Scientific American 326. 3 (2022): 46-49. SHIP PERMALINK
Daniel, Ari. "The World Hopes to Enact a Pandemic Treaty by May 2024: Will It Succeed or Flail?" NPR News, September 21 2023, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/09/21/1200816304/the-world-hopes-to-enact-a-pandemic-treaty-by-may-2024-will-it-succeed-or-flail
1. Person-to-Person Intercultural Awareness
T 8/29: Introductions
Th 8/31: Cultural Norms and Cultural Differences
Reading: Storti, “Introduction”; Chaps. 1-2
T 9/5: Explaining Cultural Incidents (Conflicts)
Reading: Storti, Chaps. 3-4
Th 9/7: Resolving Cultural Incidents (Conflicts)
Reading: Storti, Chaps. 5-7 (Chap. 8 optional)
2. Globalization and Its Local Impact: Case Study of Egypt
T 9/12: Globalization: Definitions and History, 1800-present
Reading: Steger, pp. xv-xvii, 1-37
Th 9/14: Background Briefing: Egyptian History and Globalization of Its Economy
Reading: Steger, pp. 38-47, 54-63; Amin, pp. 1-31, 125-35
T 9/19: Background Briefing: Egyptian History and Globalization of Its Culture
Reading: Steger, pp. 83-94, 123-28; Amin, pp. 99-124
Th 9/21: Egypt: Continuity and Change in Culture I
Reading: Amin, pp. 33-70
T 9/26: Egypt Continuity and Change in Culture II
Reading: Amin, pp. 71-97
Th 9/28: Egypt Continuity and Change in Politics
Reading: Steger, pp. 120-23; Amin, pp. 145-186
T 10/3: Exam 1 on Parts 1 and 2 of the Syllabus
3. International Organization-to-Organization Relations: Case Study of Beijing Jeep
Th 10/5: Background Briefing: China’s History of External Relations
Reading: Mann, pp. 9-48, 60-3
T 10/10: Problem Solving: Negotiations
Reading: Mann, pp. 63-100
Th 10/12, Library Room 134: Dr. Kirk Moll, “Researching Foreign Countries and Cultures”
Laptops available, bring your own laptop if you have one.
T 10/17: No Class: Fall Break
Th 10/19 Problems: Cultural Incidents and Unfamiliar Political-Economic Systems
Reading: Mann, pp. 126-38, 156-81
T 10/24: Problem Solving: Unfamiliar Political-Economic Systems
Reading: Mann, pp. 182-90, 210-235, 249-51
Th 10/26: China Today: Economic and Cultural Changes
Reading: Mann, pp. 269-77, 297-327
T 10/31: Oral Presentations of Research Proposals
Oral and Written Research Proposal Due
4. International Relations: Case Study of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
Th 11/2: Background Briefing: The Nation-state system and the Iraqi “Nation-state,” 1916-1979
Reading: Steger, pp. 64-67; Anderson, pp. 3-24
T 11/7: Iraq and U.S. Foreign Relations, 1980-2001
Reading: Anderson, pp. 24-45
Th 11/9: The Rush to War, 2002-2003
Reading: Anderson, pp. 55-71, 93-129
T 11/14: U.S. Invasion and Occupation of Iraq: Spring-Summer 2003
Reading: Anderson, pp. 131-49; Riverbend, pp. 5-25 (Aug. 17-24, 2003)
Th 11/16: U.S. Occupation of Iraq: Mismanagement and Chaos (2003-2004)
Reading: Reading: Anderson, pp. 149-67; Riverbend, pp. 25-64, 70-81, 162-72, 201-7 (Aug. 26-Sept. 12, Sept. 19-24, Dec. 12-24, 2003; Feb. 13, 2004)
T 11/21: Exam 2 on Parts 3 and 4 of the Syllabus
Th 11/23: Thanksgiving Break: No class!
5. Global Health Policy and International Cooperation: Pandemics
T 11/28: Globalization and Transboundary Health Problems
Reading: Steger, pp. 67-74, Youde, pp. 1-9, 13-27
Th 11/30: Globalization as Accelerator and Intensifier of Pandemics
Reading: Youde, pp. 29-47, 56-59
E-Reserves: Buckley, "25 Days That Changed the World"; Brown, "Covid-19, China…”
T 12/5: International Institutions of Global Health Governance
Reading: Steger, pp. 74-82; Youde, pp. 61-79
E-Reserves: Gostin, "Global Health Institutions Reached Their Limits."
Th 12/7: Pandemic Surveillance and Problems of International Cooperation
Reading: Youde, pp. 139-62
E-Reserves: Daniel, "The World Hopes to Enact a Pandemic Treaty by May 2024"
M 12/11: Research Paper Final Hardcopy Deadline by 5 pm at DHC 215