INT 200: Introduction to International Studies Concepts and Methods

Fall 2022, 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: 477-1255

Office Hours in Mowrey 246: MW 3:45-5:00, T 1:00-1:50, Th 1:15-3:15, and other times in-person or over Zoom by appointment. You must wear a mask in my office.

I. Course Description

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:

Intercultural awareness to facilitate cross-cultural understanding and communication. Lack of awareness of cultural differences can lead to cultural conflicts.
Globalization or “intensifying planetary interconnectivity” (Manfred Steger, p. 17). Increased linkages and interdependencies in the world’s economy, political systems, media, cultures, and environment have brought benefits, but also have intensified international conflicts and problems.

Methods:

Study abroad and language learning to develop intercultural awareness.
Critical thinking and interdisciplinary research to deepen understanding of cross-cultural differences and globalization. Solving problems requires the ability to research and analyze global interconnections and the cultures, languages, histories, geographies, political systems, and economies of particular countries and world regions.

The ultimate goal of the class is to put students on the path to being ethical and effective global leaders!

II. Requirements for Grading

1. Two one-hour essay exams (40%)

2. Cumulative final essay exam (25%)

3. One research proposal and one research paper (25%)

4. Complete assigned readings, attend class, and participate in group and class discussions (for grading standards, see Policy #2 below, 10%)

5. Extra credit

Write a 1-page summary and review of up to 4 approved international events. The events will be announced in class. Each paper earns a bonus of 1 to 5 points on the participation grade. Submit an electronic copy to the D2L Extra Credit Dropbox. Each paper is due two weeks after the event.

III. Policies

1. Health and safety are of primary importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students will be expected to follow Shippensburg University safety protocols to reduce risks to everyone’s health. The most up-to-date information about each individual’s responsibility to protect the health and wellbeing of the entire campus community can be found on Shippensburg University’s website: https://raiderrespect.ship.edu/

Do not come to class if you are sick or if you suspect that you have been exposed to someone who is sick. Visit Etter Health Center on campus (717-477-1458) for symptomatic COVID tests and care (mask required). Notify the COVID-19 office (covid19@ship.edu), and they will email all of your professors about your absence due to quarantine or isolation. If I receive official notification of your quarantine, I will send you a Zoom link to classes that you can’t attend.
If Dr. Skaff is feeling ill, he plans to inform students via email that he will be teaching remotely over Zoom or canceling class. He will not resume face-to-face instruction until receiving a negative COVID-19 test.
Dr. Skaff reserves the right to switch the entire class to online delivery with Zoom if he feels unsafe on campus or in the classroom.

2. Attendance is mandatory. The class participation grade will be based on percentage of classes attended (5%) and participation as spokesperson for your assigned group at least 3 times on scheduled dates during the semester (5%). If you serve as spokesperson more than 3 times, 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 has completed reading assignments.

60-79: Student participates in discussion without evidence of having completed the reading.

50: Student does not make any comments.

0: Student has an unexcused absence, sleeps in class, or uses unauthorized electronic device.

3. Absences will be excused if you can document a serious illness, quarantine, family emergency, varsity athletic event, military duty or religious observance. Only students with documented excuses can make up exams and discussion leader assignments. A student with a medical condition that prevents attendance must submit a note from Etter Health Center or a doctor. The Ship COVID-19 Office will inform me of any required quarantining. For a family emergency, I require a phone call from a parent or guardian, or a death notice. 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.”

4. 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 the assistance of others. 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, all papers must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. Students looking at or handling electronic devices or other objects during exams will receive a grade of “F.”

5. “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 participation grade of zero for that day’s class session.

6. 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/

7. I welcome students with disabilities in my classroom. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) in Mowrey 252 to discuss specific needs. For more information, see the website: www.ship.edu/oar

8. I assign letter grades used in the Shippensburg University grading system to the following numerical scores:

IV. Readings

Main Textbooks at University Bookstore & Library E-Reserves:

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. 3^rd ed. Yarmouth, ME: Nicholas Brealey-Intercultural Press, 2021. Library reserves call #: GN517.S76 2021

Case Study Textbooks available at University Bookstore & Library E-Reserves

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 (subject to change) in 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. Global Newsstream. SHIP PERMALINK

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html

Chutel, Lynsey and Marc Santora. "Posing Global Threat, Variants Spread Where Vaccines Have Not." New York Times, Late Edition, Feb. 1, 2021. Global Newsstream. SHIP PERMALINK.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/31/world/africa/coronavirus-south-africa-variant.html

Gostin, Lawrence O. "Global Health Institutions Reached Their Limits." Scientific American 326, no. 3 (2022): 46-49. SHIP PERMALINK

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-pushed-global-health-institutions-to-their-limits/

V. Class Schedule

1. Person-to-Person Intercultural Relations

T 8/23: Introductions

Th 8/25: Cultural Norms and Cultural Differences

Reading: Storti, “Introduction”; Chaps. 1-2

T 8/30: Explaining Cultural Incidents (Conflicts)

Reading: Storti, Chaps. 3-4

Th 9/1: Resolving Cultural Incidents (Conflicts)

Reading: Storti, Chaps. 5-7 (Chap. 8 optional)

2. Globalization and Its Local Impact: Case Study of Egypt

T 9/6: Globalization: Definitions and History, 1800-present

Reading: Steger, pp. xv-xvii, 1-37

Th 9/8: Background Briefing: Egyptian History and Globalization of Its Economy

Reading: Steger, pp. 38-47, 54-63; Amin, pp. 1-31, 125-35

T 9/13: Background Briefing: Egyptian History and Globalization of Its Culture

Reading: Steger, pp. 83-94, 123-28; Amin, pp. 99-124

Th 9/15: Egypt: Continuity and Change in Culture I

Reading: Amin, pp. 33-70

T 9/20: Egypt Continuity and Change in Culture II

Reading: Amin, pp. 71-97

Th 9/22: Egypt Continuity and Change in Politics

Reading: Steger, pp. 120-23; Amin, pp. 145-186

T 9/27: Exam 1 on Parts 1 and 2 of the Syllabus

3. International Organization-to-Organization Relations: Case Study of Beijing Jeep

Th 9/29: Background Briefing: China’s History of External Relations

Reading: Mann, pp. 9-48, 60-3

T 10/4: Problem Solving: Negotiations

Reading: Mann, pp. 63-100

Research Paper Assigned

Th 10/6: Dr. Kirk Moll, “Researching Foreign Countries and Cultures”

Meet in Library Room 134

T 10/11: No Class: Fall Break

Th 10/13: Problems: Cultural Incidents and Unfamiliar Political-Economic Systems

Reading: Mann, pp. 126-38, 156-81

T 10/18: Problem Solving: Unfamiliar Political-Economic Systems

Reading: Mann, pp. 182-90, 210-235

Th 10/20: China Today: Economic and Cultural Changes

Reading: Mann, pp. 269-77, 297-327

Research Proposal Due

4. International Relations: Case Study of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq

T 10/25: Background Briefing: The Nation-state system and the Iraqi “Nation-state,” 1916-1979

Reading: Steger, pp. 64-67; Anderson, pp. 3-24

Th 10/27: Iraq and U.S. Foreign Relations, 1980-2001

Reading: Anderson, pp. 24-45

T 11/1: The Rush to War, 2002-2003

Reading: Anderson, pp. 60-71, 93-129

Th 11/3: U.S. Invasion and Occupation of Iraq: Spring-Summer 2003

Reading: Anderson, pp. 131-49; Riverbend, pp. 5-25 (Aug. 17-24, 2003)

T 11/8: U.S. Occupation of Iraq: Mismanagement and Chaos (2003-2004)

Reading: Reading: Anderson, pp. 149-67; Riverbend, pp. 25-64, 76-81, 162-72, 201-7 (Aug. 26-Sept. 12, Sept 24, Dec. 12-24, 2003; Feb. 13, 2004)

Th 11/10: U.S. Occupation of Iraq: Insurgency and Counterinsurgency? (2003-2004)

Reading: Anderson, pp. 168-80; Riverbend, pp. 70-75, 117-30, 231-5, 246-63 (Sept. 19, Oct. 27-Nov. 5, 2003; March 29, April 9-May 7, 2004)

T 11/15: Exam 2 on Parts 3 and 4 of the Syllabus

5. Global Health Policy and International Cooperation: Pandemics

Th 11/17: Globalization and Transboundary Health Problems

Reading: Steger, pp. 67-74, Youde, pp. 1-9, 13-27

T 11/22: Globalization as Accelerator and Intensifier of Pandemics

Reading: Youde, pp. 29-47, 56-59

E-Reserves: Buckley, "25 Days That Changed the World" SHIP PERMALINK or

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html

Th 11/24: No Class Thanksgiving Break

T 11/29: International Institutions of Global Health Governance