Lecturer(s)

Dr C.P.M. (Christ) Klep

Entry requirements 

This course is accessible for 2nd and 3rd year honoursstudents.

Recommended prior knowledge

A basic (introductory) knowledge of current international news and affairs is preferred. Students are advised to keep up with the news before and during the course. Some suggestions for introductory-level literature (handbooks) will be provided.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course the student can:

1. contextualize and explain broader developments on a global scale.
2. understand the relationship between specific events and actors on the one hand and broader explanations and theories on the other.
3. look at the issues presented from an interdisciplinary angle.

Content

‘Overwhelming’ is a term so often used with respect to recent global developments, that it has almost gained the status of a cliché adjective. The honours course ‘World Class!’ aims to bring sober analysis and understanding back into the equation. The world is getting bigger --- and the world is getting smaller. This seemingly paradoxical statement will be our starting point. As our world expands and becomes more complicated (and some would add: becomes more divisive), we try to keep a grip in many different ways.

Finding a way out of the bigger-smaller paradox will not be easy. But we’ll give it a try. This will be done by asking ten tough questions from an interdisciplinary perspective. The role of modern media will be one of those perspectives. In a recent interview former US secretary of state Colin Powell was asked what the biggest challenge to current international relations was. His reply was not ‘China’ or ‘terrorism’, but ‘global media networks.’ He basically suggested scaling and slowing down global news: a smaller news world, so to speak. Interestingly, Powell’s interview was on CNN… From a socio-economic perspective, we will take a look at this observation: ‘Worldwide, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.’ (As a teaser: one of the images used will be the ‘Global Elephant’). The international security perspective allows us to ask whether a bigger world is also becoming a smaller and more dangerous world. ‘Securitization’ will be the key word here.

These are just a few of the ten tough issues that we will be tackling in one of the most universal honours courses at UvA: ‘World Class!’     

Class contents

- Seminar

- Presentation / Symposium

Assessment:

Assessment will be twofold: a presentation (in collaboration with a fellow-student) and writing an essay   

Min/max participants

max.25

Schedule

Check Datanose for the exact information.

Study material

All study material will be from open internet sources and be cost free. The course also has a Canvas site.

Registration

Registration is possible for 2nd year (of higher) students participating in an Honours programme from 3 December 2019 10.00 till 7 December 2019 12.00 through the online registration form that will appear on Honoursmodules IIS.

Placement will be at random. If there are still spots open after the application deadline, students will still be able to register but beware we cannot guarantee a placement.

For questions: please contact Honours-iis@uva.nl