Courses » » Political Science 398. Experimental Courses

Identity in Post-Soviet States

This course examines issues of identity in the emergent states of the former Soviet Union. Specifically it focuses on the effort of states to construct a national identity and the impact of historical, social, political, ethnic and economic factors in this process. Individual case studies will include Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Leadership: Theory and Practice

This course examines theories of leadership from an interdisciplinary framework. We will observe examples of leadership and discuss relevant questions regarding the success and failure of leaders.

Global Resource Conflict

This seminar examines the connection between wealth and power, derived from control over strategic resources, investigates the hypothesis that the major conflicts of the next few decades will not be over ideologies or civilizations (a la Huntington), but over increasingly scarce resources (oil, natural gas, water, food, minerals, etc.), and questions the sustainability of this trajectory. It will analyze strategic, economic, and environmental considerations and their interdependence.

Violence and Revolution

A quick look at history proves that mankind is a violent creature. Is man so by nature? Or, rather, there are specific and recurrent modes of interaction – say, war, colonialism, oppression, occupation, humiliation etc. – that make violent men out of the engaged actors? How do the enemy – that is, the target of violence – and the wounded – that is, the victim of violence – emerge within these modes of interaction? How should we characterize violence in the first place? Is non-violence really an option, especially when the enemy is ruthless? What about the State; is it really the case that the State exists to harness human beings’ violence against one another? What if the State is indeed the very source of violence? Then, shouldn’t we revolt (violently?!) against the State? What are the causes of revolutions? What is the part of ideas and ideals (besides material causes) in the makeup of revolutions? How did past revolutions take place?

Throughout the course of the semester we will think about the above questions and seek appropriate, though tentative and incomplete, answers to them. After all, to resist violence or to apply it – and, to revolt or not revolt – one is better to know what violence and revolution really look like!