HEN566 Global Political Issues

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2009
Extent and Intensity
2/1. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Petr Daněk, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Ing. Zbyněk Ulčák, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ivona Tolarová
Timetable
Mon 12:00–13:30 U32
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 45 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/45, only registered: 0/45, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/45
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course represents an introduction to the discussion about the current global political issues. At the end of the course students should be able to understand and explain: the relationships between countries of the North and South, impacts of the colonialism, development as a discourse; geopolitics as the role of geographical situation in the international relatioships; to interpret nationalism, development of modern national identity and its prerequisitives; to understand principles of international environmental politics.
While analysing all topics, students are quided to use mainly the political-geographical approach. Students are expected to acquainte the critical approach to all topics and to express their own personal attitudes.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. Studying global political issues - developemt of approaches.
  • 2. Uneven development: world economic system.
  • 3. Results of colonialism. Thirld World and its differenciation.
  • 4. Development discourse - roots, evolution, critique.
  • 5. Uneven development - Seminar.
  • 6. Geopolitics: geopolitical traditions, world geopolitical models, their political implication and critique.
  • 7. Geopolitics: geopolitical formations, relationship between the development of world economy and development international relationships.
  • 8. Geopolitics - seminar.
  • 9. Nationalism: birth of national identity - dispute between primordialists a modernists, ideology of nationalism.
  • 10. Nationalism - its transformation, selected modern theories - Gellner, Anderson.
  • 11. Nationalism - seminár.
  • 12. Case study: Palestina.
  • 13. International environmantal politics: concept of international environmental regime, formation of environmental regime of climate change control.
  • 14. Group seminar.
Literature
  • GELLNER, Ernest. Nacionalismus. Translated by Hana Novotná - Petr Skalník. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2003, 133 s. ISBN 80-7325-023-3. info
  • Pohledy na národ a nacionalismus :čítanka textů. Edited by Miroslav Hroch. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2003, 451 s. ISBN 80-86429-20-2. info
  • JOHNSTON, R.J. and Peter TAYLOR. Geographies of Global Change. Remapping the World. 2th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002, xviii, 518. ISBN 0-631-22285-5. info
  • JEHLIČKA, Petr, Jiří TOMEŠ and Petr DANĚK. Stát, prostor, politika. Vybrané otázky politické geografie. (State, space, politics. Selected issues of political geography.). Praha: Univerzita Karlova, Přírodovědecká fakulta, 2000, 276 pp. ISBN 80-238-5566-2. info
  • AGNEW, John A. Geopolitics : re-visioning world politics. London: Routledge, 1998, 150 s. ISBN 0415140951. info
  • The post-development reader. Edited by Majid Rahnema - Victoria Bawtree. 2nd imp. London: Zed Books, 1998, xix, 440 s. ISBN 1-85649-474-8. info
  • BROHMAN, John. Popular development :rethinking the theory and practice of development. 1st pub. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1996, 398 s. ISBN 1-55786-316-4. info
  • AGNEW, John and Stuart CORBRIDGE. Mastering space :hegemony, territory and international political economy. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1995, 260 s. ISBN 0-415-09434-8. info
Teaching methods
A combination of lectures, class discussions and presentation of student`s projects (in groups).
Assessment methods
To pass out students are expected to attend seminars, to read required papers (ca 100 pages) and present their written evaluation of those papers, and to present a project (seminar work - an analysis of a regional political conflict - in a group). The final examination is in writing.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2009, recent)
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