POLS 362: POLITICS OF DEVELOPING AREAS
Northern
Department of Political Science
Fall 2007, Dusable 459
M-W-F
Instructor: Dr. Kheang Un
Office: Zulauf 405
Phone: 815-753-7054; 815-753-8822
Email: kun1@niu.edu
Office Hours: M and W
Three quarters of the world population live in the
developing world. Although the
Course Policies and
Requirements
1. The Learning Environment. Your instructor
is committed to the principle of active learning. This principle requires students’ active
involvement in, commitment to, and responsibility for their own education. Hence, it is important that students conduct
themselves in ways that indicate respect for the learning community and the
learning process. Respect for the
learning community should preclude such behavior as persistent tardiness, leaving the room during class time (unless
prior advice was given to the instructor or in case of emergency), falling
asleep, reading the newspaper, turning your cell phone on, studying for another
class, or chatting with others.
2.
Lectures will parallel and compliment the readings. As such, students cannot just rely solely on the lectures or the readings.
The class will be divided into 6 groups, each of which will be assigned to focus on a country (case) for class discussion and term papers. The class will break out into groups for discussion periodically.
3. Class attendance and Participation.
A. Class attendance: Attendance at all
class sessions is expected, and the instructor will check the attendance
regularly. Students are allowed to
miss the class for a total of four times during the semester. An additional absence will result in lowering
the final grade by one letter.
B. Class Participation: Class participation will account for 20 percent of the total course grade. Class participation will include regular participation, group discussions, and written reports of these discussions (3 to 4 pages in length and due one week following the in-class oral report). More significantly, informed participation in class discussion will significantly help students in borderline grade situations.
4. Exams. This course will have two exams—a midterm and
a final. The midterm will be taken in
class on October
15 and the final exam will be taken
during the regular final exam day, December
12 from
5. Term Paper: The term paper, 12 to 15 pages, will be worth 20 percent of the total course grade and is due in class on November 31. Late paper will be penalized by one letter grade a day. The term paper will be framed around one of the two following research questions.
Question 1: Discuss whether your assigned country has democratized or failed to democratize. If it is a democracy, assess its likelihood of remaining democratic or of advancing its democracy to a high level. If it is not a democracy, assess its likelihood of democratizing.
Question 2: Explain factors contributing to your assigned country’s economic growth or lack thereof. How do your findings support or call into question these ideas: Is underdevelopment the result of poor decisions and economic management of developing countries? Or is underdevelopment a byproduct of developing countries’ place in the international economic system, a capitalist system that is dominated by developed countries and the international organizations serving their interests?
Avoiding Plagiarism: Put simply, plagiarism happens when you take someone else’s ideas or words and use them as though they were your own ideas. Commonly, students commit plagiarism out of ignorance or carelessness; though there are some people who outright steal other writers’ work. Thus to avoid this problem, you should follow these guidelines:
. Always put quotation marks around any direct statement from someone else’s work and offer appropriate citation (endnote, footnote ect.)
. Cite any paraphrase of another writer’s ideas or statements.
. Cite any material, ideas, thoughts, etc., you got from your reading that can’t be described as general knowledge.
6. Course Grade. Course Grades will be distributed as follows:
Final Average Final Grade
90-100 % A
80-89 % B
70-79% C
60-69 D
Below 60% F
7. Academic Integrity. Students are expected to know and comply with NIU polices on academic integrity (see p. 47 of 2001 Undergraduate Catalog). Any student found guilty of cheating or plagiarizing will receive an “F” for the examination and the course. He or she may also be subject to additional sanctions imposed by the university.
Schedule
of Lectures, Required
8-27
Introduction to the course
Topic I: Introduction
to the Developing World
8-29
Topic II: Colonialism
and the Making of the Developing World
8-31
Video: “The Rise of Asian Nationalism.” VICASSETTE DS525.7 .F7651992
9-3 No Class
9-5
Colonialism, read the text, pp. 43-68.
9-7
Colonialism (continued)
9-10
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts, read the text, relevant pages pp. 69-103.
9-12
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts (continued)
9-14
Third Worldism
9-17
Third Worldism (continued)
Topic III: Poverty,
Inequality, and Regime Types
9-19
9-21
Sachs,
Jeffrey, “The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time,” in Mark
Kesselman, The Politics of Globalization:
A Reader (
Singer,
Peter, “What Should a Billionaire Give—and What Should You?” The New York Times Mazagine, PP. 59-63,
80, 83, 87.
Topic IV:
International Economic System and Globalization
9-24
Globalization, read the text, pp. 117-138.
9-26
Nye, Joseph, “Globalization Is About Blending, Not
Homogenizing,” Comparative Politics: Annual Editions 06/07 (
David Held, “Political Globalization,” in Joel Krieger,
Globalization and State Power: A Reader (
9-28
Globalization (continued)
10-1
Structural Adjustment, read the text, pp. 139-158.
10-3
Alternative Approach to Development, read the text, pp. 159-166.
10-5
Alternative Approach (continued)
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts, read the text, pp. 167-183.
10-8
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts, read the text, pp. 167-183.
10-10
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts (continued)
10-12
Catch-up and Review
10-15
Midterm Exam
10-17
Democratization, read the text, pp. 300-342.
10-19
Democratization (continued)
10-22
Democratization (continued)
M. Steven Fish, “Islam and Authoritarianism,” World
Politics 55 (October 2002), 4-37 [course blackboard].
10-24
Democratization (continued)
10-26
Linking cases and concepts, relevant pages, read the text, pp. 343-358.
10-29
Linking cases and concepts
(continued).
Topic V: Politics,
Violence, and Political Chang
10-31
Violent path to change, read the text, pp. 243-280.
Video: “Return to the Killing
Fields.”
11-2
Violent path to change (continued)
Prumier,
Gerard, "The Politics of Death in
11-5
Research topic due and discussion on research paper
VI: Global Challenges, Responses and International Institutions
11-7
The United Nations, read the text,
pp.367-386.
11-9
Regional, international and non-governmental organizations, read the text, pp. 361-367, pp.387-393.
11-12
Global challenges and responses, read the text, pp. 394-414.
HIV and AIDS
Video: “AIDS in
Laurie
Garret, "The Lessons of HIV/AIDS," Foreign Affairs 84:4
(2005): 51-64.
11-14
Video: Immigration
Saskia
Sassen, "Immigration in a Global Era," in Mark Keselman, The
Politics of Globalization: A Reader (
11-16
Discussion on AIDS and Immigration
11-19
Group Discussion: Linking cases and concepts, read the text, pp. 415-430.
11-21 Thanksgiving No Classes
11-23 Thanksgiving No Classes
11-26
Group Discussion (continued)
VII: The
11-28
US policies toward the
The
11-30
US policies toward the
11-31
Group Discussion: Linking concepts and cases, read the text, pp. 434-449
Term Paper Due
12-3
Group Discussion (continued)
12-5
Class Evaluation
12-7
Review and Discussion
12-12
Final Exam