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Diplomacy and World
Affairs
Associate Professor
Chase, Chair
Professor
Shearer; Associate
Professor Reddy;
Assistant Professors
Chu, Hebert
On Special
Appointment: Adjunct
Professor Hirsch
(Director,
Occidental-at-the-U.N.);
Adjunct Assistant
Professors Fomerand,
Swamy, Trujillo; Adjunct
Instructor Enia
The
Chevalier
interdepartmental major
in Diplomacy and World
Affairs (DWA) provides
an opportunity for
students to prepare for
a broad spectrum of
careers in international
relations. Recognizing
the variety of goals of
such
internationally-oriented
students, the major cuts
across several related
disciplines. Offerings
in the departments of
American Studies, Asian
Studies, Critical Theory
and Social Justice,
Economics, History,
Politics, Religious
Studies, Sociology, and
Urban and Environmental
Policy supplement the
core courses offered by
the DWA department
itself.
The
Chevalier Program was
established in 1957 by
the late Mrs. Stuart
Chevalier to honor the
memory of her husband, a
distinguished lawyer and
pioneer leader on behalf
of the United Nations,
who for 19 years served
as a member of
Occidental’s Board of
Trustees. The program is
one of the few
undergraduate
interdisciplinary majors
in international
relations offered by an
institution the size of
Occidental.
OCCIDENTAL-AT-THE-UNITED
NATIONS: Students
participating in the
U.N. program reside
near United Nations
headquarters and take a
regular 16 unit load.
Other programs of
interest to DWA majors
include
Occidental Abroad
and
Occidental-in-Washington,
D.C.
CAREERS:
Opportunities of
interest to DWA
graduates include
service with U.S.
government agencies,
such as the Department
of State and the Foreign
Service, the Peace
Corps, the Agency for
International
Development (AID), the
Department of Defense,
and Central Intelligence
Agency, as well as
careers with the United
Nations or one of its
affiliated agencies, and
in the non-governmental
organization (NGO)
community. Students also
have an opportunity to
prepare themselves for
work in the general
fields of international
business and banking,
law, or the academic
world.
MAJOR:
The major in Diplomacy
and World Affairs has
two main components: a
core of courses required
of all students (taken
in the departments of
DWA, Economics, and
languages), and an
additional set of
upper-division courses
taken in DWA and across
the college curriculum,
focusing broadly on
international affairs.
All DWA majors must take
the following:
- DWA
101, DWA
201, and DWA
490 in this
order.
-
Economics
101,
102, and
311.
- The
equivalent of four
college semesters of
one language, or two
college semesters
each of two
languages. This
requirement may be
satisfied in the
same ways the
College Core
language requirement
is satisfied. All
students are urged
to take additional
language classes at
the College
regardless of
incoming
proficiency.
- One
300 level DWA course
to meet the junior
seminar requirement.
-
Three additional
classes numbered 200
or higher in
International
Affairs at the
College. At least
one of these courses
must be in DWA.
Advisors will assist
students in
identifying courses
that fulfill this
requirement.
WRITING REQUIREMENT:
Students majoring in
Diplomacy and World
Affairs will satisfy the
final component of
Occidental College’s
writing requirement by
taking a DWA junior
writing seminar and
having that instructor
deem their writing as
proficient. See the
Writing Program for
additional information
on the College’s writing
requirements.
COMPREHENSIVE
REQUIREMENT: Seniors
will complete DWA
490 as their
comprehensive
requirement in the
spring of their Senior
Year. There are three
options within DWA
490:
-
Thesis: a 25 page
thesis (45 page if
seeking Honors)
based on independent
academic research.
Alternatively, the
foundation for the
thesis can be a U.N.
or community-based
internship conducted
during the fall
semester of the
Senior year.
-
Policy Seminar:
Small group seminar
based on in-depth
readings on key
issues in IR and
policy presentations
by students on their
topics of expertise.
-
Film: Production of
a documentary film
that advances
knowledge in the IR
field.
Details
on these options will be
given to students during
the spring of their
Junior year. Students
must submit a proposal
for the option they hope
to pursue during the
fall semester of their
Senior year for approval
by the department.
HONORS: Qualified
majors may achieve
Departmental Honors at
graduation through (a)
maintenance of an
overall grade point
average of 3.25, with a
3.5 GPA in the major,
and (b) completion of
the comprehensive
requirement with a grade
of Pass with
Distinction. Those
interested should see
the
Honors Program and
consult the chair for
details, preferably in
the junior year.
101. INTERNATIONAL
POLITICAL PROCESSES.
The
purposes of this course
are: 1) to introduce
fundamental tools and
perspectives on the
study of world politics,
including major theories
and analytical
approaches to
international relations;
2) to understand the
historical evolution of
the contemporary
international system,
with special emphasis on
the post-World War II
era; 3) to apply
theoretical and
conceptual
understandings of
international relations
to current issues in
world politics. Emphasis
is placed on the state
and trans-state
foundations of
contemporary
international relations.
We will study this in
the context of such key
issues as economic
development, “security”,
human rights,
state-building,
international
organizations,
terrorism, and the
intersection of social
relations with world
politics.
Chu, Reddy, Staff
201. INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS.
This
course will focus on
international
organizations in a
changing global system.
An important theme will
be the changing scene of
international peace and
security and the
institutions that
attempt to deal with
these changes. Some of
the themes covered will
include the ethics and
norms of global
governance, the role of
the media in
transnational politics,
the impact of civil
conflicts on the global
arena, and the role of
diplomacy in conflict
resolution.
Prerequisite: DWA
101.
Chase, Hebert
220. INTERNATIONAL
POLITICAL ECONOMY.
An
introductory survey of
the field of
international political
economy for students who
have some background in
the field of
international relations
and are interested in
exploring international
economic relations at a
deeper level. The course
covers major
theoretical, empirical,
and policy perspectives.
The basic orientation is
disciplinary and
comparative (over time
and across countries,
regions, firms),
spanning issues relevant
to both industrial and
developing states.
Special attention is
given to challenges and
dilemmas shaped by the
macro-level consequences
of micro-level behavior,
and by micro-level
adjustments to
macro-level influences.
Prerequisite: DWA
101 or permission of
instructor.
Not
given in 2008-2009
230. GENDER AND
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS.
This
course will explore the
evolution of women’s
rights as human rights,
the struggle of women’s
movements to place
gender-specific concerns
on the international
human rights agenda, and
the relationship of the
UN and its agencies to
the broad feminist goal
of advancing the
political, economic,
social, and cultural
status of women. While
“women” are of necessity
central to the concerns
of this course, the
study of human rights
will be approached from
a gender perspective,
recognizing that gender
relations is key to
understanding the
nature, occurrence, and
prevention of rights
violations. Key themes
to be covered in the
course include the
relationship between the
“crisis of masculinity”
and women’s human
rights; gender and
economic rights,
gender-based violence,
and health and human
rights. Prerequisite:
DWA 101.
Not
given in 2008-2009
231. TOPICS IN
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY.
Analysis
of the first years of
Bush foreign policy with
emphasis on response to
events of 9/11 and how
declared war on
terrorism has affected
US international
policies, relations with
other countries, and
perceptions of US role
in the world.
Shearer
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
UNITED STATES
233. DEVELOPMENT AND
HUMAN RIGHTS IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA.
The
course will explore the
tensions that have
arisen in South East
Asian countries between
the promotion of
economic development and
the realization of human
rights. Through case
studies of Thailand,
Malaysia, Singapore, and
Indonesia, we will
engage in critical
thinking and debate,
examining such topics as
the legacy of
colonialism in the
region; state-civil
society relations; the
politics of religion and
ethnicity; the
construction of gender
roles and identities;
and the implications the
tsunami disaster has had
on both development and
human rights in the
region.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
CENTRAL, SOUTH, AND EAST
ASIA
234. SOUTH AFRICAN
POLITICS.
This
course examines the
political dynamics of
apartheid and
post-apartheid South
Africa. Particular
emphasis is placed on
the development of black
political opposition
since the 1970s,
including both militant
action against the
state, as well as
inter-ethnic political
action and violence.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE
EAST
235. NATIONALISM AND
ETHNICITY.
This
course will explore
nationalism and
ethnicity from both a
theoretical and
empirical perspective.
Nationalist and ethnic
discourses have always
been central to
political movements,
rebellions and
revolutions. The
passions and commitment
of individual members in
these movements often
leads to political
ideologies and war
tactics that are violent
and which encompasses
entire communities. The
course will use examples
from Southern Africa,
South Asia and Eastern
Europe.
Not
given in 2008-2009
236. THE CUBAN
REVOLUTION: PAST,
PRESENT, AND FUTURE.
As the
only communist country
in the western
hemisphere, the success
and longevity of the
Cuban Revolution
continues to fascinate
scholars. This course
will examine the
history, culture, and
politics of the Cuban
revolution, its effect
on the Cuban people, and
the prospects for
additional political
change in Cuba. Cuba’s
regional influence, and
world significance, will
be included.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
LATIN AMERICA
237. CUBA, VIETNAM,
CHINA: COMMUNISM IN A
POST-COMMUNIST WORLD.
The
course will examine some
of the communist
countries that have
survived the collapse of
the Soviet Union,
specifically: Cuba,
Vietnam, and China. We
will discuss the
political and social
life within each
country, their
relationship to the
United States and the
prospects for political
change.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
INTERCULTURAL
238. IDENTITY AND
CITIZENSHIP: THE SOUTH
ASIAN DIASPORA.
This
class will focus on
South Asians who were
indentured to British
Colonies around 1860,
immediately following
the abolition of slavery
by Britain. The largest
number of South Asians
were transported to
Mauritius, South Africa,
Guyana, Trinidad, and
Fiji. Currently, they
make up a substantial
percentage of the
population in each of
these countries, and
after several
generations, questions
of identity and
citizenship have given
rise to collaboration
and conflict. This will
be a comparative study
based on the analytical
themes of transnational
identity, religion, and
citizenship that
influence questions of
social and political
integration,
assimilation, and
conflict.
Prerequisite: DWA
101.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
CENTRAL, SOUTH, AND EAST
ASIA
240. COMPARATIVE
REVOLUTIONS.
This
course will examine why,
how, and when voices of
dissent turn into a
full-scale revolutionary
movement. We will
compare and contrast
revolutions that have
taken place in different
social, political, and
cultural contexts (e.g.,
Nicaraguan Revolution,
1989 Revolutions of
Eastern Europe, and the
Ukrainian Orange
Revolution).
Prerequisite: DWA
101.
Not
given in 2008-2009
241. INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS OF THE MIDDLE
EAST.
An
introduction to the
politics of
international relations
in the Middle East over
the last century. In the
context of a historical
review beginning with
the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire,
colonialism, and the
emergence of the modern
state system, we will
pay particular attention
to post-colonial
politics, ideology and
the rise of nationalism,
and the role of norms
and identity in defining
conflict and revolution
in the region. Much of
the course will be
devoted to the
Arab-Israeli conflict,
inter-Arab relations,
the Iranian revolution,
the Iran-Iraq war, and
the Gulf War(s). The
policies of the United
States and other outside
powers toward the Middle
East will also be
studied, and particular
attention will be paid
to the impact of 9/ll on
developments in
Afghanistan, Iraq, and
the region as a whole.
Prerequisite: DWA
101.
Chase
243. LAW, WAR
CRIMES, AND
TRANSNATIONAL POLITICS.
This
course will focus on the
international
community’s efforts
since World War II to
bring an end to impunity
for those who violate
fundamental human rights
and humanitarian norms.
International efforts to
bring violators to
justice from Nuremberg
to the International
Criminal Court will be
the primary focus of the
class. The class will
also discuss more recent
efforts to bring civil
lawsuits against
individuals and
corporations for their
complicity in human
rights violations.
Prerequisite: DWA
101.
Not
given in 2008-2009
249. GLOBAL PUBLIC
HEALTH GOVERNANCE: BIRD
FLU, SARS, BIOTERRORISM,
AND OTHER INFECTIOUS
DISEASE THREATS.
Infectious diseases are
the leading cause of
death worldwide, and a
growing threat to
individuals, nations,
and the international
trade system. This
course examines the
nature and extent of
these transnational
public health threats,
including high profile
cases such as HIV/AIDS,
SARS, avian influenza,
mad cow disease, and
bioterrorism, as well as
related international
relations theories and
debates about
globalization, economic
development, human
security and global
governance.
Not
given in 2008-2009
295. TOPICS IN
DIPLOMACY AND WORLD
AFFAIRS.
Disaster Politics.
In this course, we
examine the politics
associated with
preventing and
recovering from
disasters. The course
begins by developing an
expansive definition of
disaster that includes
not only those events
that might first spring
to mind such as natural,
weather-related
disasters but also those
that generally have more
human-induced causes
such as nuclear war,
terrorist events,
famine, epidemics, and
other humanitarian
emergencies such as
genocide. This broad
definition allows us to
explore not only a wide
variety of events but
also a number of
important ancillary
topics that have bearing
on the politics of
disasters such as
foreign aid,
humanitarian
intervention and
peacekeeping, and
international
institutions and
organizations. From
theme to theme, our
focus will be not just
on the politics of
disasters themselves but
on how international
relations theory might
help us explain,
understand, and where
possible, prevent their
occurrence or mitigate
their effects.
Enia
An
Introduction to Human
Security. In May
2003, Mrs. Sadako Ogata,
former United Nations
Commissioner for
Refugees, and Professor
Amartya Sen, Nobel
laureate in economics,
presented the report of
the Independent
Commission on Human
Security to then-UN
Secretary-General Kofi
Annan. The report
proposed a new security
framework — that of
“human security” — that
re-frames the concept of
international security
away from the pillars of
the Westphallian system
— territorial integrity
and national sovereignty
— to a focus on the
protection of persons
and populations. This
course explores the
concept of Human
Security and the
evolving corresponding
norm of the
Responsibility to
Protect, which demands
that states protect
their populations and
re-frames humanitarian
intervention as the
responsibility of the
international community
to protect peoples when
their governments fail
to do so. Throughout the
course, we will explore
a number of interrelated
issues such as conflict
and poverty, protecting
populations in conflict
and post-conflict
situations, crimes
against humanity, and
rights-based
development.
Trujillo
The
Political Economy of
Global Conflict.
This course aims to
introduce a number of
fundamental concepts in
the field of
international political
economy and then
demonstrate a
relationship between
those concepts and
global conflict. The
first section of the
course is devoted to
introducing several core
concepts of IPE within
the context of the more
generalized debates
about the relationship
and interaction between
the international and
domestic and the
relationship and
interaction between the
state and society. After
establishing this
theoretical foundation,
we begin to explore the
way a political
economy-centered
approach helps us
explain and understand
interstate and
intrastate conflict
around the world. A
number of case studies
provide common ground
for exploration on
topics such as the
relationship between
global conflict and the
economic rise of China
and India, trade
disputes, the
relationship between
poverty and conflict,
and the relationship
between natural
resources and conflict
(particularly intrastate
violence). In each of
these cases, our
political economy
approach is used not
only to explain but also
to explore possible
solutions and
challenges. In this
context, the relative
importance of
international
institutions and the
challenges associated
with collective action
are also discussed.
Enia
Problems Without Borders
– Environmental
Challenges and
Transnational Politics.
The global environment,
public health, economic
growth, and even human
rights are threatened by
cross-border problems
such as climate change,
pollution, ozone
depletion, population
pressures, and the
unintentional human
spread of disease
organisms and vectors.
This course explores the
complex interplay of
transnational economic,
political, ideological,
and organizational
factors associated with
current and future
global environmental
challenges.
O’Sullivan
JUNIOR SEMINARS
310. RELIGION AND
POLITICS.
As of
late, religion has
re-emerged on the
political stage offering
different perspectives
regarding political
norms, values, and
behavior. In this course
we will explore the
various ways in which
religion has been
conceptualized and
utilized in different
political and cultural
settings. Some of the
questions that we will
seek to answer are: In
what ways can religion
be separated from
politics? What are the
roles of religion and
religious institutions
in political life? How
do religions and
religious institutions
respond to the
challenges of a
pluralist and secular
modern world?
Prerequisite: DWA
101 or equivalent.
Open only to DWA majors
and minors with junior
or senior standing.
Chu
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
INTERCULTURAL
329. HUMAN RIGHTS
AND TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS.
Trafficking in persons –
the use of force,
coercion, fraud, or
deception for purposes
of exploitation – is the
third most profitable
form of illicit activity
globally, following the
traffic in drugs and
arms. In this course, we
will explore the
different forms of
trafficking, including
domestic servitude,
sweatshop labor, migrant
agricultural work, and
child soldiering,
although the course will
focus most closely on
the topic of trafficking
for purposes of sexual
exploitation. Throughout
the class, the causes,
consequences, and
responses to trafficking
will be analyzed through
a human rights lens. We
will study the processes
behind the construction
of gender identities, in
order to gain insight
into why particular
populations are
especially vulnerable to
trafficking and why
certain constraints
exist to preventing and
responding to
trafficking at both the
domestic and
international levels. We
will study the
relationship between
trafficking and
militarism, including
the legacy of the United
States military presence
in Asia for sex tourism
and trafficking in the
region today. And we
will engage the debate
over whether trafficking
is a “discourse” that
perpetuates
relationships of
dominance and
subordination between
the global North and
South. Prerequisite:
DWA 101.
Open only to DWA majors
and minors with junior
or senior standing.
Hebert
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
INTERCULTURAL
332. AFRICAN
POLITICS.
An
analysis of patterns of
politics in contemporary
Africa. Focus on the
colonial experience,
post-colonial state
formations and
democratic transitions.
The central themes
throughout will be:
ethnicity and ethnic
violence; protest and
resistance movements;
conflicts within civil
society along the lines
of gender, generation,
wealth and prestige.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE
EAST
333. NORTH AFRICA
AND THE MIDDLE EAST:
ISLAM AND THE POLITICS
OF IDENTITY.
A study
of Islam in North Africa
and the implications of
religious ideology on
intra and inter state
conflicts. The course
will also analyze the
relationship of the
Islamic North to the
rest of Africa and to
the Middle East.
Given in alternate
years. Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE
EAST
336. ASIAN ART OF
POLITICAL PROTEST:
DISSENT AND
DEMOCRATIZATION IN ASIA.
Is there
an Asian style of
political protest? This
course will examine
approaches to political
protest and mobilization
in South, East, and
Southeast Asia. Case
studies will include
anticolonial movements
in the mid-twentieth
century, notably the
Indian independence
movement,
democratization
movements across Asia in
the lat 1980s and early
1990s, and recent or
ongoing democratization
movements.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Swamy
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
CENTRAL, SOUTH, AND EAST
ASIA
337. INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS THEORY.
A study
of theoretical issues at
the leading edge of
contemporary scholarship
in the field of
International Relations.
Topics include the
Idealist, Realist and
neo-realist paradigms,
as well as the subaltern
and post-modern
perspectives.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
338. THEORY AND
PRACTICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
The
place of human rights in
Middle Eastern politics
in comparative and
theoretical perspective.
The focus will be on the
20th century political
and ideological history
of the Middle East with
particular attention to
those who are grappling
with the integration of
human rights into the
domestic political
struggles of Middle
Eastern states and
attendant theoretical
questions. The course
will be
reading-intensive and we
will focus class
discussions around each
week’s readings.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Chase
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE
EAST
340. CONTEMPORARY
ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL
LAW: ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, WAR, AND
POLITICAL TRANSITIONS.
International law has
taken an increasingly
central and often
controversial place in
contemporary
international relations.
This junior writing
seminar will explore the
foundations of
international law, human
rights law, and
humanitarian law. It
will do so in the
context of their
intersections with
specific issues that
range from economic
development and public
health, the legality of
war and the treatment of
civilians and combatants
during war, and
political transitions
out of conflict.
Prerequisite: DWA
201. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
342. TRANSNATIONAL
IDENTITY AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
This
class will explore the
various aspects of
transnational identities
focusing on ways in
which they challenge
state borders and state
nationalisms. The
various aspects of
transnational identities
like questions of
citizenship, ethnicity,
religion, gender, and
generation, will be
analyzed. Special
attention will be given
to the ways in which
Islamic beliefs have
transcended state
boundaries and the
impact this has had on
notions of citizenship.
The class will also
focus on a few case
studies to highlight the
various aspects of
transnational identity.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
343.
TRANSNATIONALISM AND
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE.
Global
Governance: State,
Trans-state, and
Non-state Approaches to
International Issues.
“Global governance”
describes state,
trans-state, and local
approaches to addressing
issues which cross
traditional nation-state
borders. This class will
study theories of global
governance: what is
global governance and
how do we account for
its increasing
relevance? We will do so
in the context of an
exploration of a number
of intersecting issues,
including human rights,
economic development,
migration, political
transitions,
post-conflict
reconstruction, and
global security.
Prerequisite: DWA
101. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
368. AMERICAN GRAND
STRATEGY: THE PERILS OF
BEING NUMBER ONE.
America
is the most powerful
nation in the post-Cold
War world but has not,
as yet, forged a
national consensus on
post-Cold War foreign
policy. The country, and
the world, have
repudiated the neo-Con
unilateralist approach
of the Bush
administration—but there
is no agreed upon
substitute. Various
authors are proposing
strategies from “ethical
realism” to “liberal
interventionism” to
“neo-isolationism” and
on. The course will
examine critically
proposals for a new
American Grand Strategy
from leading foreign
policy thinkers and from
groups such as the
Princeton project. We
will try to agree on
what a workable Grand
Strategy might be—and
analyze whether it might
have widespread
bi-partisan support at
home and ample
international support
abroad. Prerequisite:
DWA 201.
Open only to DWA majors
and minors with junior
or senior standing.
Not
given in 2008-2009
395. SPECIAL TOPICS
IN DIPLOMACY AND WORLD
AFFAIRS.
Seminar
in International
Institutions and
International Law. Our
globalized political and
economic system relies
on international regimes
and related
organizations to help
set, monitor, and
enforce the rules. This
seminar examines
comparatively the
historic rationale
behind prominent
international
institutions and legal
frameworks, and analyzes
their current and
possible future roles in
economic development,
global governance, and
political stability.
Prerequisite: DWA
201. Open only to
DWA majors and minors
with junior or senior
standing.
Trujillo
CORE REQUIREMENT
MET:
INTERCULTURAL
397. INDEPENDENT
STUDY.
Prerequisite: permission
of instructor.
2
or 4 units
Staff
490. SENIOR SEMINAR.
Preparation, research,
writing, and discussion
of senior thesis
projects in fulfillment
of the comprehensive
requirement.
Chase, Hebert, Reddy,
Shearer
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