Course Syllabus
Seminar: IR/Comparative Politics:
Nationalism
Perhaps the most critical issue of the contemporary world is how to deal with nationalism. It has been said that the nationalistic aspirations of people contributed to the rise of leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini and the carnage of the last century, the bloodiest in human history. Daily headlines from places such as Kosovo, Bosnia and Rwanda attest to the continued importance--and potential destructiveness--that the expression of national and ethnic identities seem to have in people's lives. Yet our view of nationalism may be distorted, for it seems to be a force for positive, peaceful change as well, as exemplified by leaders of national movements such as Gandhi, Nehru and Nelson Mandela. What is the power that nationalism holds over people, that seems to compel them to fight and die? Is its power still as potent as in the past or are we moving into a "post-national" era of world politics?
These and other questions you as students may raise will be explored in this course. Beginning with a survey of theories of nationalism, we will look at how different perspectives on the concept might help to "demystify" it. We will look at how nationalism has impacted world politics, for better or worse, thoughout the course of history, but with special emphasis on post-Cold War ethnic conflicts. Through readings, discussions, videos, student projects, exams, and a research paper we should learn much more about one of the more fascinating, and often troubling, concepts of our time.
This course is writing intensive and is
normally open only to Political Science majors or minors with junior/senior
status. Please see me if you do not meet these requirements.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assigned Readings: Readings listed in the syllabus are required and should be read before the class in which they are assigned. Class discussions will be based on and add to these readings.
. Eric J. Hobsbawm. 1990. Nations and Nationalism Since 1780. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (in the bookstore)
. Ernest Gellner. 1983. Nations and Nationalism. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. (in the bookstore)
. Metta Spencer (ed.). 1998. Separatism: Democracy and Disintegration. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. (in the bookstore)
(NOTE: if these books are not in the bookstore and/or if you want to do some comparison shopping, you can try <http://www.varsitybooks.com>.)
· Assorted articles
and/or chapters from books (on reserve in the library, or handed out in
class).
Since this course is built around the investigation of nationalism, the effects of which are often in the daily news, it is expected that you will keep up with current events. Most classes will begin or end with a brief discussion of what is happening in the world. Fairly regular reading of newspapers such as The New York Times or watching CNN or The Lehrer Hour on PBS are highly recommended.
Attendance: This couse is listed as a seminar, which means that much more is expected of you in terms of active participation in class. Attendance is therefore a must, and I will note absences. You are permitted 3 excused absences--after that, your grade will suffer from non-attendance. (Please note that attendance and particpation are each 10% of your final grade.)
Exams and Papers: There will be two mid-term exams for this course, made up from material from readings and lectures (which do not always coincide). Note: there is no final exam for this course. Exams are usually identification/short answer/essay type, and so require that you purchase and bring a blue book. These are on sale in the bookstore or in the Political Science Department (3rd floor Bowman). There may on occasion be a small quiz or two, particularly if participation in class seems to be flagging due to inattention to readings.
As mentioned, this is a writing intensive seminar, and as such we will pay special attention to assignments designed to help develop a variety of writing skills. There will therefore be a certain amount of written work required, and some oral work that supports it, parts of which are due at different points during the semester. Please note these dates carefully. This work consists of the following assignments:
I. Term paper: The term paper, on a topic of your choice but related to the course in some way, will offer you the opportunity to integrate in a more formal way the information learned in the course about nationalism. The paper, of approximately 15 pages in length, will be evaluated on the basis of content, clarity of discussion, and writing style (including grammar, spelling, and punctuation). DUE: in class, Wednesday, December 6.
The process of writing the paper will not
be accomplished in one step but (as with all good writing) will be done
in stages. The critical components of this process are:
Topic: Before writing a paper, you need to figure out what question you are attempting to answer. In this assignment, you are to hand in a statement of your basic research question. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Monday, September 25. It will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.Outline: Before writing a paper, you need to figure out how to organize the relevant material to make an effective argument about the subject matter. In this assignment, you are to hand in a proposed outline of your paper. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Monday, October 9. It will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.
Annotated Bibliography: Before writing a paper, you need as well to research the subject matter. In this assignment, you are to hand in a short, annotated bibliography containing both Internet and other sources for your paper. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Monday, November 27. It also will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.
Final Paper: Your final paper is due in class on Wednesday, December 6. One full grade will be deducted for every day (including Saturday and Sunday) that the paper is late. I recommend (but do not require) that you submit a draft of your paper well before it is due so that you can receive timely feedback.
II. Area Reports.
For purposes of classroom discussion, each of you is expected to become
an expert in nationalist conflict in a particular country or region of
the world. Everyone will be respnsible for explaining how, if at all, topics
we are discussing in class applies to the country you are studying. For
example, if we are discussing nationalist conflict and principles in IR
such as the security dilemma, those of you studying Yugoslavia should be
able to tell the class if the concept can help explain what happened in
that case. In many instances, the area of expertise will overlap with your
paper topic.
III. Journal.
You are required to keep a journal that focuses on your thoughts and feelings
about anything related to the course. This will be a personal, autobiographical
account of your encounter with concepts of nationalism. As such, you can
use the first person "I" throughout and be informal. At the end of the
journal, just before you hand it in, you should look back over the semester
(or your life) and highlight at least one event which, in your opinion,
was a pivotal experience for you in your ideas about nationalism. Please
note: keep topics in the journal limited to nationalism (and/or related
concepts such as national identity, national cultures, etc.). I will grade
this assignment for sincere effort and conscious grappling with course
concepts, not necessarily for grammar or spelling (but please don't test
my limits too much - I am a former English teacher). Suggested length:
5-10 pages. Strong suggestion: start this assignment the first week and
keep an on-going computer log. First due date in class Monday, September
18; final due date in class Monday, December 4.
IV. Extra-curricular
activity(ies). I believe strongly that learning takes place outside
as well as in the classroom, and so will ask that you participate in activities
that will test and/or extend your knowledge of international affairs, and
to write about the experience. At least one of the following activities
will meet this requirement:
Exam 1
20% (20 points)
Exam 2
20% (20 points)
Term paper & presentation
20% (20 points)
Journal
10% (10 points)
Extra-curricular activity(ies)
10% (10 points)
Attendance
10% (10 points)
Participation in class (especially area
reports) 10% (10 points)
TOTAL 100% (100 points)
This is the total number of points available
for your course grade. I do not award extra-credit points.
The grading scale I use is:
A 100-90
B 90-80
C 80-70
D 70-60
F below 60
Students with Disabilities.
In accordance with University policy, if you have a disability and require
accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact me
at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which
an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their
eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) in
the Michael Schwartz Student Services Center (672-3391).
DATE ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS
M 8/28 Orientation
to course. Video: Nationalism in Film.
DISCUSS: Term Papers/Area Reports (readings handout).
W 8/30 Nationalist/Ethnic
Conflicts Around the (Post-Cold War) World
Assignment: Zimmermann, "The Last Ambassador" (ON RESERVE); Rourke,
"Palestinians"; "Chaos in the Caucasus" (HANDOUTS).
F 9/1 NO Class: APSA Conference
M 9/4
The Nature of Nationalism: definitions, key concepts, causes, consequences.
Assignment: Hobsbawm, intro, chs 1, 2; Gellner, ch 1. Suggested (not
required) reading: Hroch, Social Preconditions of National Revival in
Europe.
W 9/6
The Nature of Nationalism (continued).
Assignment: no additional readings.
DISCUSS PAPER TOPICS.
F 9/8
The Historical Development of Nationalism.
Assignment: Hobsbawm, chs 3-6.
M 9/11 The
Historical Development of Nationalism (continued). Discussion and review
for exam. Handout: Study Guide.
Assignment: no additional readings.
W 9/13 Examination 1.
F 9/15 Theories
of Nationalism: intellectual history; great debates.
Assignment: Hobsbawm, intro; Renan, "What is a Nation?"in Eley &
Suny,
Becoming National (ON RESERVE); Herder, "Materials for the
Philosophy of the History of Mankind, 1784" (HANDOUT); Lind, "In Defense
of Liberal Nationalism" (ON RESERVE).
M 9/18 Theories
of Nationalism (continued).
Assignment: no additional readings.
JOURNALS DUE.
W 9/20 Nationalism
on the Web. DISCUSS PAPER TOPICS and writing the research paper. Handouts:
research paper writing.
Assignment: "Some Possible Websites" (ON MY WEBSITE); Nationalism on
the Web "Search Questions" (HANDOUT).
Thurs., Oct. 19 - Sun., Oct. 22 Model
UN
Ashtabula, Ohio.
M 9/25 Nationalism
and IR.
Assignment: Posen, "The Security Dilemma and Ethnic Conflict"; Woodward,
Balkans
Tragedy, ch 1 and browse (BOTH ON RESERVE); "Key Concepts in
IR" (HANDOUT).
F 9/29 Cultural
roots of Nationalism.
Assignment:Gellner, ch 2 - 4.
M 10/2 Cultural
roots of Nationalism (continued).
W 10/4 Simulation:
Albatross.
Assignment: "Albatross" (HANDOUT),
prepare for simulation.
MID-TERM COURSE EVALUATION.
F 10/6 Simulation
(continued).
Assignment: no additional readings.
M 10/9 Psychological
Roots of Nationalism
Assignment: Billig, Banal Nationalism, ch 4 (ON RESERVE).
F 10/13 Discussion
and Review. Handout: Study Guide.
Assignment: no additional readings.
M 10/16 Examination
2.
W 10/18 Nationalism
and Modern State Building
Assignment: Tilly, "War Making and State Making As Organized Crime"
in Evans et al,
Bringing the State Back In (ON RESERVE); Woodward,
Balkan
Tragedy, ch 6 (ON RESERVE).
F 10/20 Nationalism
and Modern State Building (continued)
Assignment:Gellner, ch 6. Woodward,
Balkan Tragedy, ch 3 (ON
RESERVE).
M 10/23 Nationalism
and Modern State Building (continued)
Assignment: no additional readings.
W 10/25 Nationalism
and Modernization
Assignment: Gellner, chs 2, 3, 4. Woodward, chs 3, 5 (ON RESERVE).
F 10/27 Nationalism
and Modernization (continued)
Assignment: no additional readings.
M 10/30 Building
the Nation: Overview
Assignment: Hroch, "From National Movement to the Full-Formed Nation"
in Eley & Suny, Becoming National (ON RESERVE).
W 11/1 Steps in
Building a National Movement: The Role of Intellectuals
Assignment:no additional readings. Suggested reading: Benedict Anderson,
Imagined
Communities.
F 11/3 Steps in
Building a National Movement (continued). Video: Gandhi.
Assignment: no additional readings.
M 11/6 Steps in
Building a (Supra)National Movement: Discussion.
Assignment: no additional readings.
W 11/8 Banal Nationalism
Assignment: Billig, Banal Nationalism, intro and ch 5 (ON RESERVE).
F 11/10 Banal Nationalism
(continued)
Assignment: no addtional readings.
M 11/13 Separatism
Assignment: Spencer, Separatism, chs 1-3.
W 11/15 Separatism
Assignment: no additional readings.
F 11/17 Separatist
Movements Around the World
Assignment: Spencer, Separatism, browse chs 4-12. Declaration
of Southern Cultural Independence (HANDOUT).
M 11/20 Individual
work on papers. Optional meetings with instructor.
W 11/23 Individual
work on papers. Optional meetings with instructor.
F 11/25 NO CLASS.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
M 11/27 Policy
Prescriptions: How to Deal With Nationalism
Assignment: Woodward, Balkans Tragedy, intro. (ON RESERVE).
F 12/1
Discussion: Nationalism after the Cold War and Future Trends: A "Post-National"
World?
Assignment: Gellner, ch 8; Hobsbawm, ch 6; Held, "The Decline of the
Nation State" in Eley & Suny, Becoming National (ON RESERVE).
Reread: Lind, "Liberal Nationalism."
M 12/4 Nationalism: Future Trends (continued). Term Paper Presentations.
JOURNALS DUE
W 12/6 Term Paper presentations.
F 12/8 Term
Paper presentations.
R 12/12 Final Exam
Time (10:15-12:30). Term Paper presentations (if necessary).