Document Type

Undergraduate Syllabus

Date

Fall 2013

School

Diplomacy

Course Number

DIPL 3150AA and AB

Course Description

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the concepts and issues that are part of the developing field of human security. Human security is a relatively new academic discipline, but it has been practiced for thousands of years. The term "human security" predates the end of the Cold War but began to penetrate academic and policy discourse only after its formulation and comprehensive elaboration in the UNDP's 1994 Human Development Report. Some states have incorporated the concept of human security into their foreign policies. Interestingly, none seem to have incorporated it into their domestic policies. The human security idea remains controversial and we will explore these controversies. Start by thinking about the following questions: Security for whom? Security from what? Security by what means? Students should be prepared to do a significant amount of reading each class and to discuss it constructively. Courses work well only when everyone comes prepared for a critical and informed conversation. Students are encouraged to link the readings to contemporary events and so are urged to read newspapers which provide thorough coverage of international news (for example, The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal). Read foreign newspapers if possible. Television news sources such as the BBC, CNN International, CCTV9 (from China), Deutsche Welle, and Russia Today provide insight into current events as well.

Download

Share

COinS