POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 4712 - 010
Fall 2004
Instructor: Ian Feinhandler Teaching Assistant: Marco Antonsich
ian.feinhandler@colorado.edu marco.antonsich@colorado.edu
Office: Guggenheim 201 H Office:
Guggenheim 301
Off Hrs: M&W 3-4
(or by appt.) Off Hrs: M 4-5, R 2-3 (or by appt.)
Course Web Page: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/courses/geog_4712_ian_f04/
This course focuses on the international and cross-national perspectives of political geography. It deals with political, economic and social aspects of international relations from a geographical perspective and examines societies in transition in the post Cold War and post 9/11 world. As such, the course has an integrative character and requires basic knowledge about international affairs. It also helps significantly to acquire (or develop) knowledge of global locations and current events through frequent reading of a substantive newspaper or magazine, such as The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, or The Economist. This course will not engage in a systematic survey of regional issues and conflicts. Instead, contemporary developments in the world’s regions are used to illustrate the concepts from the lectures and readings. This is an upper division course; the readings and the work-load reflect our expectations of a 4000-level class.
The course is divided into two parts:
1. World-Systems Theory, Globalization, and Democratization. In the first part of the course, we place global economic and political change within the world-systems framework. We examine how economic globalization challenges traditional state structures, and we evaluate the viability of recent democratic transitions.
2. Geopolitics and Nationalism. In the second section we will examine
historical and contemporary geopolitics – the struggle for control over
territory and resources; a primary goal of this section is to reach a better
understanding of
Course readings come from (1) the required text by Peter J.
Taylor and Colin Flint (T&F below), Political Geography, 4th
edition; and (2) electronic reserve. The
electronic reserves (listed below in CAPITAL LETTERS) can be accessed through a
link on our course web page. You will
need a valid CU ID number and your PIN to access these
online reserve readings.
Grades are assigned on the basis of:
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 40%
Term Paper 25%
Recitation 15% (quizzes, written assignments, attendance, participation)
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Political Geography: Course
Syllabus |
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Week
1 |
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Reading: |
T&F
1-48 |
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Aug
23 |
Lecture: |
Introduction |
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Aug
25 |
Lecture: |
World
Systems Theory (WST 1) |
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Week
2 |
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Reading: |
T&F
62-74, 105-144 |
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Aug
30 |
Lecture: |
WST
2 |
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Sep
1 |
Lecture: |
WST
3 |
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Week
3 |
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Notice: |
Thursday and Friday recitations meet as usual |
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Reading: |
Barber JIHAD MCWORLD |
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Ohmae CARTOGRAPHIC
ILLUSION |
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Sep
6 |
Lecture: |
Labor Day - No Classes |
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Sep
8 |
Lecture: |
Globalization
1 |
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Week
4 |
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Reading: |
Economist EXPELLED EDEN |
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Nutt FAIR TRADE |
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Watts CONJUNCTURES |
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Sep
13 |
Lecture: |
Globalization
2 |
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Sep
15 |
Lecture: |
Globalization
3 |
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Week
5 |
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Reading: |
Kaplan DEMOCRACY MOMENT |
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Zakaria ILLIBERAL
DEMOCRACY |
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Sep
20 |
Lecture: |
Democratization
1 |
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Sep
22 |
Lecture: |
Democratization
2 |
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Week
6 |
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Notice: |
No Recitation on Thursday or Friday |
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Reading: |
Taylor POLITICS OF FAILURE |
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Sep
27 |
Lecture: |
Democratization
3 |
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Sep
29 |
Lecture: |
Midterm Exam |
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Week
7 |
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Reading: |
Stratfor US
GEOPOLITICS |
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T&F 49-56 |
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Mackinder
GEOGRAPHICAL PIVOT |
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O'Tuathail THINKING
CRITICALLY |
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Oct
4 |
Lecture: |
Intro
to Geopolitics |
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Oct
6 |
Lecture: |
Anglo-American
Geopolitics |
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Week
8 |
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Reading: |
T&F 56-58 |
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Haushofer WHY
GEOPOLITIK |
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Oct
11 |
Lecture: |
German
Geopolitics |
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Oct
13 |
Lecture: |
German
Geopolitics |
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Week
9 |
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Reading: |
T&F
58-64, 74-88 |
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Optional: |
Kennan LONG TELEGRAM |
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Optional: |
NSC NSC-68 |
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Oct
18 |
Lecture: |
Cold
War Geopolitics |
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Oct
20 |
Lecture: |
Cold
War Geopolitics |
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Week
10 |
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Reading: |
T&F
89-104 |
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O'Loughlin CRUSH ZONE |
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Optional: |
Thomas NATO |
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Oct
25 |
Lecture: |
Post-Cold
War Geopolitics |
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Oct
27 |
Lecture: |
Post-Cold
War Geopolitics |
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Week
11 |
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Reading: |
Cordesman GEOPOLITICS
ENERGY |
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Economist ADDICTED TO OIL |
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Monthly
Review MAP US BASES |
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Optional: |
Economist PERILS ON THE SEA |
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Nov
1 |
Lecture: |
Geopolitics
of Oil |
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Nov
3 |
Lecture: |
Geopolitics
of Oil |
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Week
12 |
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Reading: |
Barnett PENTAGONS MAP |
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Donnelly REBUILDING AMERICA (Intro, Ch 1, 3) |
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Nye NEW ROME |
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Selfa FOG OF DECEPTION |
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Economist AMERICA MIDDLE EAST |
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Nov
8 |
Lecture: |
Post-9/11
Geopolitics |
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Nov
10 |
Lecture: |
Post
9/11 Geopolitics |
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Week
13 |
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Reading: |
T&F
192-234 |
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Nov
15 |
Lecture: |
Nationalism
1 |
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Nov
17 |
Lecture: |
Nationalilsm 2 |
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Week
14 |
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Notice: |
All Recitations Meet this week: T&W = R&F |
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Reading: |
Brass ELITE COMPETITION |
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Economist MILITANT ISLAM |
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Optional: |
Kolossov NEW BORDERS |
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Nov
22 |
Lecture: |
Nationalism
3 |
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Nov
24 |
Lecture: |
No Lecture |
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Week
15 |
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Reading: |
Nairn MALADIES OF DEV |
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Collier CIVIL WARS |
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Nov
29 |
Lecture: |
Nationalism
4 |
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Dec
1 |
Lecture: |
Nationalism
5 |
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Dec 3 |
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Papers Due 5 PM in Marco's Mailbox |
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Week
16 |
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Reading: |
O'Loughlin CONFLICT |
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Dec
6 |
Lecture: |
Conclusions |
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Dec
8 |
Lecture: |
Review |
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Dec 10 |
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Final Exam: 4:30 - 7:00 pm |