Political Science 120 World Politics
Fall 2008 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Brian Dille
Office: MCC, Dobson & Main Campus, SCO 74
Office Phone: 480-461-7065, cell 480-694-3251
Email: bdille@mail.mc.maricopa.edu
Web Page www.mc.maricopa.edu/~bdille/
Virtual Office Hours: Since this is an on-line class, please email me if you have any questions. I will be on-line between 9 and 10 am MST daily. You are also welcome to call me. If you need to speak with me in person, call or email me and we can arrange an appointment at my office.
Course Description
September 11.The events of that day were so significant that just repeating the date brings a host of images, concepts, and emotions to the surface. Much of what Americans thought to be important prior to that day has been forgotten, while other topics that had been habitually ignored for over a decade have returned to prominence. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor at the outset of World War Two, the attacks of September 11 jolted Americans to a renewed awareness that there is an entire world outside of our borders. With this recognition comes several questions. Why are we the target of such attacks? What are the opportunities as well as the risks of globalization? Is there a global community? Is mutual gain possible in a world divided by arms? Why do nations go to war, and how can wars end? These are the perennial questions facing those who try to understand the world around them. This course focuses on the problems and challenges facing the global community in this new era. We will focus on several crucial issues — such as international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, negotiation strategies, ethnic and regional conflicts, human rights abuses, and environmental degradation. Throughout the course, our focus will be on how these international issues reach into your life and the need for you to understand them. Through readings, activities, and exercises you will gain a better understanding of the issues and dynamics of international relations. It is the goal of this course to provide you with the intellectual tools you will need to take part in the conversation on the future of the world and your role in it.
