Jacqueline McAllister

This course is an introduction to the study of international relations. It first provides students with the analytical tools and concepts necessary to understand and explain the interactions of states and other actors in the international system. It then explores some of the most pressing political problems and challenges in the modern international system. The course discusses issues such as the importance of power in the international system; the origins of war and peace; the challenges of the new global economy; security and terrorism; and the implications of these trends for the 21st century. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or first-year students currently enrolled in PSCI 102Y. Offered every year.

Since 1945, the vast majority of conflicts have taken place within states. Indeed, by the 1970s, civil wars or wars within states had become the dominant form of warfare, noteworthy both for their intensity and duration. This course surveys theories about the causes, process, management and resolution of this pervasive form of modern conflict. It also looks at how the international community has and continues to deal with these conflicts, focusing on such topics as peacekeeping, the (adverse) effects of humanitarian aid and transitional justice. Historical and contemporary civil wars, ranging from the Yugoslav War to the conflict in the Sudan, serve as case studies, which we analyze in depth. The course aims to provide students with strong theoretical and historical foundations, which can assist them in recognizing the difficult choices policy-makers face when intervening in civil wars. For instance, students come to appreciate the tension between states' rights, human rights and whether to intervene in a civil war. Students should walk away from the course prepared to think through policy options associated with the prevention, management and resolution of civil wars. This counts toward the comparative politics/international relations requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.

Human rights represent an incredibly powerful idea that is a source of great controversy in contemporary world politics. Seeking to avert the horrors of another world war, state officials came together in the late 1940s to craft a body of laws governing what rights humans are entitled to, simply on the basis of being human. These laws embody aspirations of what it means to live a life of dignity. They additionally constitute important political tools that an array of actors in world politics have mobilized around to achieve different goals. However, human-rights law and norms face challenges. In particular, questions of whether rights apply universally persist. Moreover, there is a disconnect between the aspiration and realization of human rights in practice. This struggle over human-rights, what they mean and their realization represent the foci of the course. First, we explore the foundations of the modern human-rights regime in history and theory. Next, we examine how the human-rights regime operates. Last, we study a number of human-rights issues, ranging from torture debates to women’s and children’s rights. Students perform a simulation on a major human-rights issue. This counts toward the comparative politics/international relations or seminar requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Junior standing.

International organizations are essential, yet controversial actors in world politics. At the start of the 21st century, there were over 50,000 international organizations working on an array of issues. Their work affects the lives of billions of people. Consider any contemporary war, trade dispute, financial crisis, human-rights issue or environmental concern and international organizations are likely involved, if not playing a central role. They work to halt war crimes, rebuild war-torn societies, reduce extreme poverty and disease, promote gender equality, help states mediate environmental problems and overcome financial crises. International organizations have nonetheless been subject to relentless criticism, with critics claiming that they aggravate the very problems they are supposed to solve. This course explores the role of international organizations in world politics. We look at how past and current international organizations have grappled with a host of issues, ranging from international trade to humanitarian intervention. Students learn about the origins, politics and effects of diverse international organizations, including the Bretton Woods institutions (the International Monetary Fund and World Bank), the World Trade Organization, various United Nations agencies, the International Criminal Court, civil society organizations and select regional organizations. This counts toward the comparative politics/international relations or seminar requirement for the major and the law and society concentration. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.

Few observers of the blood-soaked years since the dawn of the 20th century would disagree with South African activist and theologian Desmond Tutu’s famous quote that “As human beings, we have the most extraordinary capacity for evil.” Wars, coups, government repression, and their horrific aftermath have scarred millions of lives. In 1945, international officials sought to respond to such suffering by formally establishing the first official international criminal tribunal (ICT) in Nuremberg, and subsequently in Tokyo. Both tribunals triggered a fierce debate — which played out on Kenyon’s campus — about the role of international criminal law (ICL) in world politics, and whether ICL truly existed given that there was no permanent, global court capable of universally enforcing it. Today, this picture is fundamentally different. After the Cold War, international officials established new generations of ICTs, culminating with the creation of the permanent International Criminal Court. Yet, concerns about global criminal justice efforts — some of which were raised in the context of the trials at Nuremberg and Tokyo — remain. This course explores the promise and pitfalls of global criminal justice efforts. The first part of the course introduces students to key concepts and perspectives on the role of ICL in contemporary world politics. In part II, students learn about the “core” international crimes (i.e., genocide, crimes against humanity war crimes, and the crime of aggression). In part III, we critically examine diverse efforts to enforce ICL through different generations of ICTs and domestic and foreign courts, as well as investigative mechanisms. This course counts toward the comparative politics, international relations or seminar requirement for the major. No prerequisite; PSCI 260 is recommended. Junior standing. Generally, this course is offered every two years.\n

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