POL380H1F L5101

Topics in International Politics

Global Security

Themes

The field of security studies has undergone enormous changes since the end of the Cold War. Contemporary security studies is asking new questions raised by the big changes taking place in global politics. Some of these new questions include: What and who poses threats to global security? Whose security should we be most concerned about? Has the world become more secure since the Cold War? How do major developments in global politics such as globalization, climate change, epidemic disease, transnational terrorism, complex peace operations, humanitarian interventions and the emergence of new regional powers affect global security? While some of these changes are new developments in the international system, others are part of long-standing historical patterns.
This course will examine these and other issues within security studies. It will provide a survey of contemporary security theory, and situate trends and issues in global security within that theory. Changes in the study of, and how we think about, security during and since the Cold War era will be examined, with particular emphasis upon the changing sources and objects of security.

Texts

No Core Texts.

Format and Requirements

Geography quiz (10%); seminar participation (20%); critical reflection piece on one week’s readings, 5pgs (25%); in-class presentation (15%); take-home test, 10pgs (30%).

Prerequisites

POL208H1 or POL208Y1 or POL209H5 or POLB80H3