introduction to politics and globalization
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Introduction to Politics and Globalization. Spring 2012. Dr Daniel Pierre-Antoine. Introduction to politics & globalization Course organization & requirements. Today. General remarks. Who/what is “global politics” about?. A complex world Many actors & issues Conflict & cooperation - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Introduction to Politics and Politics and GlobalizationGlobalizationDr Daniel Pierre-Antoine
Spring 2012
• Introduction to politics & globalization
• Course organization & requirements
TodayToday
General remarksGeneral remarks
Who/what is “global politics” about?Who/what is “global politics” about?
• A complex world
• Many actors & issues
• Conflict & cooperation
• The need to define politics…
Actors•Corporations•Indigenous peoples•Intergovernmental organizations•Individuals•Nations•Non-governmental organizations*•Organized crime syndicates•States•Workers•Tourists
Issues•Arms & arms control•Cooperation•Culture •Democracy•Diplomacy•Environment•Finance•Human rights•International law•Migration•Terrorism•Trade •War
Defining politicsDefining politics
• Life in a polis, hence politics
• “Who gets what, when, and how” (H. Lasswell)
• Any discussion about the “good life”
• Conflicts of worldview, values & interests
• Power relations
• Treating the state as the main actor
• Looking at the state – its government– what it says– what it does
• Assuming that the state is the only voice in international affairs
• Focusing on “high politics” (diplomacy & defence) & downplaying the rest
State-centrism: A bad habitState-centrism: A bad habit
Characteristics of the stateCharacteristics of the state
• An idealized view1. Government2. Defined territory3. Permanent population4. Monopoly of legitimate use of force
internally & externally5. Recognition by other states
• A gross oversimplification
• Country, state, nation-state: moral persons (as opposed to natural persons)
ex.: Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Tuvalu
• Nation, people: population that inhabits a country/state/nation-state
ex.: the Burkinabè, Canadians, the Chinese, Tuvaluans
• Government: group of people & institutions that rule a country/state/nation-state* and its population
The need to clarify some often-The need to clarify some often-misused termsmisused terms
Explaining the Explaining the obsession with the stateobsession with the state
The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648
• Result of the Protestant Reformation
• A 3-way conflict
• Most European states involved
ProtestantProtestantstatesstates
CatholicsCatholicsstatesstates
Holy SeeHoly See(Vatican)(Vatican)
War War
Dispute
The Peace of Westphalia (1648) & The Peace of Westphalia (1648) & sovereigntysovereignty
• Holy See & Catholic states recognize Protestant states
• Catholic states recognize Holy See’s spiritual power…
• But get political independence
• The obvious result: – governments get choose the
official religion– and make other decisions
independently of the Holy See
(document, text, signing ceremony)
State sovereignty State sovereignty & the international system& the international system
• Ideal conditions– ability to manage its internal affairs – ability to represent itself independently
externally– a principle of non-interference by other
states• States are basic political & legal units of
the system– Hence the expressions “international
system”, “interstate system”, “Westphalian system”
Painting a Painting a more accurate picturemore accurate picture
““Globalization” & global politicsGlobalization” & global politics
• Often used, seldom defined• Invoked as a
– source of peace, wealth, freedom, democracy & apple pie
– cause of social, economic, environmental problems & bad-hair days
• In reality– not necessarily good or bad– multidimensional
Defining globalizationDefining globalization
• Steger’s definition:
“The term globalization applies to a set of social processes that appear to transform our present social condition of weakening nationality into one of globality. At its core, then, globalization is about shifting forms of human contact.” Manfred Steger, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, p. 9
Defining globalizationDefining globalization
David Held and Anthony McGrew’s definition:“…the term globalization captures
elements of a widespread perception that there is a broadening, deepening and speeding up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of life, from the cultural to the criminal, the financial to the environmental. At issue appears to be 'a global shift'; that is, a world being moulded by economic and technological forces into a shared economic and political arena”, David Held and Anthony McGrew, “What is Globalization” http://www.polity.co.uk/global/whatisglobalization.asp
Multiple dimensions of globalizationMultiple dimensions of globalization
SecurityWar, civil war, arms races/arms control, terrorism, organized
crime
Politics, ideology, culture
International law and organizations, demo-
cratization, human rights, religion,
migration
EconomyTrade, finance, development, employment
EnvironmentPollution, global
warming, ozone de-pletion, deforestation, water scarcity, farm-
land scarcity
• Countless actors involved
• Opportunities for conflict & fragmentation
• Opportunities for cooperation
The importance of consciousnessThe importance of consciousness
• Relations across the world are not new
• But growing consciousness of them– invention of the word “globalization” (c. 1989)– frequency of use of the word “globalization”
• Globalization affects…– people’s thinking– people’s actions
Earlier forms Earlier forms of globalization?of globalization?
Roman Empire, c. 117 ADRoman Empire, c. 117 AD
Muslim empire, c. 750 ADMuslim empire, c. 750 AD
Muslim commercial routes, c. 800-1200Muslim commercial routes, c. 800-1200
Mongol empire, 1200sMongol empire, 1200s
European explorations, 1420-1580European explorations, 1420-1580
Major European trade routes, 1400-1800Major European trade routes, 1400-1800
European empires, 1850-1914European empires, 1850-1914
In sum…In sum…
• A very complex world
• Many issues
• Many different actors
• Many different problems
Course organization Course organization & requirements& requirements
Contact informationContact information
• Last name: Pierre-Antoine
• First name: Daniel
• Availability: Tuesday 12:30-13:30, DMS 9113
• Web: Virtual Campus
Course organizationCourse organization
• Material– “political”* issues, lectures 2-6– “economic”* issues, lectures 7-12
• Lectures– 2 related topics (usually)– break– discussion
* * These are artificial differences
ReadingsReadings
• Compulsory & equally important
• Complement the lectures
• One textbook bundle at The Agora bookstore (145 Besserer St.)– Steven Spiegel et al., World Politics in a New Era 5th Ed.
(Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009)– Manfred Steger, Globalization: A Very Short
Introduction 2nd Ed. (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009)
• Other readings– Online: as indicated on the syllabus
• 8 discussion groups (15%)• starting 8 May• attendance is compulsory• days without discussion are indicated on the syllabus
• Midterm exam (35%)• 22 May, usual room, usual time• covers material from lectures 1-5• duration: 2 hours
• Final exam (50%)• 12 June, 9:00-12:00, ART 026• cumulative• duration: 3 hours
Dotting Dotting II’s and crossing ’s and crossing TT’s’s
• Grades & scholarships
• Email & office consultations etiquette
• University lectures can’t compete with entertainment & leisure
ConclusionConclusion
• For info, always check – the syllabus– the website– 95% of answers are there
• Do the readings regularly
• Attend classes
Questions?Questions?
Next class: War & security