printer friendly pagePOLISCI 242A: Why is Africa Poor?
Living standards around the world have increased, in many cases exponentially, throughout the previous century. Yet sub-Saharan Africa remains, by a considerable margin, the poorest region on Earth. This course asks three questions: Why is Africa poor? When did it become so? And will it remain so for the foreseeable future? The course draws on a range of social science disciplines, including anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology, to offer tentative answers.
Last offered: Spring 2015
POLISCI 242C: Corruption, Conflict and Financial Crisis: Contemporary Global Politics and Journalism
This course offers students interested in contemporary global politics a unique introduction to the critical analysis of current events through the lens of award-winning non-fiction writing. Each week, we will explore a new political issue crucial to understanding today¿s world by reading some of the most gripping (and best written!) first- and second-hand narratives of these events, as recounted by journalists, academics and documentarians working in the field. Topics will include: global poverty, the overthrow of authoritarian regimes, terrorism, genocide and crimes against humanity, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, financial crises, and political corruption. In class, students will discuss the readings and learn to apply major social scientific theories to systematically analyze these complex political issues. Through this course, students will not only gain exposure to some exemplary writing on topics of current importance, but also acquire the skills and tools necessary to understand some of the most intractable and interesting problems in the world today.
Last offered: Summer 2013
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