MVZ481 Technology and International Relations

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2014
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Eszter Simon, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Veronika Velička Zapletalová, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Petr Kaniok, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 17:00–18:30 U35
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 24 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/24, only registered: 0/24
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Course Description The aim of this course is to introduce students to different aspects of the relationship of technology and international politics. Instead of aiming at providing a survey of the subject matter, the course focuses on a great deal of different topics and intends to discuss the ethical, policy and other dilemmas concerning these topics. Topics include the exploration of space, arms control, drones, and twitter in international relations. Nonetheless, the literature review assignments will allow students to familiarize with two topics of their choice more thoroughly. Learning out comes By the end of the course students will be able to: * discuss read research articles effectively * identify different approaches taken to the examination of relationship of technology and international politics * examine different topics from multiple angles * evaluate and organize bodies of scholarly work Required readings There are no textbooks for this course. Students will read original research papers provided by the instructor.
Syllabus
  • Class schedule: Week 1 (September 16). Introduction Discussing expectations and course requirements Week 2 (September 23): Literature review Jeffrey A. Knpof. 2006. “Doing A Literature Review.” PS: Political Science & Politics 39 (1): + examples Week 3 (September 30): Technology and IR in Fiction Mark D. Hamilton. 2006. “Poli Sci Fi 101. Intergalactic Relations and the Politics of Outer Space: Policy Lessons from Science Fiction and Space Fantasy.” Paper Presented at the 47th Annual ISA Convention San Diego, California, March 22-25. Barry Buzan. 2010. America in Space. The International Relations of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.” Millennium – Journal of International Studies 39 (1): 175-180. Week 4 (October 7): Outer space and arms control Columba Peoples. 2010. “The Securitization of Outer Space: Challenges for Arms Control.” University of Bristol, Working Paper No. 02-10. Week 5 (October 14). Missile Defense Guest lecturer: Vendula Vespalcová TBA TOPIC AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THHE FIRST LITERATURE REVIEW IS DUE BY OCTOBER 16 (THURSDAY) MIDNIGHT Week 6 (October 21): Nuclear weapons Scott D. Sagan. 1996/97. “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons? Three Models in Search of a Bomb.” International Security 21(3): 54-86. Week 7 (October 28): NO CLASS (Public holiday) – Reading week FIRST LITERATURE REVIEW DUE BY OCTOBER 30 (THURSDAY) MIDNIGHT Week 8 (November 4). Drones Roger Stahl. 2013. “What the drone saw: the cultural optics of the unmanned war.” Australian Journal of International Affairs 67 (5): 659-674. Daniel Brunstetter and Megan Braun. 2011. “The Implications of Drones on the Just War Tradition.” Ethics & International Relations 25 (3): 337-358. Week 9 (November 11): Weather modification Ronald E. Doel and Kristine C. Harper. 2006. “Prometheus Unleashed: Science as a Diplomatic Weapon in the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration.” In Global Power Knowledge. Science and Technology in International Affairs. Edited by John Krige and Kai-Henrik Barth. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago University Press, 66-85. Week 10 (November 18): Science diplomacy Frank L. Smith. 2014. “Advancing science diplomacy: Indonesia and the US Naval Medical Research Unit.” Social Studies of Science online first. Week 11 (November 25): Private crisis communication Simon Eszter and Simon Agnes. 2014. “The Significance of Hotlines: The Soviet Use of the Hotline in the Six-Day War.” Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Studies Association, March. TOPIC AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE SECOND LITERATURE REVIEW IS DUE BY NOVEMBER 27 (THURSDAY) MIDNIGHT Week 12 (December 2): Public crisis communication Andrew Crooks, David Masad, Arie Croitoru, Amy Cotnoir, Anthony Stefanidis, and Jacek Radzikowski. 2014. “Public crisis communication Andrew Crooks, David Masad, Arie Croitoru, Amy Cotnoir, Anthony Stefanidis, and Jacek Radzikowski.” Social Science Computer Review 32 (2): 205-220. Gloria Mark, Mossaab Bagdouri, Leysia Palen, James Martin, Ban Al-Ani, Kenneth Anderson. 2012. “Blogs as a Collective War Diary.” Proceedings of CSCW, Seattle, WA, February 11-15. Week 13 (December 9): NO CLASS – Individual student work SECOND LITERATURE REVIEW IS DUE BY DECEMBER 16 (TUESDAY).
Teaching methods
experiential learning, team and group work, in-class discussions.
Assessment methods
Requirements: The final grade is going to be made up of the following components and weights: Participation: 20% Quizzes: 30% Literature review 1: 25% Literature review 2: 25% Detailed Requirements: • Attendance Students may only miss two classes during the term. A student who missed more will automatically fail the course. Additional absences maybe excused if the student is able to show adequate documentation of a valid reason (doctors’ note, funeral note etc.). In this case, the instructor will discuss with the student the extra work students need to do to make up for the missed classes. • Active Participation: Since this course is based on the seminar format, its success heavily depends on the active contribution of each student. Therefore, students are expected to actively participate in class by asking and answering questions, working with each other, and offering comments on the readings and related issues. Students will not be evaluated on the basis of the correctness of their contributions. To foster in-class participation, students must bring a copy of the required readings to class. Although the most helpful is to bring a printed and marked-up copy to class, students are allowed to work with electronic versions in class (please note that use of smart phones are not allowed in the classroom). • Quizzes Except on weeks 1, 7 and 13 students will write a quiz at the beginning of each class. The aim of these quizzes is to make sure that students prepared adequately for the class, i.e. have done the readings. The quiz will not test deep understanding, only the general ideas in the article. Each quiz will have 5 questions worth of 20 points (Total of 100) and students will have8 minutes to complete them. Student must write at least 8 out of the 10 quizzes. Quizzes will only be offered once in class. Students will score zero on quizzes they missed, and the worst two quiz results will be automatically dropped before calculating the final grade. The best way to prepare for these quizzes is to read the texts, underline important parts, take notes, and revise notes prior to class. • Literature review 1 Graduate students are required to be able to handle and critically assess scholarly material in the form of literature reviews at least in their dissertations. The literature review 1 and 2 assignments serve to prepare students for this as well as make students to learn more about two of the topics discussed in class. During week 2 the class will discuss the nuts and bolts of doing literature reviews, and during the term, students will write two literature reviews. Literature review 1 may cover any topics and fields that are related to topics discussed during weeks 3, 4, 5, and 6. Student will first submit a topic and a bibliography by week 5, and then the literature review by week 7. The bibliography should contain 15 potential articles for review. Literature reviews will discuss 10 scholarly articles (or books) and be between 1000-1200 words. They should adhere to rules of referencing following the APSA (Chicago) style manual at http://www.apsanet.org/media/PDFs/Publications/APSAStyleManual2006.pdf. • Literature review 2 Students will have a chance to improve their literature review skills by writing a second literature review where they are expected to build on the feedback written for literature review 1. Students will submit a topic and a literature review by week 11 and the review by December 16. Criteria are identical with those of literature review 2. General guidelines: • Deadlines are mandatory. • Exercises and tasks cannot be resubmitted. If the task is unclear or the student has questions regarding their execution, they should ask the instructor in person or via email prior to the deadline. • A student may ask for a deadline extension once during the term regarding assignments related to the literature reviews (quizzes can only be written at fixed times at the beginning of the class) prior to the deadline. Note that extension requested on one task (e.g. bibliography does not mean an extension on the follow-up task, i.e. the review itself). • Unless the instructor directs students otherwise, assignments should be solved on an individual basis. • Plagiarism is unacceptable academic practice and will result in serious punishment. The uncredited quotation of work by someone else, including the work of fellow students, exhausts the definition of plagiarism. • Assignments handed in without containing the names of their authors will not be graded. (Special attention should be paid to electronically submitted material: student work should be identifiable even after printing. In other words, students should include their name in the file name and inside the file). • Laptops and tablets maybe used in class for course-related work. Any other technical equipment, including smart phones, phones, mp3 players – are not allowed in the classrooms. Phones should be turned off or muted. Should students use laptops, tablets, or other technical equipment for purposes not related to the class – such as emailing, social networking, browsing –, the instructor will instruct the student to turn off the equipment. A second request to the same student will result in lack of attendance for the given class.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught only once.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2013.
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