Watson Institute for International StudiesBrown University

The Tracks

A. Global Security

This track focuses on issues of war and peace in international relations and the politics and diplomacy of foreign policymaking. Critical security issues are investigated not only as conflicts among states but as effects of new global actors, trans-border flows, and complex networks. It includes the increasingly important role of international, transnational, and non-governmental organizations at both the regional and global levels. The global security track is intended for students interested in getting a general overview of the key theoretical approaches and major issues of international relations. It allows considerable flexibility in choosing courses primarily, though not exclusively, in the disciplines of history and political science and from those sponsored by the IR Program. Note: Not all courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

Keystone Courses

ANTH1232 War and Society
POLS  1390 International Organization and World Politics
POLS  1480

Theories of International Relations

POLS 1560 American Foreign Policy

2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Anthropology (ANTH)

1224

Human Trafficking, Transnationalism & the Law

1232 War and Society
1251 Violence and The Media
1450 Living With Conflict

History (HIST)
970P Culture and U.S. Empire
1120 Revolution from Below: Political Violence in Southern Europe and the Balkans
1350 Modern Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity
1420 Twentieth-Century Russia
1460 History of the Modern Middle East since 1918
1520B Twentieth Century China
1570 Japan's Pacific War: 1937-1945
1580 Making of Modern South Asia
1630 Modern Latin America I
1890 Empires in America to 1890
1900 American Empire since 1890
1973Z Colonialism, War, and Memory in East Asia
1973Q Stalinism
1974P Hannah Arendt and Her World
1972R Politics and Culture Under the Brazilian Military Dictatorship, 1964-1985
1975B The USSR and the Cold War

International Relations (INTL)
1050 Globalization, Governance, and Equality
1100 The Contemporary Transformation of the Modern State's Security Apparatus: Critical Perspectives
1150 The City & The World: The Legal Aspects of the Globalization of Cities
1280 Global Security after the Cold War/altern. as POLS1410
1350 History and Theory of International Relations
1700 International Law
1800A International Human Rights
1800B Inter-Korean Relations and the Evolution of the 'Stable' Nuclear Crisis
1800D The Chinese Democracy Movement in the 20th Century
1800F Perspectives on Terrorism
1800I Global Migration and Citizenship
1800K The American Military: Global Supremacy, Democracy and Leadership
1800N Global Media: History/Theory/Production
1800O Central Asian Security
1800Q The Nuclear Revolution Revisited
1800R Post-Soviet States From the Past into the Future
1800S The Vietnam War Revisited
1800U Political Community Beyond the State: Challenges, Changes in a Globalizing Era
1800V The U.S. in World Politics
1800Y Human Rights: From Politics to Law
1801C Globalization and Sovereignty
1801E War in Anthropological Perspective

Judaic Studies (JUDS)
0650 History of Zionism and the Birth of Israel
0980P Arab-Israel Conflict

Latin American Studies (LAST)
1510F The Institutions of Justice and Democracy in Latin America

Political Science (POLS)
1020

Politics of the Illicit Global Economy
1220 Post Soviet States

1290

Politics of East Asia

1380 Ethnic Politics and Conflict
1390 International Organization and World Politics
1400 North Atlantic Politics After the Cold War: Europe, America, Transatlantic Relations
1410 Global Security after the Cold War/altern. as INTL1280
1480 Theories of International Relations
1500 International Law and Politics of Human Rights
1550 Intelligence and Economic Espionage
1560 American Foreign Policy
1820B Roots of Radical Islam
1820H Contraband Capitalism
1820N International Relations in Europe
1820V Middle East Diplomacy
1820Y Politics in Israel
1821L International Relations of Russia and the States of Eurasia
1821M War in Film and Literature
1821P Political Psychology of International Relations
1821Q The United States in World Politics
1821R State Sovereignty and International Law
1821Z East European States: Domestic Politics and East European Integration
1821 Preventing Violent Conflict

Portuguese and Brazilian Studies (POBS)
1600M Immigration in Southern Europe: The Case of Portugal
1600O Power, Segregation and Mobility under Late Portuguese Colonialism and Its  Aftermath

Religious Studies (RELS)

1500 Islam and Politics in the Modern World

Recommended Language Dept. Electives for GS (must be 1000+ level)
FREN  1710 France-Afrique/Afrique-France: Je t'aime moi non plus
GRMN1660M What Was Socialism? From Marx to "Goodbye Lenin"

Recommended Language Dept. Regional course for GS
CZCH0610 Topics course about war, revolution and national identity in Czech culture

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B. Political Economy and Development

The Political Economy and Development track focuses on the interaction of political and economic processes at the international and domestic levels. It provides a set of courses primarily in economics, political science, and sociology that allows students to understand the rapidly changing world of political economy. The track covers such issues as the evolution of international trade and finance regimes, the impact of globalization, the challenge of development in the Global South and in the former Communist countries, and trends toward integration in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Note: Not all of the courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

Keystone Courses

ANTH 1320 Anthro & Int'l Devmt: Ethnographic Perspectives
ECON  1500 Current Global Macroeconomic Challenges
ECON  1510 Economic Development
POLS    1420 Money and Power in the International Political Economy
POLS    1450 Political Economy of Development
SOC      1600 Comparative Development


2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Anthropology (ANTH)

1020 AIDS in International Perspective
1320 Anthropology and International Development: Ethnographic Perspectives on Poverty and Progress

Development Studies (DEVL)

1800C Labor Regulation and Globalization

Economics (ECON)

0510 Development and the International Economy
1250 Political Economy
1410 Urban Economics
1460 Industrial Organization
1500 Current Global Macroeconomic Challenges
1510 Economic Development
1530 Health, Hunger and the Household in Developing Countries
1540 International Trade
1550 International Finance
1560 Economic Growth
1580 Comparative Economic Systems
1600 Economics of the Middle East
1760 Financial Institutions
1850 Theory of Economic Growth

Environmental Studies (ENVS)
1350 Environmental Economics and Policy


History (HIST)

1090 The Industrial Revolution in 18th Century and 19th Century Europe
1970 African Environmental History

International Relations (INTL)

1200 The Law of International Trade Regulation
1800 The International Monetary System and Financial Crises
1800X Gender and Work in the New Economy
1800W Population and Environment in China
1800Z Transnational Law and Global Business Regulation
1801A International Law and the Third World

Political Science (POLS)

1020                 Politics of the Illicit Global Economy  

1240

Politics, Markets, and States in Developing Countries
1280 Politics, Economy and Society in India
1420 Money and Power in the International Political Economy
1450 Political Economy of Development
1460 International Political Economy
1820A Politics and Welfare in the New Democracies of Eastern Europe and Latin America
1820D Politics of Globalization
1820H Contraband Capitalism: States and Illegal Global Markets
1821L International Relations of Russia and the States of Eurasia
1821O Politics of Economic Development in Asia
1821X The Politics of Social Welfare in the Middle East

Population/Urbanization

0142

Urbanization in China

Public Health (PHP)

1070

Burden of Disease in Developing Countries

Public Policy & American Institutions

1520 Law and Economic Development: Theory, Policy, and Institutions

Sociology (SOC)

0150

Economic Development and Social Change

0200 Population and Society
1170 Corporations and Global Cities
1310 Social Change in Latin America
1500 Bureacracy and Society
1600 Comparative Development
1620 Globalization and Social Conflict
1870F Households, Work, and Gender
1870 Business Networks in Asia
1870 States, Int'l Organizations and Firms in the Global Economy
1870 Globalization and Social Conflicts
1870 Sociological Perspectives on Mexico-United States Migration
1870 The Politics of Global Finance

 

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C. Politics, Culture, and Identity

This track arises out of the Watson Institute's Politics, Culture, and Identity Program (PCI), which focuses on the comparative study of sociocultural shaping of politics and the politics of culture. The PCI track combines a foundation in anthropology with cutting edge scholarship from numerous disciplines, including the humanities. The track seeks a transnational and contextualized understanding of the way institutions, social movements, and communities produce knowledge about the world. It focuses on the fluid, constructed, and politicized character of identity, international norms, policies, and crises. It also draws on courses that discuss the important roles that religion, race, ethnicity, class, nationalism, and gender play in political life. Note: Not all of the courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

Keystone Courses
ANTH 1230 Political Anthropology
ANTH 1232 War and Society

ANTH 1233

Ethnographies of Global Connection: Politics, Culture and International Relations
ANTH 1322 Human Rights, Social Justice & Humanitarian Intervention: The Anthropology of Global Aid
POLS   1380 Ethnic Politics and Conflict


2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Africana Studies (AFRI)

1020C The Afro-Luso-Brazilian Triangle
1600 History, Nation, Popular Culture and Caribbean Politics
1800 Race, Empire and Modernity

Anthropology (ANTH)
0110 Anthropology and Global Social Problems
0300 Culture & Health
1020 AIDS in International Perspective
1100 Peoples of the Ice: Circumpolar Ethnography
1110 Africa in Anthropological Perspective
1120 Peoples and Cultures of the Americas
1130 Peoples & Cultures of S.E. Asia
1133 Ethnonationalism: The Asian Arena
1220 Comparative Sex Roles
1224 Human Trafficking, Transnationalism, and the Law
1230 Political Anthropology
1232 War and Society

1233

Ethnographies of Global Connection: Politics, Culture and International Relations
1236 Political Anthropology
1250 Film and Anthropology: Identity and Images of Indian Societies
1251 Violence and the Media
1310 International Health: Anthropological Perspectives
1320 Anthropology and International Development: Ethnographic Perspectives on Poverty and Progress
1322 Human Rights, Social Justice, & Humanitarian Intervention: The Anthropology of Global Aid
1330 Ethnographics of Global Connection: PC and IR
1480 Living with Conflict
1810 Language and Power
2000 History of Ethnological Theory

Comparative Literature (COLT)
1410G Balkan Cinema: Shooting War, Conflict and Identity
1810K Police, Nation and Novel in Modern Egypt
1811M Michel Foucault and Comparative Thinking
1811P Literature and resistance: revolt in the time of oppression
2820G Mimeticism and cross-cultural representation
2820K Action Network and Literature

English (ENGL)
1510 Literature and the Culture of Capitalism

French Studies (FREN)
0750 Literature and Social Thought: Le Roman Policier
1720A Disenchantment and Melancholia in Postcolonial Africa

Hispanic Studies(HISP)
1330 Transatlantic Colonial Encounters

History (HIST)

1120 Revolution From Below: Political Violence in Southern Europe and the Balkans
1300 Victorian Britain: Liberalism, Morality and Empire
1310 From Empire to Cool Britannia: 20th Century Britain
1350 Modern Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity
1420 20th Century Russia
1450 History of the Modern Middle East 1800-1918
1460 History of the Modern Middle East since 1918
1470 Southern African History
1570 Japan's Pacific War
1580 Making of Modern South Asia
1590 Recovering Early South Asia
1630 Modern Latin American History I
1640 Clash of Empires in Latin America
1670 History of Brazil
1890 History of American Foreign Relations I
1900 History of American Foreign Relations II
1950 European Empires in the East 1500-1800: A comparative analysis
1970 Seminars in Interpretation in History - Check w/track advisor
1975Q Taiwan: Past and Present

International Relations (INTL)
1050 Globalization, Governance, and Equality
1800E The Good Fight: Documentary Work and Social Change
1800G The Environment-Development Connection
1800J Identity, Rights and Conflict
1800N Global Media: History/Theory/Production
1800T Fundamentals of American Legal Thought and their Int'l Impact
1801A International Law and the Third World
1801G Nationalism, Colonialism, Religion, and International Law

Judaic Studies (JUDS)
0390 Holocaust Literature
0650 History of Zionism and the Birth of Israel
0870 Israeli Society

Modern Culture and Media (MCM)
1200O Narrative Theory
1201B Ethnography, Travel, Film
1501I Reading Marx
1502C Race and/as spectacle
2510B Cinema, State and Global Violence

Political Science (POLS)
1380 Ethnic Politics and Conflict
1820B Roots of Radical Islam
1820U Language Policy & Politics in Linguistically Plural Divided Societies
1820Y Politics in Israel
1821L International Relations of Russia and the States of Eurasia
1821P Political Psychology of International Relations
1821X The Politics of Social Welfare in the Middle East

Portuguese and Brazilian Studies (POBS)
1600K On the Dawn of Modernity
1600O Power ,Segregation and Mobility
1750 Language, Culture and Society

Public Health (PHP)

1070

Burden of Disease in Developing Countries


Religious Studies (RELS)

1600 Fundamentalism and Modernity

Slavic Languages (RUSS)
1250 Russian Cinema

Sociology (SOC)
1270 Race, Class and Ethnicity in the Modern World
1330 Remaking the City (Logan)
1620 Globalization and Social Conflict

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