PSI.318 GEOPOLITICS Course Syllabus

Course Description and Aim: This elective course aims at providing the students with a greater understanding of the International Politics subdivision “geopolitics”, how it works, how it can be used to assess the capabilities of a state, a region, or a union of states in terms of their domestic and foreign policy orientations. Different aspects of the geopolitical approach will be analysed considering geographical, cultural, and temporal differences. The students are expected to finish this class with a greater knowledge on how to assess geopolitical issues, improve their understanding of foreign policy and international system analyses, and with a better level of  

Lecturer: Dr. Cem Karadeli. You can reach me at the Rektörlük, first floor (in both campuses); via e-mail at karadeli@cankaya.edu.tr, or via telephone: (0312) 284 1135.

Course Reading Materials: 1) Ó Tuathail, Gearóid, Simon Dalby, and Paul Routledge (editors), The Geopolitics Reader, Routledge, London and New York: 2003.
2) Chapman, B., Geopolitics: A Guide to the Issues, 2011 (Chapters 1, 2, 3).

3) Flint, Colin, Introduction to Geopolitics (Chapters 1, 3, 7).

4) Brown, JD, 9/11 and its Aftermath, 2004.

5) Falk, Richard A, Declining World Order, 2004 (Chapters 1, 4, 12).

6) Friedman, George, The Next 100 Years, 2009 (Chapters 2, 4, 8).

7) Agnew, John, Geopolitics, 1998 (Chapters 1, 4, 5).
 

Course’s Weekly Schedule:

   Weeks:

1. Introduction to Geopolitics
2. Framework to Understand Geopolitics – Geography, Geopolitics, Geostrategy
3. Visualisation of Global Space
4. Three Ages of Geopolitics and Imperial Geopolitics – 1
5. Imperial Geopolitics -2
6. Cold War Geopolitics
7. Midterm Exam
8. Emerging and Actual Geopolitical Hotspots
9. Future of State and State System
10. Global Civil Society
11. September 11 and Post-International World
12. The concept of Modern Empire and its Cultural Implications
13. Reordering the World System
14. General Evaluation

Attendance and General Rules: Attendance is not a must but highly recommended as it is an elective course and depends on student contribution and in-class discussions as much as the textbook. All university rules as well as basic rules of courtesy apply in class.

Exams and Evaluation: There will be three 5-page essays during the semester and a final exam. The total grade of the papers will count for 60% and the final examination will count as 40% of the course's total grade.