PSC380.35 Indigenous People in Chile: Borders, Policies and Resistance

PSC380.34 Sustainability: Politics and Knowledge

Taught in Spanish at the Pontificia Universidad Católica; may not be offered every semester. 

Syracuse Political Science majors: This course may count toward the Comparative Politics or Political Economy concentration.

(PUC #SOL218)

PSC380.33 Water in Chile: Use, Management and Conflicts

Taught in Spanish at the Pontificia Universidad Católica; may not be offered every semester. 

Syracuse Political Science majors: This course may count toward the Comparative Politics or Public Policy concentration.

(PUC #DER107)

PSC300.4 Climate Change & Human Rights: Italian and Global Perspectives (Fall, Spring)

Heatwaves, droughts, fires, floods and catastrophic storms. Like many countries around the globe, Italy faces multiple threats from climate change.

This course investigates the causes, effects and subsequent actions to address climate change from the international to the individual level. Through example-based learning, students will become active participants in the ongoing climate change discourse. Starting from the Italian perspective, this course provides participants with essential knowledge on climate science, international climate diplomacy, and human rights. It explores the connections between these major challenges, and explains how Italy fits in the larger context of global efforts to address climate change.

Cross-listed with GEO 300.4.

PSC331 War, Diplomacy and Humanitarian Action (Spring)

Examine the humanitarian and diplomatic aspects of war. Drawing on case studies and dialogue with practitioners, we look at these inter-related topics: the law of armed conflict, humanitarian operations in practice, and diplomacy in war.

Cross-listed with IRP 331

PSC300.1 Famine, War and Other Disasters: European Security in the 21st Century (Fall, Spring)

Europe is at the same time an object, a theatre, and an actor in foreign and security policy. As such, European security lies at the crossroads of the strategies and actions of European states, international organizations—NATO and the EU—and external powers, including China, Russia, and the United States. This class offers to introduce students to the foreign policies of key European states as well as the inner workings of the European Union and NATO, while surveying a number of key debates and risks surrounding Europe’s security.

Meets with IRP 300.1.

PSC300.3 Contemporary Politics and the Return of Religion: A Global Perspective (Fall, Spring)

Modernity and the “age of reason” was characterized by the secularization of the socio-political space, and the gradual decline of the influence of religion in daily life. However, contemporary political events have forcefully and sometimes dramatically marked a reversal of this trend: religion has returned and its influence has played an increasingly crucial role in the public sphere. This has had several consequences for the shape and nature of democratic public spheres and for international politics, notably for the role it has played and in violent conflicts. Why has religion returned with such a vengeance? Why did secularization fail? What are the implications of this for contemporary politics? What does a post-secular political framework look like? To explore these questions, we will draw from a variety of disciplines, including political science, sociology, and international relations. You will gain a theoretical basis to discuss the significance of the return of religion in diverse geo-political and cultural contexts.

PSC405 Politics of the European Union (Fall, Spring)

Politics of European integration from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, institutional, and policy-making. Fundamental post- war political process in modern-day Europe.

Syracuse Students note: You cannot get credit for both PSC 396 and PSC 405.

PSC380.32 Human Rights in Latin America

Taught in Spanish at Pontificia Universidad Católica; may not be offered every semester.  This course examines the challenges of promoting human rights in Latin America, focusing on the most important analytical and empirical debates since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, First, we will discuss the most relevant theoretical frameworks for understanding human rights, placing them in the historical context of the construction of international human rights regimes. Next, we will review the experience of Latin American countries with authoritarian regimes and human rights abuses during the period of what is called “state terrorism.” Transitional justice policies in democratization processes will also be analyzed. During the last part of the course, we will analyze the current challenges to human rights in the region, especially in relation to security and violent conflicts. We will discuss questions such as:

  • What is the nature of human rights abuses in Latin America?
  • How have countries in the region responded to past abuses?
  • What is the role of NGOs and regional and international institutions in promoting human rights?
  • What are the challenges of promoting human rights protection in Chile today?

(PUC #ICP0345)

PSC484 Death as Political (Fall, Spring)

This course examines the interplay between political violence, popular protest, and peace processes with a particular focus on the role of public mourning and collective grief. Case studies from around the world introduce students to death as a catalyst for social change and an analytical lens for political science.

The 2020 police killing of George Floyd brought global attention to #BlackLivesMatter, a movement launched in 2013 in the wake of another death—that of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Images like Floyd’s daughter proclaiming ‘Daddy changed the world’ highlight the potential for death and mourning to be significant catalysts for social and political change.

Death as Political: Violence, Grief, and Protest examines how contemporary protests build on other collective responses to death around the world. The course asks students to engage with the pain and emotion of a conflict society – as well as its constructive potential. As demonstrated by recent events, death can serve to draw attention to wider concerns. Sites and rituals of death in the form of memorial infrastructure, commemorative institutions, and highly publicized funerals are often used by activists, community leaders, and policymakers to champion particular causes.

This course introduces core concepts in peace and conflict studies by examining various types of political protest. Students will engage with literature on terrorism, violence, non-violence, peace, and reconciliation. Diverse tactics and outcomes for political violence will be explored in four conflict settings: Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’, South Africa’s Apartheid period, the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, and the now global Black Lives Matter movement. This historical and geographic diversity allows students to compare and contrast protest methods as they consider:

  • What is ‘peaceful’ protest?
  • What role do our emotions play in shaping responses to violence?
  • Who holds decision-making power for protest movements?
  • When do we achieve ‘peace’ and how do we maintain it?

While asking these questions, students will come to understand that violence and mourning are full of potential for both further conflict and greater peace.

This course may also be registered as HST 484

Most semesters, registration limited (including minors) to only one Political Science class (PSC prefix and courses cross-listed with PSC) except for Political Science majors. Check the current semester’s Schedule of Classes for more information.