UCL - International Cultural Issues

[SPRI2060]

[15h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Françoise Piérard

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

- Ability to treat new questions using analysing tools from different disciplines: International Relations but also political science, sociology, history, anthropology and geography.
- Ability to study the work of key authors that focus on the analysis of cultural factors, and confront their point of view as well as apply them to the study of the international relations.

Main themes

To determine how and in what way culture is an essential component of the political game within interna-tional relations. To identify the importance of culture within the process of globalization. To value its role in the rise and transformation of actors' behaviours on the international scene. To examine the relationship be-tween meaning and power "sens et puissance" ,between culture and identity and to seize the dynamic cul-tural change due to the erosion of the ideologies and the appearance of new values in a context of globalisation and Europeanization.

Content and teaching methods

Contents:
General topic: The international system during the post-Communist Era: cultural dimensions. 1. Ideological aspects: - A world deprived of meaning (Zaïki Laidi); -The End of History? (Fukuyama) 2. Systemic as-pects: - A unipolar and "monocultural" world? ; 3. Conflict aspects: - The shock of civilizations? (Huntington), - multiplication of identity conflicts? (Thual); 4. Co-operative aspects: contribution of the cultural diplomacy has (multilateral and bilateral) to the co-operation and the pacification of the international reports; 5. Which actors: - official actors: Cultural policies and their incidences on the international co-operation, - non-official actors: - a world governance? : Agreement on new values (role of ONG?
Method: Introductory statements offering a synthesis of key authors work, whom take an interest in the above-mentioned questions. After this, each student will choose an issue which he wishes to look further into. The students form small groups in which essays are exchanged and discussed. At the end of the seminar, these stu-dents are requested to add to their chosen issue a theoretical and practical dimension by taking into account the contributions of the other participants of the seminar. They also have to provide a paper giving a progress report on their participation in the seminar.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Training in International Relations and general knowledge of the tools for political cul-ture analysis.

Involvement in the seminar and written assignments

Printed material : selection of readings.