Because security is a fundamental concern for individuals, societies, and states, this course provides a systematic introduction to how International Relations (IR) and Security Studies define, analyze, and debate “security.” War and conflict recur throughout human history for instance, but why do they occur, under what conditions do they escalate, and what patterns shape how actors anticipate, deter, or fight? Drawing on major theoretical traditions as well as historical and contemporary cases, the course introduces core concepts and terminology such as power, deterrence, the security dilemma, alliances, coercion, and escalation and shows how they are applied to real-world security problems. By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate competing explanations of conflict and assess the policy trade-offs involved in managing threats in international politics.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
· How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
· Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.
Course content, activities, and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
· Intercultural Competence
· Perspective-Taking
· Persuasion