Overview of Course

This course provides foundational knowledge for the study of international relations. Students will leverage the unique opportunities afforded by the voyage itinerary to view world politics from diverse perspectives. Every port visit will provide lessons for how people—acting as individuals, in groups, via governments, and through non-governmental and international organizations—interact with one another across the world. Using concepts from political science, students will learn how to explain outbreaks of war and the construction of lasting peace; how wealth, power, and influence are distributed among participants in the world economy; and how states sometimes come together to solve pressing global challenges. Students will learn how to use International Relations theory in a sophisticated way, posing insightful questions and generating informed answers to real-world puzzles. Topics to be discussed will include war and peace; poverty and underdevelopment; gender relations, human rights, and humanitarian interventions; terrorism; democracy promotion and foreign aid; and global governance.