| COURSE NUMBER: |
ECON 301 |
| COURSE TITLE: |
International Political Economy |
| NAME OF
INSTRUCTOR: |
Dr. Gerda Kits |
| CREDIT WEIGHT
AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: |
credits 3 (hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0) |
| CALENDAR
DESCRIPTION: |
Analysis of the conflicting viewpoints that influence
International Political Economy (IPE); tracing the structure and
changing forms of IPE in trade, finance, technology and information
flows; analysing and evaluating the tension between states and
international markets; examining the dynamics and impact of
international centres of political/economic power on regions of the
world that are small and vulnerable; investigation of the role of large
corporations in the global political economy. Attention will also be
given to the impact of the IPE on policies in Canada. Descriptive and
evaluative data will be included and examined throughout.
Prerequisites:
ECON 203
|
| REQUIRED TEXTS: |
Required text: Balaam, David N., and Bradford Dillman. Introduction to International Political Economy. 6th Ed. Toronto: Longman/Pearson, 2014. ISBN 9870133402391. |
| MARK
DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT: |
|
| Preparatory assignments |
15% |
| Case study participation | 15% | | Course project | 25% | | Midterm | 20% | | Final exam | 25% |
|
|
|
100% |
|
| COURSE
OBJECTIVES: |
Every
day, the international headlines confront us with heartbreaking,
complex and seemingly intractable problems - devastating wars, extreme
weather events, the desperation of refugees, famine, poverty, and
injustice. Our hearts are further broken when we realize that we are
personally connected with many of these events through our
participation in global economic and political systems. We feel
implicated, yet helpless, and long to know what we can do to make
things better.
This course does not offer easy answers to
these problems. However, it does try to equip you, through greater
understanding of international structures and the worldviews that
underlie them, the ability to ask critical questions, and familiarity
with proposed solutions, to seek out ways to move forward. By the end
of the course, you should be able to:
- Identify and
describe specific issues in the field of international political
economy - that is, issues that relate to the interactions between
economic, political and social institutions on an international level.
- Connect these issues to your personal experiences and participation in such institutions.
- Explore
and evaluate a range of potential explanations for these issues,
drawing from different theoretical perspectives, and argue for or
against a range of alternative solutions.
- Do all of this in a
way that acknowledges different approaches, draws on evidence, and
recognizes the importance of underlying perspectives about the world.
|
| COURSE OUTLINE: |
- Jan. 5 Welcome and introduction to the course; student input into syllabus
- Jan.
10 Introduction to theoretical perspectives on IPE: Liberalism,
Mercantilism and Structuralism (these perspectives will be further
explored through the case studies)
- Jan. 12 A Christian vision for IPE: “Norms for the International Economic Order” (Goudzwaard and van Baars)
- Jan. 17 Case study #1: The fashion trade (Ch. 6: The production & trade structure)
- Jan. 19 No class – I.S. Conference
- Jan. 24 Case study #2: NAFTA, Trump, and outsourcing (Ch. 6: The production & trade structure)
- Jan. 26 Case study #3: China and the yuan (Ch. 7: The international monetary & finance structure)
- Jan. 31 Case study #4: The EU debt crisis (Ch. 8: International debt and financial crisis)
- Feb. 2 Case study #5: Brexit (Ch. 12: Toward a more perfect European Union)
- Feb. 7 Case study #6: Health care patents (Ch. 10: The knowledge & technology structure)
- Feb. 9 Case study #7: Terrorism and the power of ideas (Ch. 5: Alternative perspectives)
- Feb. 14 Review class
- Feb. 16 Midterm exam
- Feb. 20-24 No class – Reading Week
- Feb. 28 Case study #8: OPEC and Alberta (Ch. 14: The Middle East and 19: The IPE of Energy)
- Mar. 2 Case study #9: Offshore banking (Ch. 15: The Illicit Global Economy)
- Mar. 7 Case study #10: Human trafficking (Ch. 15: The Illicit Global Economy)
- Mar. 9 Guest speaker (Harry Kits): Corporate Social Responsibility and Trans-National Corporations
- Mar. 14 Case study #11: Global mining companies & trade (Ch. 17: Transnational Corporations)
- Mar. 16 Case study #12: The international refugee crisis & Canada (Ch. 16: Migration & Tourism)
- Mar. 21 Case study #13: Tourism in Canada (Ch. 16: Migration & Tourism)
- Mar. 23 Case study #14: Feminist perspectives on IPE (Ch. 5: Alternative perspectives)
- Mar. 28 Case study #15: Food trade & aid (Ch. 18: Food & Hunger)
- *Course project draft outline/summary due*
- Mar. 30 Case study #16: Climate change: whose responsibility? (Ch. 20: The Environment)
- Apr. 4 Case study #17: TBD
- Apr. 6 Case study #18: TBD
- Apr. 11 Case study #19: TBD
- Apr. 13 Review class
- Date TBD Final exam (to be scheduled by Registry)
|
THE KING'S UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE