Instructors: Dr. Jan Wilkens
Event type:
Seminar
Displayed in timetable as:
24-206.22
Hours per week:
2
Credits:
6,0
Language of instruction:
English
Min. | Max. participants:
10 | 24
Comments/contents:
Postcolonialism and postcolonial studies have a long tradition in different academic fields. Although the exact meaning of the term is contested among scholars, research in the social sciences have highlighted the importance of postcolonial approaches to current issues in global politics. In most general terms, postcolonial approaches seek to dissect how power relations are constructed and shape subjectivities and agency. Against this background, postcolonial approaches demand critical ways in which academics think about how ‘the global’ is constituted and in which ways it is connected to ‘the local’. Notably, postcolonial studies speak to various academic disciplines, is not limited to a particular set of theories or methodologies and invites academics to rethink exiting epistemological and ontological assumptions. While key authors have formulated their contributions to the field of postcolonial studies based on the insights of Marxism, Poststructuralism, and Constructivism it not only seeks to critically engage with Eurocentrism within many dominant theoretical approaches, but also seeks to engage with normative questions about power and the patterns in which knowledge is and should be generated today. Within IR, postcolonial approaches increasingly shape current debates and are a substantial resource for the field of Global IR. The course will not only engage with existing post- and de-colonial approaches, but will also explore new pathways within IR based on postcolonial approaches.
Learning objectives:
The goal in this class is threefold: 1) This class seeks to introduce main themes, issues and key concepts of Postcolonialism. 2) On this basis, the class will critically discuss existing work and different contributions within IR. 3) Drawing on these discussions, students will develop their own projects in which students are able to not only critically engage with existing paradigms and understandings of global politics, but also work on their own case studies. Students will have gained a deep understanding of post- and de-colonial approaches and current debates in the field.
Didactic concept:
This course is based on discussions and active engagement by and with all participating students. Given the current circumstances, this online course will make use of different available online tools and a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching modes. The platforms used to facilitate interaction is Microsoft Teams and OpenOlat. While OpenOlat is mainly used to exchange documents and teaching materials, MS Teams is used for video conferencing, chat and writing.
· During seminar times (Tuesday 10:15-11:45h) there will be a text-based live chat with the course convenor. If the connection holds, possibly even with video. Unfortunately, this is uncertain due to excessive use of online services. The first seminar date is 21 April 2020.
· You will receive an invitation by email and should register for the course via MS Teams.
· Attendance in the live chat during the seminar times is not binding, but desired.
· Active participation in the chat rooms is mandatory.
· During each session there is a chat room, which is also open outside the live chat.
· Everyone should contribute at least one entry to the discussion of the texts. These contributions are different for the different sessions and will be announced and discussed.
· The course has two assessed components consisting of a short presentation/short written assignment (Studienleistung) and one marked essay at the end. The assignments are based on the individual projects developed by course participants (Prüfungsleistung). Please also consult the guidelines for valuable advice on writing essays.
· Online teaching cannot fully capture and replace discussions in class. However, the aim is to collaboratively develop strategies to interact as much as possible. The course convenor will not only provide the required readings, but also additional learning materials and brief videos/audio files in which he will answer questions that come up during the course.
Literature:
General Reading List
Adib-Moghaddam, A. (2011) A metahistory of the clash of civilisations: us and them beyond orientalism, London: C. Hurst & Co.
Ashcroft, B., G. Griffiths and H. Tiffin (1998) Key concepts in post-colonial studies. London: Routledge.
Bhambra, G. K. (2007). Rethinking modernity: Postcolonialism and the sociological imagination. Basingstoke, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan.
Castro Varela, Dhawan, N. (2015) Postkoloniale Theorie: Eine Kritische Einführung. Bielefeld: transcript.
Chakrabarty, D. (2000). Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial thought and historical difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Diez, Thomas, Ingvild Bode, and Aleksandra Fernandes da Costa, eds. 2011. Key Concepts in International Relations. London: Sage.
Hobson, J. M. (2004). The Eastern origins of Western civilization. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press
Huggan, G. (Ed.). (2013). The Oxford handbook of postcolonial studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Moore-Gilbert, B. J. (1997) Postcolonial theory: contexts, practices, politics. London; New York: Verso.
Said, E. (1979) Orientalism. New York: Vintage.
Spivak, G. C. (1988) 'Can the Subaltern Speak?'. In Marxism and the interpretation of culture, edited by Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg, 271-313. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Please note: The reading list for each session indicates required and recommended readings. While a good command of required readings is compulsory and necessary for each session, recommended readings are to be considered if writing an essay or preparing discussions about a particular topic.
Additional examination information:
a) Studienleistung – short written assignment
A good command of required readings is necessary; a central aim of the course is an in-depth engagement with key texts. For each session, the course convenor will formulate specific questions and/or requirements that will lead to brief written outcomes (learning diary, short reviews, and other formats). The aim here is to better understand the texts, but – more important – raise questions and critical thoughts to discuss. The aim is here to (a) develop your own ideas and to (b) collect questions that the convenor and participants can try answer.
b) Prüfungsleistung
Usually the “Prüfungsleistung” consists of a Hausarbeit. Given the circumstances, limited possibilities of doing research but also the understanding that critical research is also an engagement with the environment in which it operates, the final grade can be achieved through different ways. The current situation highlights, inequalities, injustices and different forms of power in international politics and society. The theories, approaches and concepts discussed in this course will allow us to better understand and analyse current dynamics. Hence, your analysis can materialize in
(a) an essay (Hausarbeit) of 5000 words (not including bibliography), which is marked and is based on the discussion and the individual projects developed during the term.
(b) in an alternative form of documentation of a specific project/policy field or case that you’re interested in. Web documentation, Video, Podcast (Interview) or other formats are allowed as well.
Please consult the guidelines and discuss your topic with the convenor before writing and submitting your paper or starting your project. This will allow you to have a better idea of the structure and ensures the feasibility in regard to the time and space you have.
Date for submission: August 31, 2020
Papers and assignments can be submitted in English or German.
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