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Course Descriptions
WIS 101,102:
Wesleyan Integrative Seminar Experience I and II
Goal: To provide students with an understanding of the nature and value of a
Wesleyan education; to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to
make a successful transition to college; to expose students to juxtaposed
disciplinary methods and to have students be part of an academic community
committed to the free and open exchange of ideas; to ask students to reflect
critically on their beliefs and frames of reference; and to help students
discover and explore their talents and passions through study, service, and work.
Content: Problems and issues relating to who women are and what tools women need
to be successful in today’s world.
Taught: Fall. Spring
Category: General Education
Credit: 3 hours each, see General Education section of this
Catalogue for regulations governing enrollment in WIS 101 and WIS 102.
POL 222: Comparative
Politics
Goal: To develop students’ ability to analyze political systems
from a comparative perspective.
Content: The course examines methods of comparing political
systems. In particular, the course will introduce students to the conceptual
tools and models used in the analysis and comparison of political systems; types
of contemporary political systems, such as liberal democracies, communist
transition states, newly industrializing countries, and less developed
countries; and processes of political development and political change.
Taught: Spring.
Gen. Ed. Category: Critical thinking; Cross cultural.
Credit: 3 hours.
POL 225: Women and Politics
Goals: The course will enhance the student’s ability to
analyze, interpret, and critique texts with a view to purpose, evidence, and
effect.
Content: The relationship between gender, power, and society in
the developed and developing world is treated in fictional, biographical, and
analytical accounts of the role of women in politics and society. The changing
political and social status of women with an emphasis on the developing world
will form an important part of the analysis.
Taught: Fall.
Gen. Ed. Category: Critical thinking; cross-cultural.
Credit: 3 hours; cross-listed as WST 225.
POL 230: International
Relations
Goal: To provide students with an introduction to the study of
international relations and
a basic understanding of the concepts, processes, and relationships involved.
Content: The course examines conflicting arguments about the
nature of the international system, examining their assumptions, and drawing
conclusions as to their validity. The course will also introduce students to a
number of more recent issues and concerns that have arisen in international
relations. Such factors as terrorism, globalization, unequal economic
development, and environmental problems all challenge older assumptions about
military might as the only real source of international power and raise
questions of what opportunities for international conflict and cooperation exist
in the future.
Taught: Spring
Gen. Ed. Category: Critical Thinking
Credit: 3 hours.
POL 319: International Law
Goal: To provide students with an understanding of the role of
international law in the relations between states and other actors in the
international system.
Content: The course addresses the history and sources of
international law; the rights and duties of states; the impact of international
law on domestic law; the use of force; human rights; and the new International
Course of Justice. It gives special emphasis to international law and its
relationship to the behavior of states in the post 9/11 era.
Taught: Spring. Alternate years.
Credit: 3 hours
POL 328: United States
Foreign Policy
Goal: To enhance students’ understanding of the institutions,
interests, and events that shape the relations of the United States with the
rest of the world.
Content: The course examines the institutions and ideas that shape
United States foreign policy. Particular attention is paid to the period since
1945. Case studies are used to examine the diplomatic, military, and covert
policies the United States has used to pursue its national interests
internationally.
Taught: Fall. Alternate years.
Credit: 3 hours.
POL 335: Politics of the
Developing World
Goal: To enhance student's understanding of the politics of
underdevelopment.
Content: The course is thematically organized to present an
overview of the field of the political economy of development. Under each theme
appear several country cases, taken from all parts of the developing world. The
themes include the concept of development, poverty and inequality, strategies of
development, the role of foreign capital, trade and technology, economic
stabilization, and democracy and development.
Taught: Fall. Alternate years.
Credit: 3 hours; cross-cultural.
POL 342: International
Organizations
Goal: To familiarize students with the development and role of
international organizations in the international system.
Content: The course explores the role of international
organization in controlling and shaping the behavior of nationstates and other
actors in the international system. Students explore the history and
development of international organizations, such as the League of Nations, the
United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. The course also
looks at the roles of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and institutions of
regional integration, such as the EU.
Taught: Spring. Alternate years.
Credit: 3 hours.
Rev. 12.09