{"id":62,"date":"2019-08-09T22:51:54","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T02:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/?page_id=62"},"modified":"2019-11-21T13:45:06","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T17:45:06","slug":"leninism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/leninism\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-Colonialism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

PART IV<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this section of our course, I will address the dilemmas of building Nation-states<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in the\u00a0Post-Colonial World<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One of the major challenges I face is that it is so difficult to nail down that portion of the world that is not \u201cliberal\u201d (what we used to call the First World) or \u201cLeninist\u201d (old Second World). \u00a0There is a good reason why this is so.\u00a0 What we often refer to as the \u201cdeveloping world\u201d or the \u201cThird World\u201d is a vast array of different types of countries and civilizations. \u00a0On the one hand, Americans tend to forget that there are \"\"highly developed states outside of the western world.\u00a0 On the other hand, there are fantastically poor states, such as Chad and Sudan.\u00a0 In this sense, there is no unified entity we can call the “Third World.”<\/p>\n

My solution to this challenge is to focus on a specific category of states that have at least one thing in common:\u00a0 the experience of having been colonies of European powers. \u00a0This approach has a notable benefit. \u00a0Many of the major crises in the world today are at least partly due to the experience of European colonialism.\u00a0 These countries include Iraq and Afghanistan—both places our government is desperate to leave.\u00a0 We are now leaving Syria, and the consequences our former allies, the Kurds–another group once victimized by colonialism–will be severe.<\/p>\n


\n29. \u00a0LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, November 6<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Initial reflections on the contradictions\u00a0between\u00a0\u00a0two ideal types: tradition and modernity<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 People in the West frequently denigrate the inhabitants of more traditional cultures.\u00a0 Yet, the norms and institutions of traditional society\u00a0are as rational as those of modern society.<\/p>\n

A good example of \u00a0liberal democracy\u2019s problem with the expression of traditional ways of acting is the French practice of\u00a0Laicit\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n

Angelique Chrisafis,\u00a0\u201cFrance\u2019s Headscarf Rule,\u201d\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>,\u201d July 2013 \u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Yet despite the West\u2019s assumption that its societies are governed purely by formal rules of order,\u00a0supposedly traditional practices, like political corruption, play an undeniable part in\u00a0liberal-democratic<\/strong>\u00a0societies, too.\u00a0 See\u00a0Glen Thrush, \u201cIf I\u2019m corrupt, it\u2019s because I take care of my district\u201d\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a> (Until his death in 2010, John Murtha, the subject of this article, had been the longest serving representative in the House of Representatives.)<\/p>\n

30. NO DISCUSSION SECTION: Friday, November 8<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There will be no discussion sections because you have been working on your papers.<\/p>\n

Your papers are due today.\u00a0 Please turn them in to your TAs<\/p>\n

31. LECTURE: Monday, November 11<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the brutal and paradoxical consequences of colonial empires<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 In this lecture, I will focus on colonialism\u2019s role as an external instrument of change.\u00a0 Whether we are talking about the realization of Napoleon\u2019s imperial ambitions in Europe or Europe\u2019s colonization of most of Africa and Asia one century later, many fundamental changes in political identity are introduced from outside.\u00a0 Even after these colonial powers leave, their impact will be felt for decades\u00a0and perhaps\u00a0even centuries thereafter.\u00a0 For example, contemporary conflicts in the Middle East are directly related to the experience of colonization.\"\"<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 As you\u00a0read the following essays, ask yourself whether and in what way the\u00a0politics of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan would have been different without the intrusion of western powers, such as\u00a0Great Britain and France.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sykes-Picot line (1916): Creating states at whim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Would they be stable states today? \u00a0Or, in view of their\u00a0fractured histories, is this question nonsensical?\u00a0 Are they currently nation-states?\u00a0 If not, can they\u00a0be transformed into viable nation-states today?<\/p>\n

What do these questions tell us about what one might call our “betrayal” of the Kurds, our principal allies in the fight against ISIS?<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/p>\n

Rudyard Kipling: \u201cThe White Man\u2019s Burden\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ
\n<\/a>Is this poem an example of satire or imperial pride?<\/p>\n

S. V. R. Nasr, \u201cEuropean Colonialism and the Emergence of Modern Muslim States\u201d\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Robin Wright<\/a>, \u201cHow the Curse of Sykes-Picot still haunts the Middle East,\u201d\u00a0The New Yorker<\/em>,\u00a0April 30, 2016\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Bayar Mustafa, “Instability in the Middle East is not the Kurds’ fault” READ<\/a> (This is a pro-Kurdish article.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

32. REQUIRED FILM: Monday, November 11\u00a0 OR Tuesday, November 12
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Film #3 (Evening):\u00a0 \u201cMr. Johnson\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a> (Starring Pierce Brosnan)<\/p>\n

Time and Location:\u00a0 7:00 pm on both nights; also both nights, Room B062 Jenkins Nanovic Halls<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You must attend one showing of this film.\u00a0 Bring your friends—it’s a great, though heartbreaking, film.\u00a0 Colonialism was a tragedy. We continue to experience its effects today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

33. <\/strong>LECTURE: \u00a0Wednesday, November 13<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sam Piccolo will be presenting the lecture today!<\/p>\n

Reflections on Colonialism and Modernity in Canada<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
Today\u2019s Assumption:\u00a0<\/i>In this lecture, Sam will discuss ways of understanding politics through literature, film, and music. From the Vietnam War to the socio-political effects of Snapchat, stories depicted in fictional works provide excellent opportunities to understand politics. We will discuss this in terms of colonialism in Canada, as well as examine Alistair MacLeod\u2019s short story \u201cThe Boat\u201d for a depiction of the effects of modernity.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

“The Boat,”\u00a0The Massachusetts Review,\u00a0<\/cite>Vol. 9, No. 2 (Spring, 1968), pp. 247-266
\nAvailable through JSTOR on the Hesburgh Library site:\u00a0 HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Read this story carefully since Sam will ask you questions about it!<\/p>\n

Colonialism in Canada: READ<\/a><\/p>\n

WATCH\u00a0 THIS SHORT VIDEO<\/a> from Gord Downie\u2019s (from the Tragically Hip) Secret Path project. Downie wrote the music for this hour-long film about Chanie Windjack, a FN boy who ran away from his residential school and tried to walk the 400 km home. He died alone en route. The video has a depiction of life in residential schools too (only five minutes long).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

34. DISCUSSION SECTION, Friday, November 15<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I will address the issue of global poverty in the coming week.\u00a0 For this section, I would like you to begin discussing the topic.\u00a0 Please read the first half of\u00a0 Carolina Maria de Jesus,\u00a0 Child of the Dark<\/em>.\u00a0 De Jesus\u2019s story is painfully revealing. \u00a0As you read it, try to imagine what you would do if you found yourself in her shoes.\u00a0 Keep in mind that Carolina Maria\u00a0was<\/em>\u00a0a living, breathing human being, just like you; she had\u00a0nothing<\/strong><\/em>\u2013often not even food in her stomach\u2013and she somehow managed to write this incredible diary.<\/p>\n

Carolina Maria de Jesus,\u00a0\u00a0Child of the Dark<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Anna Swanson,\u00a0“You might be among the richest people in the world and not realize it”\u00a0Washington Post\u00a0<\/em> READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Discussion theme: \u00a0What does it mean to be poor?<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>: \u00a0The poor are more capable of recognizing \u201cthe world as it really is\u201d (i.e., the truth) than we are.\u00a0 What can this statement possibly mean?<\/p>\n

Anna Swanson,\u00a0“You might be among the richest people in the world and not realize it”\u00a0Washington Post\u00a0<\/em> READ<\/a><\/p>\n

35.<\/strong> LECTURE:\u00a0 Monday, November 18<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on the sensible logic of peasant society.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0 There are more peasants in the world than any other social group.\u00a0 The organization of peasant societies makes more sense than we might imagine.\u00a0 It relies upon a conception of reality known as the \u201climited good.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201climited good\u201d is neither good nor bad.\u00a0 It is simple one way of looking at the world.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 Read George Foster\u2019s seminal article and the newspaper piece below and ask yourself what the advantages and disadvantages of peasant society would be.<\/p>\n

George Foster: \u201cPeasant society and the image of the limited good\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Sara Sidner, \u201cBrothers share wife to secure family land\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

On the rational logic behind primogeniture:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, read about the massive migration of peasants from the land into the cities, a quintessential example of the conflict between traditional and modern societies.<\/p>\n

Eugene Linden, \u201cThe exploding cities of the developing world,\u201d Jan-Feb;75(1), 1996:\u00a0 52-65. Search through JSTOR and\u00a0PRINT and READ<\/a><\/p>\n

36.<\/strong> LECTURE:\u00a0 Wednesday, November 20<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections on a global problem\u2014poverty\u2014and its implications for life, society, and politics.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>:\u00a0\u00a0 Being poor is a way of life for\u00a0most<\/em>\u00a0people in the world. No student at the University of Notre Dame should be indifferent to the plight of the poor, especially while living on one of the most conspicuously affluent campuses in the world!\u00a0 In addition, poverty is not only a problem for other peoples.\u00a0 It is a problem for\u00a0American society as well because it is deeply embedded in our society, indeed much more than in any other modern industrial democracy.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Carolina Maria de Jesus,\u00a0\u00a0Child of the Dark<\/em>.\u00a0 Finish the book.<\/p>\n

PBS News Hour, \u201cViolence flares in Rio\u2019s slums just months\u00a0before summer Olympics,\u201d May 31, 2016:\u00a0WATCH and READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Gapminder<\/em>:\u00a0 Look\u00a0HERE<\/a>\u00a0for some of some very cool sources of information. \u00a0Gapminder is like an interactive game designed to take you through every imaginable data (e.g., live births, literacy rates, income) relevant to comparisons between the developed and developing world.\u00a0 For some of the topics, you can even manipulate the information over time, going back hundreds of years.\u00a0 I could play around with this device all evening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jesse McKinley, \u201cCities deal with a surge in\u00a0shanty towns\u201d \u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

37. DISCUSSION SECTION: Friday, November 22<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn\u00a0 \u00a0(<\/em>World English Bible)<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/p>\n

What is Carlolina Maria de Jesus’s message to US in Child of the Dark<\/em><\/p>\n

What is a Roman Catholic’s responsibility to the poor?\u00a0 Leondardo Boff, a key proponent of “liberation theology,” comments:\u00a0 PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The poverty of voluntourism?\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

The inequality of opportunity in America:\u00a0 WATCH<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 I particularly like the reference to John 3: 17-18.<\/p>\n

Can Notre Dame be a truly Catholic institution and not practice liberation theology?\u00a0 What would it mean to practice liberation theology.\u00a0 Interestingly, the preeminent figure in liberation theology, Gustavo Guti\u00e9rrez, teaches at Notre Dame!\u00a0 See HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Paragraph assignment:<\/p>\n

“Ca\"\"n Notre Dame be a truly Catholic institution and not practice liberation theology?”<\/p>\n

38.\u00a0<\/strong> LECTURE: <\/strong>Monday, November<\/strong> 25<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Reflections on the different forms of authoritarian government:\u00a0\u00a0 Big men with big guns, big appetites,\u00a0and big mouths.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Assumption<\/em>: Western policymakers frequently rationalize life under dictatorial regimes (e.g., Saudi Arabia) as a political necessity.\u00a0 But cozying up to dictators is risky.\u00a0 Can we\u00a0confidently say that we\u00a0are the best judges of necessity, especially when we are talking about the quality of other people\u2019s lives?\u00a0 We sometimes forget or ignore the fact\u2013tragically\u2013that ordinary people\u00a0must live under these regimes.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/em>:\u00a0 As you read about these regimes, ask yourself these questions: 1) Why would people support them? 2) How can\u00a0the autocrats live with themselves after\u00a0doing terrible things\u00a0to stay in power? and 3) What should we do with them after they are no longer in power?<\/p>\n

Patricia Sellers, \u201cWhat exactly is charisma?\u201d \u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve Kolowich, \u201cWhy Oprah Could be President\u201d\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Robert Kagan, “The Strongmen Strike Back, Washington Post<\/em>, March 14, 2019 PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\nTHANKSGIVING HOLIDAY:\u00a0 Wednesday, November 27 – Sunday, December 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Please do not\u00a0use electronic devices of any kind during our class, including laptops, cell phones, tablets, tape recorders, FBI trap-and-trace technology or any other personal digital device.\u00a0 My classroom is a tweet-free zone!<\/em><\/p>\n

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PART IV In this section of our course, I will address the dilemmas of building Nation-states\u00a0in the\u00a0Post-Colonial World. One of the major challenges I face is that it is so difficult to nail down that portion of the world that is not \u201cliberal\u201d (what we used to call the First World) or \u201cLeninist\u201d (old Second … Continue reading “Post-Colonialism”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-62","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/62","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/62\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":715,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/62\/revisions\/715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}