WHAT

The Global Studies Field School 2020 offers an interdisciplinary opportunity for MUN students to learn more about the work of international organizations, trends in globalization and development, and how these actors and processes relate to their theoretical and historical contexts.

The program will begin with two weeks of preparatory sessions on campus in St. John’s and then shift to a base at MUN’s Harlow campus in the UK. Here, participants will take advantage of proximity to London and other nearby locations to engage with relevant organizations and institutions active in the international relations and international development fields (The Commonwealth Secretariat; DFID; The Overseas Development Institute; Chatham House; Institute for Development Studies; etc.).

A highlight of the field school will be a two-week visit to Belgium, France, and Switzerland to visit relevant institutions and international organizations including The EU/European Parliament (Brussels); NATO Headquarters (Brussels); the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, Paris); the United Nations (Geneva); and more. Field visits to WWI sites in Belgium and France will also be included.

By offering two Political Science and two Sociology courses, the field school aims to recruit students in both majors with an interest in global issues, as well as other MUN students enrolled in the International BA program, as all four courses are eligible for that program. The field school also qualifies for the International BA’s international study/work requirement.

WHEN

June – August 2020

WHERE

Field School participants will be based at MUN’s Harlow (UK) campus for six weeks of the program. During the field school there will be a two-week trip to visit key international organizations and WWI battle sites in and around Brussels (Belgium), Paris (France), and Geneva (Switzerland). Students will also travel frequently in the greater-London area on day trips to meet with experts and visit relevant institutions and organizations.

INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Lucian Ashworth, Political Science
Dr. Liam Swiss, Sociology

COURSES OFFERED

Students participating in the Field School will be expected to enroll in three of the following courses offered during the program.

POSC 3220 – International Organizations
The course is an overview and introduction to the form, nature, and role of international organizations (IOs) in global politics. Part I will explore the development of IOs and will stress the wide variety of forms and functions that these organizations take within global governance structures. Part II will be focused on visits to various IOs, and will emphasize how they operate in practice. Part III will concentrate on the challenges facing IOs and global governance in the foreseeable future.

POSC 3235 – International Relations and the First World War
The course is an analysis of the causes, international relations, and effects of the First World War as a global phenomenon. The emphasis is on studying the War as both a product of global politico-economic forces, and as the cause of later and current global practices. Part I will concentrate on the background & causes of the War. Part II will be integrated to site visits and discussions with experts in order to understand the practical and ‘ground-zero’ effects of the War. Part II will explore the ‘long shadow’ of the First World War, and how it shaped the world we live in today.

SOCI 3260 - International Development
This course is intended to provide an introduction to the sociology of international development and underdevelopment. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part we examine theories and definitions of development, with the objective of achieving a better understanding of the many conceptual meanings of ‘development’. In Part II, via visits to various organizations and discussions with experts, we examine processes and actors that surround development assistance and development projects, with an objective to develop a fuller understanding of the actors and actions involved in the promotion of development. Finally, in Part III, we discuss a number of factors that actively shape development outcomes globally. The objective in Part III is to expose students to a variety of development challenges and reinforce understanding of development as a complex social process.

SOCI 4230 – Gender and Development
This course will address many of the theoretical and empirical questions about gender relations which economic development and globalization raise. Via class discussion of research, engagement with guest speakers, and visits to international organizations, the course will give students first-hand experience with policy and practice in the area of gender and development globally. The course is split into three parts: Part One examines different theoretical approaches to gender and development; Part Two examines several different actors involved in the gender and development issue; and Part Three explores several recent and ongoing development and globalization challenges and how they interact with gender relations.

COST

The estimated cost of the program (subject to change) is approximately $5500 + incidentals and tuition. Program fee to be determined.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to all HSS students in good academic standing and pre-requisites for all courses will be waived to enable students to register in whichever of the four offered courses they choose. Students from Political Science and Sociology will have registration priority, as will students registered in the International BA program.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply in person to Ms. Juanita Lawrence in the Department of Political Science general office (SN 2028). To apply, please sign up with your name, major, year of program, and contact information. Applications will not be accepted via e-mail or telephone. Hours for the Political Science general office are available here: https://www.mun.ca/posc/About/contact.php

Applications will be accepted in two stages:

(1) From November 12-18: Applications will be accepted only from Political Science Majors; Sociology Majors; and International BA Students; and

(2) From November 19-Onwards: Applications will be accepted from all Faculty of HSS Students and other MUN Students.

There will be a maximum of 26 positions available for the Field School and applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. A waiting list will be created the first 26 spots have been filled. Apply early to secure your spot in the program!

Details will follow shortly about payment of the $400 non-refundable deposit. A spot in the field school will only be guaranteed once the deposit has been paid. Any students who have not paid the deposit by the end of the Fall 2019 term will be removed from the list in favour of students on the waiting list. We will contact all students who apply with payment details before the end of November.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

e-mail: lswiss@mun.ca or lashworth@mun.ca
visit: www.mun.ca/soc/globalstudies2020