Courses
(Click on title for link to syllabus)
In light of the ecological changes exacerbated by the climate crisis, scholarly production in the humanities and social sciences has become increasingly preoccupied with the relationship between humans and nature, in a field of study that is loosely associated with the term “political ecology.” This course expands the current debates in this field beyond the intellectual circles of Europe and North America to consider contributions that have remained marginal. The course will include material from various disciplines ranging from writings by indigenous intellectuals and activists to academics, with a focus on the Global South, broadly construed to include communities of color in the north.
Postcolonialism, Postdevelopment
This seminar exposes students to tools for thinking critically about life and politics by introducing them first, to important texts in postcolonial studies, and second, to debates about development and its current criticisms.
Latin America Otherwise : Voicing Dissent
This course proposes to look at various Latin American texts through an unconventional lens: that of dissent. Partly inspired by French philosopher Jacques Rancière (2001), we will take as a premise the idea of dissent not simply as a moment of protest or resistance, nor of the collective plea for rights, but the moment when already given or accepted ways of living and institutional forms are unexpectedly modified by subjects not previously recognized as political. This course draws from diverse materials, ranging from political theory texts, Latin American literature, the literature on development, to the experiences of various social movements in the region.
Queering International Relations
The main objective of this course is to expose us to alternative sensibilities and ways of thinking offered by voices that experience gender and sexuality beyond Western norms and counter-norms. Topics include: Gender and colonial legacies, global feminisms, imperialism and LGBTQ activism, freedom and agency from a comparative perspective, intersectionality, queer of color critique, and critical research methods.
First-Year Seminar : Thinking Critically through the Global South
This seminar exposes students to tools for thinking critically about life and politics by introducing them to contemporary debates in International Relations and Political Theory that have been proposed by authors from the Global South. Topics include, but are not limited to: development, postcolonial studies, environment, knowledge production, gender and sexuality.