1.3 The State in Critical Perspective

1.3 The State in Critical Perspective

Key concepts: Interdependence, Power, Sovereignty, Globalisation

Theoretical Perspectives: Realism, Liberalism, Post-colonialism

New terms: state, nation, sovereignty, fragile state, modern state, post-colonialism, orientalism, neo-colonialism, de jure, de facto

In this unit, we are going to explore one of the key players in global politics, the state, in more depth. We are going to look at different perspectives regarding the following questions:

- What is a state?

- What are/should be the characteristics of a modern state?

- Why do modern states exist?

- What is the role of the state in Global Politics?

- What about countries that don’t live up to expectations: is the western idea of what a state should be useful?

You will get to research a fragile state of your choice, and we will explore two case studies in more depth:

- Somalia and its piracy problem

- Copper mining and MNCs in Zambia

Required Reading

Murphy, Robert & Gleek, Charles: Essentials – Global Politics, pp. 13-19

Heywood, Andrew: “The State and Statehood in a Global Age”, ch. 5 in Global Politics, pp. 111-115

Fund for Peace: “The Fragile States Index”, http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/

Heywood, Andrew: “Sovereignty”, in Political Theory, pp. 90-96

Hill, Jonathan: “Beyond the Other? A Postcolonial Critique of the Failed State Thesis”, African Identities 3 (3) (extracts)

Required Viewing

The Modern State: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71dSvpiUhJg

International Relations 101 – Sovereignty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwoA8CpdGuk

Stealing Africa – Mining in Zambia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNYemuiAOfU

Pirateland - Piracy in Somalia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH6AsRi4paU

Recommended Reading and Viewing

Heywood, Andrew: “The State”, in Political Theory, pp. 75-84

Michelle K.: To my eighteen-year-old self, on your departure for Cambridge, http://waltermignolo.com/decolonial-aesthesis-from-singapore-to-cambridge-to-duke-university/

Wainaina, Binyavanga: How to Write about Africa, https://granta.com/how-to-write-about-africa/

Clapham, Christopher: The Challenge to the State in a Globalized World (available from Sylvi)

Hall, Stuart: “The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power”, ch. 7 in Race and Racialisation – Essential Readings. (available from Sylvi)

Pirate Fishing in Sierra Leone: http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2014/piratefishingdoc/

Introduction to Edward Said’s Orientalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZiyXEF1Aas