PS 212 Summer (Four-Week) 2009

CULTURE & POLITICS OF

THE THIRD WORLD
MTWRF 12PM-2PM 108 Lafferty Hall
http://thirdworld.pbworks.com/

INTRODUCTION:
This course provides an introduction to culture and politics in the Third World. We will begin by seeking to
understand what is meant by the category, the “Third World.” With the end of the Cold War, does the
“Third World” as a category of nations remain relevant? If not, what other categorization would seem to
apply? The Developing World? What does such a category imply about the Western-centered model of
development employed by such a label and what are the effects of it upon the culture and politics of the
“Third World?” The Other World? Does this categorization hold any intellectual water when, as some
authors suggest, the elite of the “Third World” have more in common with the élites of the West than they
do with the lower economic classes of their own society? What of the “North-South” distinction? Do any of
these categorizations apply in this postmodern era of globalization?

As part of this semester-long question, we will include an examination of four key issues faced by, or
relating to, the Third/ Other/Developing World:
• Globalization and development in the Third World, including a study of theories of development
and underdevelopment such as Modernization, Dependency, & World System Theories.
Importantly, we will also give serious attention to the environmental effects of this process, for the
First & Third Worlds alike, otherwise known as the Global Climate Crisis.
• The rapid population growth and urbanization of the Third World and its
political/social/environmental implications.
• Terrorism, the rise of Fourth-Generation Warfare (4GW) and the problem of failed/hollow states.
• The growth of Black Globalization, i.e., the rise of guerrilla entrepreneurs and global organized
crime.

The goals of this course are: (1) for you to have a better understanding of what is meant by terms such as
Third World, globalization, climate crisis, urbanization, population crisis, terrorism, failed/hollow states and
black globalization, and (2) for you to understand and be able to think critically about contemporary
political issues facing the Third World and their potential solutions.

INSTRUCTOR & COURSE INFORMATION:

Instructor: Dr. Christopher S. Rice Email: Christopher.Rice@uky.edu

Office: 1649 POT Twitter: @ricetopher
Office Hours: By Appointment Only Telephone: 257-7030

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Grade Determination: Your final course grade will be based on five (5) components:
• Class Participation – 20%
• Map Quizzes (5) – 10%
• Mid-Term Exam – 35%
• Final Exam – 35%%

Course Readings: The following two (4) books are required reading for this course:
• Friedman, Thomas. Hot, Flat and Crowded. ISBN: 978-0374166854 (HBK)
• Robb, John. Brave New War. ISBN: 978-0470261958 (PBK)
• Davis, Mike. Planet of Slums. ISBN: 978-1844671601 (PBK)
• Glenny, Misha. McMafia. ISBN: 978-1400095124

All of the reading in this syllabus is required. You should read all of the assigned material on the dates of
the learning unit for which it is assigned, be prepared to discuss it or be quizzed over it in class, and also
be prepared to be examined on it EVEN IF IT IS NOT DISCUSSED IN CLASS. Our class time will not
be spent simply “going over” the assigned readings. Rather, the readings will serve as our point of
departure for the lectures and class discussion. Indeed, most lectures will involve information not
contained in the readings. So do the readings for each class on a timely basis!

Exams: There will be two essay exams given during the course of the semester: one mid-term exam
and a cumulative final exam given on Final Exam Day (June 9). Exams will consist of essay questions
only. I will provide the examination paper, but you are REQUIRED to bring a PEN to each exam. Review
questions for each exam, as well as PowerPoints for lectures covered by each exam, may be found on
the course website a few days prior to each exam.

Makeup exams will be given only for university-excused absences (See “Excused Absences” below) or if
you have obtained approval prior to the absence. If you miss an exam with an unexcused absence you
will receive a zero for the exam. If the absence is due to a foreseen reason, written verification will be
required at least one week before the scheduled exam. Permission to miss an exam must be secured
BEFORE the scheduled exam time unless the cause of the absence is unforeseen. If the exam must be
missed due to an unforeseen reason, it is your responsibility to contact me ASAP following the exam (by
phone, email or in person). Make-up exams must be scheduled as soon as possible following your
absence.

Exam grades will be returned in class, usually about one week following the exam period. If you have
questions regarding your exam grades you should speak with me before class or during office hours. I will
not provide exam grades by phone or by email. If you miss class on the day exam grades are returned,
you must come to my office during office hours to receive them.

COURSE POLICIES:

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance for this course is MANDATORY. Even though I will
not be taking attendance per se, I will be giving 5 map quizzes, the dates for which will be announced
during the class session prior to the map quiz. Therefore, if you donʼt come to class, your map quiz
grades will be significantly and negatively impacted. Furthermore, exams will be heavily based on lecture
material in addition to the course readings, issues covered during class discussion and current events.

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Much of the lecture material will not appear in the course readings, and you are responsible for all
information presented in the lectures, videos AND class discussions in addition to the readings. Moreover,
the class discussions will provide important clues as to what things are likely to show up on the
examinations. To do well in this course will require regular and engaged attendance. Finally, I will also be
grading you on the quality of your participation during class discussions. If you do not come to class, or
come to class without having done the readings, your participation score will be significantly negatively
impacted.

Email Policy: You may always feel free to contact me via email. However, I do have a few general
guidelines you must follow when doing so. First, always begin the subject line of an email to me with “PS
212:”. Be certain to use EXACTLY this subject line start (i.e., include spaces and the colon, capitalize
“PS”, etc.). This will put your email into the appropriate inbox, allowing us to respond to your email in a
timely fashion. Emails that do not have “PS 212:” at the beginning of the subject line may not receive a
response. Also, emails are NOT text messages/IM communications. When emailing me you should open
the email by addressing me as Dr. Rice, identifying yourself, concisely providing the nature of your
problem/request, and then signing off with your name. If you have followed these directions, you may
expect a response within 48 hours of its receipt. If you have a pressing emergency, you should speak to
me before or after class, or by phone. As a final note, I will NOT provide your grades (nor discuss any
personally-identifiable grade information) over the phone or by email.

Classroom Standards: I expect all students to behave in a professional manner during class
time. This means coming to class on time and being ready to start class at 12pm. It is disrespectful
to me and to your fellow students to come late and disrupt class, so be on time. I will not tolerate chronic
tardiness, and if you arrive to class more than 5 minutes late, you may be asked to turn around and leave.
Also, unless you have obtained prior approval from me, you may not leave class early. Furthermore, I do
not tolerate rude and disruptive classroom behavior. During class, refrain from talking during the lecture
(unless it is to ask me a question!), reading a newspaper, doing crosswords, sudoku or other
puzzles/games, sleeping, text messaging or other cellphone use, or listening to your iPod or other .mp3
players. When in class, turn off your cell phones – silencing will not suffice when many of your phones
have a “vibrate” function that could crack a walnut. Finally, due to their potential for distracting you and
your fellow classmates, laptop computers or other devices that may be used to access the Internet are
NOT permitted in class. I reserve the right to dismiss from class any student in violation of these policies.

Disputing Exam & Quiz Grades: Should you wish to dispute the grading of an exam,
you may submit a written grievance. Your grievance should identify the question(s)/answer(s) in dispute
and provide arguments supporting your position. The appeal must be submitted IN WRITING (attached to
the corresponding exam) to me within two class periods following the exam in question. I will provide a
written response to your grievance within one week of its receipt.

Excused Absences: The University defines the following as acceptable reasons for excused
absences: illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the studentʼs immediate family; death of
a member of the studentʼs immediate family; trips for members of student organizations sponsored by an
academic unit, trips for university classes and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events; major
religious holidays; any other circumstances which the instructor finds reasonable cause for
nonattendance. I reserve the right to require documentation for any excused absence. It is the studentʼs
responsibility to notify me before any absence if possible, but no later than one week following the
absence in any case. It is the studentʼs responsibility to provide proper documentation and notification in
all cases.

A Brief Note on Cheating & Plagiarism: Plagiarism or cheating will NOT be

tolerated. If cheating or plagiarism is found to occur, it will be dealt with according to University Senate
Rule 6.4 DISPOSITION OF CASES OF ACADEMIC OFFENSES.

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Classroom and Learning Accommodations: Any student with a disability who is
taking this course and needs classroom or exam accommodations should contact the Disability Resource
Center, 257-2754, room 2 Alumni Gym, jkarnes@uky.edu.

One Last Thing – Dropping the Course: Not that I hope you choose to leave our
little soiree, but there are a couple of dates you should keep in mind should the need arise. The last day
to drop this course without it appearing on your transcript is May 18, 2009. The last day to withdraw from
the course is May 27, 2009.

COURSE SCHEDULE:
NOTE: All items in the Course Schedule are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. These
changes will be announced in class and/or on the course website. You are responsible for all announced
changes, so come to class and check the course website regularly.

Week One (May 12-18): Globalization and the Environment

Read: Hot, Flat and Crowded

Week Two (May 19-22): Population Growth & Urbanization

Read: Planet of Slums

May 26 – MID-TERM EXAM

Week Three (May 27-June 1): Terrorism, Failed/Hollow States and 4GW
Read: Brave New War

Week Four (June 2-5): Black Globalization, Guerrilla Entrepreneurship &

Organized Crime
Read: McMafia

June 8 – Course Wrap-up and Review

June 9 – FINAL EXAM