Beyond Sovereignty

The decline of traditional sovereignty is the focus of this course. The nature of that transformation--what is causing it, why, and with what implications--will be the object of our concern. While time frames are elusive, the bulk of our attention will be on the post-Cold War world. This is a worthy focus for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that most, if not all, of you have been brought up in it; and the pressures and opportunities within which you will be living are being framed within this historic context. Against this background, some of the key questions we will be asking--and, where possible, hopefully answering--are:

• How 'new' are the so-called big challenges confronting the traditional nation-state, from trans-national terrorism, to the spread of disease?
• Among the major themes defining the post-Cold War era, which one strikes you as the most pressing, the one that, if left unaddressed, will overwhelm everything else?
• Is the traditional nation state in a process of major transformation?
• If so, is it being forced to surrender its sovereignty in response to globalization?
• What alternative structures are being put forward to replace it, if any?

Syllabus: /W13D/BeyondSovereigntyW13.docx

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