I have always been interested in the international system and global politics, which has driven me to major in political science. What drew me to this course was not only my interest, but the praise I had heard about Professor Crawford’s courses. This course in particular seemed like a necessary evil to me because I find foreign policy and global relations in current events/practice very interesting, I just have not truly understood the theories and ideologies behind such policies and foreign affairs. I don’t really like theory because I like to see things in practice, since theory can be very dependant on circumstance. I gained a greater appreciation for the international system and global politics in POLI 260, but unfortunately my professor never really expended on ideas such as realism, liberalism, etc., there was a greater focus on current events. Therefore, I believe that this class will be of benefit to me as it will allow me to gain an understanding of the ideologies of different schools of thought and hence, a better understanding of the world. I believe it is essential to understand different schools of thought in order to have an open and productive discussion about the world’s political standing and improve our global affairs. Plus, I guess it’s just literally impossible to understand other points of views unless you try.
In our first class, we spoke of 9/11, which was interesting for me to hear about in the international context. As a canadian student that has lived abroad, it was very clear to me growing up the long term effects of 9/11 on the world, but I was not aware of the subsequent effect on north america and more specifically Canada. I appreciate Professor Crawford’s ability to talk and discuss with his students the importance of such historical events, discuss the topic on a personal level by sharing experiences and then tying in the subject matter in an International Relations context.
The most interesting thing we have discussed in this course is the idea that realism is not very realistic. I feel this is an increasingly true point with the rise of globalism, as states are more willing to collaborate and unite politically and economically. The concept that schools of thought must adapt to the times is interesting to me as it ties in to the idea of consensus and the difficulty of coming to agreement about the discipline of International Relations.