Oakton Community College

Oakton Community College COURSE SYLLABUS GEG 120 World Regional Geography

Department of Historical and Policy Studies http://www.oakton.edu/acad/dept/his/index.htm

Instructor Michael Madill +1-312-375-3482 [email protected] http://www.oakton.edu/~mmadill

Contents Course Administration ……………………………………………………………………………………….1 Course Outline and Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………3 Introduction to the Course and this Bibliography…………………………………………………..3 Background Readings ……………………………………………………………………………...5 Lecture and Discussion Schedule ………………………………………………………………….6 Lecture and Discussion Topics …………………………………………………………………….6 Appendix ……………………………………………………………………………………………………18

Course Administration

I. Course Course Course Prefix Number Name Credit Lecture Lab GEG 120 World Regional Geography 3 3 0

II. Course Prerequisite: None

III. Course (Catalog) Description:

Course analyzes regions of the world. Content includes looking at patterns and distributions of economic, political and social organizations of different nations, to gain global perspective on current world events; focus is on aspects of development and underdevelopment using representative regions as examples. IAI S4 900N

IV. Learning Objectives:

The student will acquire an understanding of such matters as: A. The content of the world, systematized with meaningful categories and patterns. B. The concept of environment: its physical, biotic, and cultural elements. C. The diversity and distribution of environments as spatial arrangements, over the earth's surface. D. Ecological processes that tend to increase productivity or that tend toward the deterioration of the environment. E. Cultural processes of invention, diffusion, culture diversification on cultural conveyance in man's perception and use of space.

In addition to the above objectives, this course will help students develop the following General Education Competencies that have been established by the College: A. Identify, define, analyze, interpret, and evaluate: ideas, concepts, information, and their consequences. B. Communicate ideas, concepts, and information through written means. C. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity as it relates to the individual, the community, and the global society.

V. Academic Integrity:

Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

• cheating • plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation) • falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth) • helping others to cheat • unauthorized changes on official documents • pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you • making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats • any other behavior that violates academic integrity

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

VI. Outline of Topics:

The following are addressed throughout the course.

A. Methods of analysis: comparative method, case studies, analytic narratives, ethnography B. Basic politics: power, participation, representation, accountability C. Basic geography: landforms, climate, maps, demography D. Urbanisation: causes, effects, rural competition E. Industrialisation: causes, effects, technology, agrarian challenges F. Globalisation: free trade, autarky, finance, logistics G. Political economy: class, labor, capital, clientelism

VII. Methods of Instruction:

One or more of these methods of instruction will be employed in each class: lecture, multimedia presentation, group discussion, one-on-one discussion and self-directed research and reading

VIII. Course Practices Required:

Students will be required to:

A. Participate fully in the course by completing all required exams, readings and assignments, expressing their opinions in writing and commenting upon the opinions of others, and seeking feedback from the instructor about their performance B. Demonstrate progress in the development of critical thinking skills, facility with rhetoric in argument, and fluency in written communication

IX. Instructional Materials: The principal instructional materials are the latest editions of the following or similar texts:

Oxford Pocket World Atlas

Supplemental readings and individual research as required

X. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

Progress and final course evaluation are assessed on the student’s performance against expectations for participation in the course and their progress in the development of critical thinking, rhetoric and written communication.

XI. Other Course Information:

A. Support Services: Tutoring is available at the Learning Center.

B. If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability, you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services, contact the ASSIST office in the Learning Center. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skills or requirements of a course or degree program.

C. Statement on Discrimination: Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.

D. Important Dates:

02/13/11: Last day to withdraw and have course dropped from record 02/13/11: Last day to change to Audit 02/20/11: Last day for students to submit materials to make up incomplete from the previous semester 03/13/11: Last day to withdraw from classes with a "W"

Course Outline and Bibliography

Here is detailed information about the weekly progress of the course. Please contact the Instructor if you have questions about the contents of this section.

Introduction to the Course and this Bibliography

What is World Regional Geography? The course title may make sense to you if you have some familiarity with the subject. If not, don’t worry. Read on.

Geography is the science and the art of representing the world. How this is done and precisely which pieces of the world get represented are the criteria which determine subsidiary fields of enquiry. The simplest to apprehend is physical geography, or the representation of the world through its landforms: mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts, forests. But there are also ways to draw boundaries on the earth using language, culture, politics, economics, society, gender, sexual orientation and ideology. The possibilities for division and deconstruction are almost endless, and which lens you use depends on the agenda with which you begin. In this course, we will take the world undivided as our starting point and apply to it the means of representation above as they suit our purposes. We will not be bound by a single method or point of view.

When we divide the world into regions, we create arbitrary boundaries for the purpose of isolating problems for further study. In this course we will focus on a single region and, through the study of problems common to geography around the world, arrive at a better understanding of the interdependence of human activity and the natural environment.

Objectives of the Course By the end of the course you should be able to argue cogently about geography and the problems of politics that attend it. You should have a good understanding of at least two major topics from those selected for investigation in the course. This means that you would be able to describe, unprompted, the geographic and contemporary political circumstances involved as well as the causes and effects of those phenomena, and that you would be able to offer an evidence-based argument about solutions to the difficulties. This does not mean that you should become experts in the cases or the political problems that we study. It isn’t possible over one course. The material in the Bibliography is there to help you develop a solid understanding of problems and cases by presenting a range of material from which you can choose.

Components of the Course This course is highly interactive. We will use many learning formats, but most of our time will be occupied in discussion. This means that you will do as much talking as possible, so you should come prepared, having done the reading and the research and answered any discussion questions assigned to help organize your thoughts.

We will engage a new theme each session, and the discussions are structured such that each is a building block in a larger story. So, it is essential that you prepare thoroughly for each session in order to perform well over the entire course.

Each session you should complete the assigned readings and endeavor to read at least one supplemental source and complete some research and write your answers to any discussion questions so that you can participate in discussion effectively. You needn’t commit unreasonable amounts of time to these exercises, and assignments are structured so that you shouldn’t have to. If you are having trouble with the workload it is your responsibility to raise the problem.

Grading will consider only your participation in discussion. Completing reading assignments and writing answers to discussion questions and making some comments in discussion each week are the minimum required to pass the course. Simply submitting written answers to discussion questions is not itself participation in discussion, nor is it evidence of much learning. Consequently such effort is unlikely to garner a passing grade unless teamed with other contributions over the course.

How to Use this Bibliography There is more reading here than the average student could complete, but that isn’t the point. The readings that appear here are choices. Some are required, and these are marked. Most are suggestions. You decide how much you want to learn and read accordingly. Remember that the more you learn, and the more this is evinced in discussion, the better your grade. But it’s up to you.

Still, there’s no substitute for reading. If you want more than a passing understanding of anything which appears in the course, you must engage intimately with the topics. Read as much as you have time for, use the internet liberally to keep up with current events, and above all else talk about what you see. The more that you read, the more that you will develop opinions, and the more you talk the better you will hone them.

Background Readings

You could get by, just, with only the assigned readings and other requirements in the course. But you won’t develop a very sophisticated understanding of anything unless you put in more effort. A good place to start is to develop some background in the areas and the subjects we will study so that you have deeper context in which to analyze what we study.

Basic Politics . Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan . Locke, John. Second Treatise on Government . Machiavelli, Nicolo. The Prince . Marx, Karl. Grundrisse . Montesquieu, Charles Louis Secondat de. The Spirit of the Laws . Bentham, Jeremy. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation . Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty . Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature . Plato. The Republic . Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract

Basic Geography . Holden, Joseph. An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment . Whittow, JB. The Penguin Dictionary of Physical Geography . Inkpen, Robert. Science, Philosophy and Physical Geography . Fotheringham, A Stewart. Quantitative Geography: Perspectives on Spatial Data Analysis . Baker, Alan. Period and Place: Research Methods in Historical Geography . Douglas, Ian. Companion Encyclopedia to Geography: The Environment and Humankind . Cloke, Paul. Practicing Human Geography . Schama, Simon. Landscape and Memory . Thoreau, Henry David. Walden . Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Political Geography . Fisk, Robert. The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East . de Blij, Harm. Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America – Climate Change, The Rise of China and Global Terrorism . Brzezinski, Zbigniew. The Grand Chessboard . Hopkirk, Peter. The Great Game . Lawrence, TE. Seven Pillars of Wisdom . Eco, Umberto. Baudolino . Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness . Cleaver, Eldridge. Soul on Ice . Didion, Joan. Slouching Towards Bethlehem . Ginsberg, Allen. Howl . Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man

Lecture and Discussion Schedule

Unit Date Topic Assignments 1 18-Jan-11 Introduction None 2 24-Jan-11 Political Identity Readings, Political Compass, Discussion Questions 3 31-Jan-11 Principles of Geography Readings, Discussion Questions 4 07-Feb-11 Principles of Politics Readings, Discussion Questions 5 14-Feb-11 War and International Readings, Discussion Questions Relations 6 21-Feb-11 Vietnam – Geography Readings, Discussion Questions 7 28-Feb-11 Vietnam – Politics Readings, Discussion Questions 8 07-Mar-11 Vietnam – Conflict Readings, Discussion Questions ** 14-Mar-11 CLOSED for Spring Recess None 9 21-Mar-11 General Middle East History Readings, Discussion Questions 10 28-Mar-11 Iraq – Geography Readings, Discussion Questions 11 04-Apr-11 Iraq – Politics Readings, Discussion Questions 12 11-Apr-11 Iraq – Conflict Readings, Discussion Questions 13 18-Apr-11 Palestine – Geography Readings, Discussion Questions 14 25-Apr-11 Palestine – Politics Readings, Discussion Questions 15 02-May-11 Palestine – Conflict Readings, Discussion Questions 16 09-May-11 Insights Readings, Discussion Questions ** 13-May-11 LAST DAY OF TERM

Lecture and Discussion Topics

1 Introduction

Introduction In this meeting we will discuss how this course will run and basic topics which are critical to an understanding of the course material to follow. We will locate geography and politics in context and enter briefly into recent history, and we will touch upon elements of political philosophy and political science which students will find useful in the course.

Discussion Questions Although there are no written assignments due at this meeting, you should consider the following as a means to preparation for further critical thinking over the course. . Is greed good? . Who would you feed first, your family or your neighbor? . Are justice and fairness the same thing? Why or why not?

Readings There are no reading assignments which you must complete for this meeting, but if you read one or more of the following you will arm yourself with better tools for navigating the course material which follows.

. REQUIRED: None . David Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations . Simon Schama, Landscape and Memory . Henry David Thoreau, Walden . John Hanning Speke, Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile . Graham Greene, Journey Without Maps . George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier . Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon . Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid . JM Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians . Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy . Julius Caesar, The Gallic Wars

2 Political Identity

Introduction Understanding the foundations of your own and others’ beliefs will better equip you to recreate and analyse power relationships that make geography and important field of social science enquiry. Knowing yourself better also confers advantages in argument. In this meeting we will explore personal idiosyncrasies and environmental factors which influence the way we think politically. Discussion Questions Please prepare written answers of not more than two pages each for the following questions and bring them with you to the meeting. . Which factors were most important in the formation of your political opinions? Why? . Were you surprised by your Political Compass results? Why/Why not? . What would it take for you to change your mind on an issue you consider important? . What is the most important thing you look for in voting for someone? Why? . Do you have the same political views as your parents? As your friends? Why or why not? . Additionally, visit www.politicalcompass.org and take the survey. Note your results and be prepared to discuss them.

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Christopher Hitchens, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything . Henri Barbusse, Under Fire . Emile Zola, Germinal . Hunter S Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas . Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita . Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice . Robert Fisk, The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East . Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness . Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms . Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Cancer Ward

3 Principles of Geography

Introduction A crucial starting point for any thorough apprehension of geography is basic natural landforms. Knowing the land intimately, the better to control its resources and the people who live on it, is an indispensable tool for the analyst or indeed, the conqueror. In this meeting we will touch on the basics of physical geography and trace the connections between land and power in order to appreciate the value of what the land can give, how people move about on it, and how well one place is integrated with another. We will discuss the geography of the US because it is the most familiar or at least the most accessible to students in this country.

Discussion Questions . Discuss the limitations of physical geography in the Westward expansion of the United States on the white settlers and on the native Americans they displaced (hint: same geography, different effects) . What are the connections between the natural resource endowment of the United States and its domination of world affairs today? (hint: remember “might makes right” is wrong, but it works) . Be detailed in your answers – describe the geography and the resources and their effects . Discuss the range of climatic zones in the United States and their influence on the development of different economic systems in the North and South before the civil war, and then trace this cause-effect relationship down to the present day to explain why most black people live in cities (hint: keep it simple and look at the big picture, literally) . Describe the political landscape of the debate about CAFE standards (hint: this involves automobile manufacturers, and by “political landscape” I mean the people, institutions and money involved in the debate and YOUR OPINION about how the debate will play out)

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Prahalad, Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid . Landes, Wealth and Poverty of Nations . Kissinger, Diplomacy . Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes . Moore, Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy . Trotsky, History of the Russian Revolution . Galbraith, Money: Whence it Came and Where it Went . Said, Culture and Imperialism . Lenin, Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism . Churchill, History of the English Speaking Peoples . James, Raj . Kipling, Kim . Conrad, Heart of Darkness . Lugard, Rise of Our East African Empire . Clive, Clive of India . Burton, Wanderings in West Africa . Speke, Journal of Discovery of the Source of the Nile . Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire . Caesar, The Gallic Wars . Aurelius, Meditations

4 Principles of Politics

Introduction Geography is meaningless without politics. Facts about our world do not exist unrelated to others. Even the presentation of facts, such as the drawing of a map, is itself a political act. In order to properly analyse geographical phenomena, in order to present a cogent argument which accounts for all available data, we must consider the power relationships involved in structures, institutions and actions we observe. In this meeting we will discuss some of the ideas and tools which we will use in order to make sense of the areas and events we study over the remainder of the course.

Discussion Questions . Which would you choose if you could have only one, liberty or security? . Is it better for a country to have a rich economy or to have an equitable distribution of resources? . Is it possible to have peace without justice?

Readings . REQUIRED: None . William Shakespeare, Coriolanus . Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince . Joel Migdal, Strong Societies and Weak States . Jean Francois Bayart, The State in Africa: Politics of the Belly . Eric Hobsbawm, The Invention of Tradition . Fred Riggs, The Theory of the Prismatic Society . Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism . Reinhard Bendix, Kings or People . Frederick Barth, Political Leadership Among the Swat Pathans . John Iliffe, Honour in African History

5 War and International Relations

Introduction War or the threat of war is the most important force in relations between countries. It enables strong countries to do as they please and compels weak countries to find coping strategies in an international system which favors peaceful dispute resolution but respects only violence. This does not mean, though, that there always must be war. Even strong countries often find it cheaper or easier to use diplomacy when defending their national interest. At the back of everything, though, is the spectre of violent action. In this meeting we will explore theories of international relations and discuss why war plays a key role in world affairs. Discussion Questions . Is security for your country worth any price? Do the ends justify the means? . Is there a better way than fear and war to ensure security among nations? If so, describe it in as much detail as you can muster. . Is it fair that weaker nations are at the mercy of powerful ones? If yes, explain why. If no, describe what you would do to remedy this.

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy . Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society . Hans Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations . Robert Jervis, Perception and Misperception in International Politics . Joan Spero, The Politics of International Economic Relations . Vladimir Lenin, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism . Joseph Nye, Understanding International Conflicts . Martin Van Creveld, The Transformation of War . Carl von Clausewitz, On War . Graham Allison, The Essence of Decision . AFK Organski, The War Ledger . Nicolo Machiavelli, The Prince . Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard

6 Vietnam – Geography

Introduction Vietnam is a densely populated sliver of the Southeast Asian littoral (look this up if necessary) with a history of other peoples’ imperialism. The country was finally free of official outside influence in 1975, but it remains a focus of strategic competition. In this meeting we will explore the geographical reasons for Vietnam’s importance to contemporary politics and economics.

Discussion Questions . Is Vietnam’s physical area a hindrance to its further economic development? Why or why not? . Why is Vietnam considered a key member of Southeast Asia’s economic community? . Explain why Vietnam’s overall physical geography made it a likely victim of colonialism and why it made it likely for communism to take root [hint: you don’t have to discuss the war to answer this, but you do have to look at “the big picture” in your atlas, and think!] . Additionally, complete a case study for Vietnam using the Case Study template in the Appendix at the end of this syllabus and submit it with the answers to your discussion questions

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History . Graham Greene, The Quiet American . Michael Herr, Dispatches . Gerald Nicosia, Home to War: A History of the Vietnam Veterans Movement . Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July . Born on the Fourth of July (movie by Oliver Stone) . Platoon . Apocalypse Now . Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness . Frederick Downs, The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War . Fog of War . Neil Sheehan, Bright Shining Lie . Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy . McGeorge Bundy, The War Council . Vietnam: The 10,000 Day War . Sun Tzu, Art of War . Carl von Clausewitz, On War

7 Vietnam -- Politics

Introduction If we see Vietnam through the lens of our own history then we will misunderstand events there, their causes and effects. Outside influences are important in analyzing any case but they are not the only influences. We will get better explanations if we first seek explanations which originate within the society and use those as a filter for other factors. In this meeting we will investigate the forces which drive Vietnam’s domestic politics.

Discussion Questions . If you wanted to control as much of Vietnam as possible, which city or landform would it be most important to control? Why? . Which country in the region would you try to make your best friend? Why? . Do you think dictatorship or democracy makes it easier to control Vietnam? Why?

8 Vietnam – Conflict

Introduction The Vietnam war was the most disruptive period in the country’s recent history, but not necessarily the most important. In the US we think it was because of what the war did to our society. Significant changes to Vietnam’s economy and society were interrupted by the war, which merely accelerated the pace of change by removing barriers to political development once peace was restored. In this meeting we will analyze the geographical and other aspects of the war, including its causes and effects.

Discussion Questions . What has the US learned from Vietnam? . Were the gains from the Vietnam War worth the sacrifice? Consider the number of US troops killed, the money spent on the war, and the strategic gains the US made in the region . What are the parallels between Vietnam and Iraq? . If you are drafted to fight in a war you don’t believe in, do you have an obligation to go? . If you avoid the draft, aren’t you just sending someone else to fight, and maybe die, in your place? . Should the President – who is also Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces – always be obeyed when it comes to war policy and objectives? . Should the government be able to regulate or suppress information about a war? . Should the news media go along with government requests about coverage of a war?

9 General Middle East History

Introduction Strictly speaking there is no geographical entity called the Middle East. In the British Empire, ‘the East’ meant east of Suez. In the ancient world the East was east of Rome or Athens. Now, the East is China and its environs. The term Middle East as we know it is an invention of media which has worked its way into everyday life, academia, and government. Generally, when we talk about the Middle East we mean everything between the Nile River and the Tigris River and the Anatolian Mountains and the Arabian Sea. Geographically this is roughly Israel, the Occupied Territories of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Yemen. Egypt is often included because of its role in the peace process. In this meeting we will review the general course of the region’s history and chart some its more important geographical features.

Discussion Questions . What do you think is the most important problem to solve first in order to encourage peace in the region? [Choose only ONE and explain] o Poverty o Repressive government o Neo-Colonialism / Strategic Economics . Which do you think is the most important conflict in the region today? [Choose only ONE and explain] o Palestine o Iraq o Afghanistan (not really Middle East but affects it profoundly) . Would the Middle East be strategically important without oil or religious conflict? Why or why not?

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Robert Fisk, The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East . Edward Said, A Question of Palestine . Simin Daneshvar, Savushun . Salman Rushdie, Satanic Verses . Toby Dodge, Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied . Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner . Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid . Theodore Herzl, The Jewish State . Albert Camus, The Stranger . Wilfred Thesiger, Arabian Sands . Naguib Mahfouz, Midaq Alley . TE Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom . Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion

10 Iraq – Geography

Introduction Iraq didn’t exist before the First World War. It’s boundaries were drawn as a League of Nations mandate territory (look this up if necessary – it’s important to understand). Before this the kingdom with its seat in Baghdad was a client state of the Ottoman Empire, ruled by a satrap of the emperor in Constantinople. Once defined, though, the Iraqi state quickly became a focus of competition – and therefore regional instability – for the water and oil and other resources it controlled. In this meeting we will investigate the physical geography of modern Iraq.

Discussion Questions . Use your atlas and your case study research to analyze the significance of the data in these slides, and answer the following questions . Imagine yourself in Iraq now . . . as an ordinary farmer or worker . . . and again as a soldier . . . how do your views of Iraq’s physical geography will change as your point of view changes? . Which aspects of Iraq’s physical geography do you think are the most important? [Choose one from the climate or landform slides above and tell me why you think it is key] . Look in your atlas and notice the countries around Iraq – now tell me which features of Iraq’s physical geography you think give Iraq power in the neighborhood and why\ . Additionally, complete a case study for Iraq and submit it with the answers to your discussion questions.

Readings . REQUIRED: None . NOTE: Stay away from US sources when searching for reliable accounts of what is happening in Iraq. There are some good general sources, but few specific ones. Embedded reporters are biased by definition, and day trips outside the Green Zone or using Iraqi stringers in Baghdad do not really give journalists the depth they need -- see below for better and more balanced sources . Robert Fisk, The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East . Patrick Cockburn, The Occupation: War and Resistance in Iraq . www.aljazeera.net [they have an English site] . www.hrw.org [Human Rights Watch] . www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com [Baghdad Burning] . www.dahrjamailiraq.com [Dahr Jamail’s Mideast Dispatches]

11 Iraq – Politics

Introduction Iraqi politics means a lot more than Saddam Hussein and civil war. The present government must finely balance the demands of three major and two minor ethnic groups and two major and three minor religious groups in addition to the pressures of regional and international competition for control of its oil and water and the rehabilitation of its international standing after the fall of the Ba’ath regime. In this meeting we will explore the causes and effects of domestic and international politics in Iraq.

Discussion Questions . Do you think Iraq will ever be free of outside influences? Why or why not? . Is democracy possible in a country like Iraq? Why or why not? [Democracy means balancing the power of majorities and minorities in the self-government of the nation – do not mention elections, they are only for show] . What are the implications of Kurdish control of most of Iraq’s untapped oil supplies? [Use your atlas and the internet for this one – Iraq has more oil in the ground than Saudi Arabia, and most of it lies under the places where Kurds live and have a lot of control today]

12 Iraq -- Conflict

Introduction Regardless of ideology, the US invasion of Iraq was bad for the region and bad for US interests. There has been no rebirth of democracy as in 1989 in Eastern Europe, no spontaneous Iraqi unity as envisioned by the US in spite of the new constitution and new elections there. The US talked big but did not deliver in Iraq, and this has implications for Iraq’s future, US foreign policy, oil market stability, and strategic balances in the region and in Asia generally. Instability in Iraq has not yet spread to other countries in the region, largely as a result of increased repression in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia – with US support in some cases, but the US invasion has created a trans-national network of resistance in the region which has been co-opted by terrorist groups. Continuing instability in Iraq will occupy US military resources as support for the war wanes in strategic partner countries. Iraq had greater political stability and violent crime rates comparable to the US and EU under Sadaam Hussein, but no democracy. In this meeting we will discuss the causes and effects of the war in Iraq and the geographical features of the conflict.

Discussion Questions . Is the war in Iraq like the war in Vietnam? Why or why not? [Discuss geography as well as politics and think in terms of how geography influenced the fighting in both cases] . Why didn’t the war in Iraq end with the capture of Saddam Hussein? [Make a geographical argument based on what you know about the political situation there today – i.e. tell me about how the land influences who is fighting whom] . Put yourself in the shoes of US military planners – if you had to invade another country in the region, which would it be and why? [Make a geographical argument in the same way as above – no fair talking about Iran’s politics! I want an argument about controlling land in the region]

13 Palestine – Geography

Introduction Palestine includes Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the Occupied Territories – referring to the whole package as Israel is factually incorrect and promotes a dangerously narrow view of both the physical and human geography involved. Also, there is no generally accepted evidence for any ancient state of Israel or to support anything in the Pentateuch, i.e. the Exodus and the Conquest – which means the geography of antiquity was fluid and bears little relation to the geography of today. In order to fully understand the geography of the region we must put aside historical or religious determinism, ideological or cultural affinity and prejudice. You should focus only on the facts, but include all available facts, and develop evidence-based arguments about Palestine’s geography.

Discussion Questions . What do you think is the single most important geographical feature in Palestine today? o Use your atlas to answer this question, and remember that although this presentation is concerned with natural physical geography that physical geographical features can be man-made . Find out about the wall built by Israel through the occupied land of the West Bank . What about Israel’s irrigation schemes which divert water from the Jordan River to farmland or attempts by Turkey, Syria and Jordan to divert water in the Jordan watershed to their own uses? . Additionally, complete a case study for Palestine and submit it with the answers to your discussion questions.

Readings . REQUIRED: None . Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid . Edward Said, A Question of Palestine . Alan Dershowitz, The Case for Israel . Norman Finklestein, Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict . Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine: One Land Two Peoples . Gregory Harms, The Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction . Bernard Lewis, The Middle East . Jerusalem Post . Al Jazeera . www.peacenow.org

14 Palestine -- Politics

Introduction Israel claims about 63% of the Palestine’s population but claims 85% of Palestine’s land within its 1967 borders. The occupied territories depend entirely on Israel for basic services and infrastructure (border control, electricity, water, sewerage). Jewish colonization of the occupied territories is the most important symbolic issue in the conflict today and is actively encouraged by the Israeli government – the Prime Minister calls for a settlement freeze, but the Housing Ministry keeps giving money to settlers, for example. Anti-Israel terrorism is largely outside the control of the Palestinian Authority. The birth rate in the occupied territories is about three times that in Israel, which means Palestine will be a de facto non-Jewish state inside and outside Israel in a generation. Peace Now is opposed to colonization of the occupied territories, opposed to apartheid in the occupied territories and opposed to gratuitous violence on all sides, and it enjoys support of roughly half of the Israeli public. In this meeting we will discuss these and other observations and the political implications for domestic and international politics in Palestine.

Discussion Questions . Where are the loci of support for the present Israeli and Palestinian governments . . . geographically? In the cities and towns? On the Kibbutzim? In the refugee camps? Where? . What does your answer to the above tell you about Israeli and Palestinian domestic politics? [e.g. what sort of people live in the areas you identified, and what do you think their attitudes are, and how do these influence the respective governments?] . What do your answers above tell you about they way the Israeli or Palestinian governments approach the conflict in Palestine?

15 Palestine – Conflict

Introduction Here is an anecdote from America, which is relevant. In 1991 a black man, Rodney King was savagely beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers while a half dozen other officers looked on, and this beating was captured on video tape. If you watch the tape, King doesn’t attack the police, yet the police beat him with clubs, kick him, punch him and slam him on the ground. You can see cars passing and slowing down, but they keep going. The tape caused outrage around the world when it was shown on TV. The man who made the tape, George Holliday, was called courageous for sending the tape to the local TV news channel, but WHY DIDN’T HE TRY TO STOP THE POLICE BEATING KING? WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TRY TO STOP THEM? The reason this is relevant to the conflict in Palestine is because those with the power to significantly affect events on the ground by holding politicians accountable do nothing. Why? In this meeting we will explore the events of the conflict in Palestine and their geographical and political causes and effects.

Discussion Questions . If someone sets your house on fire and runs away, and you shoot your neighbor’s children because you think he did it and he can’t prove otherwise, are you right or wrong? . If someone punches you in the face and takes all your money, telling you that whoever gave it to you stole it from them, do you say okay or do you try to get your money back? . If you have the key to a lock in a door, do you use the key to open the door, or do you try to break the door down with a big hammer? Readings . REQUIRED: None . Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid . Edward Said, A Question of Palestine . Alan Dershowitz, The Case for Israel . Norman Finklestein, Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict . Ilan Pappe, A History of Modern Palestine: One Land Two Peoples . Gregory Harms, The Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction . Bernard Lewis, The Middle East . Jerusalem Post . Al Jazeera . www.peacenow.org

16 Insights

Introduction Geography is much more than the study of maps and landforms. Politics, society, economics and culture all affect the relationship between people and their environment. Some knowledge of all these is necessary in order to fully comprehend the lessons that geography can teach us about the world and about ourselves. In this meeting we will discuss those lessons and the ways in which geography can be used to change the world.

Discussion Questions . What is the most important thing you learned in this course? o [This could be about geography generally, about politics, about any of the places or ideas we have studied or even that the instructor is a wacko. Just explain to us what you will take away from the course.]

Readings . REQUIRED: None . David Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations . Simon Schama, Landscape and Memory . Henry David Thoreau, Walden . John Hanning Speke, Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile . Graham Greene, Journey Without Maps . George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier . Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon . Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid . JM Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians . Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy . Julius Caesar, The Gallic Wars

** LAST DAY OF TERM 13-May-11 Appendix

Case Study Basics o Name

o Location

o Population

o GDP per capita (latest at PPP) in $

o Official languages

o Official religions

Demographics o Gender

o Race

o Age Society o Religion o Influence of religion o Income o Tolerance of homosexuality Politics Gini Coefficient o Form of Government o Women’s rights o How a bill becomes law o Literacy rate o Head of Government o Economics o Head of Opposition o Sectoral balance of agriculture vs o Control of revenue and expenditures manufacturing vs services

o Last election figures o Most important cash crop by $

o Interest groups influence in legislation o Biggest manufacture or commodity

o Media or press freedom o Latest inflation rate

o Power of military in government o Balance of payments

o Estimated cost of corruption in % GDP o Estimated size of informal economy

o Alignment in foreign policy o Percentage of GDP consumed by government

Geography o Location o Total area o Land/water area % o Time zone o Latitude/Longitude span o Climatic zones o Altitude zones o Principal landforms (biggest river/desert/mountain/rainforest/etc) o Neighbors o Physical security assessment Supply all of the above information for each case. It is essential to a thorough understanding of the case and for effective participation in argument and discussion.

If you find unfamiliar terms or concepts above, look them up. Google and Wikipedia are good for this. Finding this information is not hard if you know where to look, but the facts themselves mean nothing. It’s what you do with them that counts. Focus on understanding the relationships between the bits of data above.