Global Civil Society: Culture or Construct in the 21st Century? (GLOBI-GC 1050)

As a complement to International Relations in the Post-Cold War Era (IRP-CWE) in the core of the MSGA curriculum, this course analyzes and assesses the emergence of new political and social activities that have developed beyond traditional experiences and parameters of the nation-state. Our community analyzes and queries Global Civil Society (GCS), referencing literature ranging from Castells to Ronalds, as we draw extensively on innovative applications of new technologies in the constructivist pedagogical tradition. Why? What is our purpose as a graduate learning and research community in this course?

Developments in communications technology and social media since the end of the Cold War lead us to examine the ways in which novel, unprecedented interactions emerge outside hierarchies in traditional organizations. As we bear witness to individuals empowered with agency in the 21st century world, diffuse networks are likewise offered new opportunities to influence global affairs.

Course modules explore the interplay between theory and history delving more deeply to investigate local experiences. Ours is a journey utilizing concepts that travel to explore comparatively the indigenous quest for voices that articulate constructed narratives, relating context specificity to a nascent minimal consensus emerging around what constitutes global civil society.

The syllabus design is organized with modular reference to Castells investigation of GCS from diverse perspectives, including: (1) local civil society actors [narratives]; (2) the rise of non-governmental organizations (NGOs); (3) social movements; and (4) the movement of public opinion & implications at the global level [notably around issues of social justice].

One course-related initiative was a session at the UN during which course participants learned about the global campaign of Rotary International to eradicate polio in our world.

To learn more about this course, watch the video below.