| Course Name | Year | Term | Period | Faculty / Graduate School | All Instructors | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12948:[2025 Spring]IR18‐EE214 Comparative and Global Governance (RA) § 12949:RUIR-2412 Comparative and Global Governance(RA) | 2025 | Spring | Thu1 | College Of International Relations | ATAKA HIROAKI | 2 |
Campus
Class Venue
Language
Course Outline and Method
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course News” on manaba+R by April 1. Be sure to check the “Course News” on manaba+R.
The course explores the global history of order and governance from early modern to contemporary period, particularly focusing on the changing modalities of relations between different “worlds.” Going beyond the conventional (Eurocentric) narrative of the modern state system first emerging in Europe and then spreading throughout the globe via European expansion, it recasts our understanding of the modern international system’s polycentric foundations by taking a comparative and connective perspective on the global networks of interaction. Teaching methodologies employed include a combination of lectures and discussion-oriented seminars; students will be expected to prepare for class through weekly readings, engage in group work, etc. Feedback on assignments will be provided via manaba+R. By studying for this course, students will be able to bring informed historical and theoretical arguments to bear on contemporary problems and to better anticipate and understand potential avenues of change in the future.
For JDP students, this is a gateway course to Global and Comparative Governance (GCG) thematic area. Make sure you complete it early on, particularly if GCG is your Primary Thematic Area.
Student Attainment Objectives
1. Familiarize with the dominant ways of thinking about the sources of governance and change, develop the analytical tools necessary to evaluate those arguments on the basis of historical evidence, and encourage the application of this knowledge to pressing contemporary issues in world politics.
2. Understand the comparative method, and application of cross-regional comparisons in analysis.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking as evidenced through both written work and group discussions.
Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) | Theme |
|---|---|
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information | |
| 1 | Basic Framework |
rethinking modernity, periodisation, benchmark dates, scale, time and space, diversity of polities, relational approach, governance assemblage |
|
| 2 | Early Modern Worlds |
Eurasian steppes and nomadic empires, Mongol empire, age of commerce, nomadism, Pax Mongolica, multiple “worlds,” birth of global trade, commercial networks and circuits, trade diasporas |
|
| 3 | Early Modern Europe |
European world, civilisational encounters, Latin Christendom, religious reformation, sovereign state, Westphalia, European international society, anarchy |
|
| 4 | Early Modern West and South Asia |
Indian Ocean, “Islamic world,” post-Mongol legacies, early modern globalisation, Islamic empire, company sovereign, East India Company, heterogeneity, religious pluralism, freedom of the seas |
|
| 5 | Early Modern East Asia |
East Asian world, sino-centric order, tribute system, sea ban, piracy, administered trade, suzerain sytem, Sinocentrism, port polity, hierarchy |
|
| 6 | Modern Worlds |
industrial revolution, age of revolutions, global modernity, great divergence, colonisation, standard of civilisation, international law, mobility, League of Nations |
|
| 7 | Modern Europe |
industrial revolution, American independence and French revolution, French revolution, nation-state, informal empire, concert of Europe, imperialism |
|
| 8 | Modern West and South Asia |
Russia, empires and nationalisms, suzerainty, Eastern problem, great game, legal imperialism, extraterritoriality, pan-Islamism, Westernisation, capitulation, East India Company |
|
| 9 | Modern East Asia |
Qing, Western impact, treaty system, unequal treaty, modernisation |
|
| 10 | Contemporary World(s) |
World Wars, Cold War, war on terror, United Nations, decolonisation, mandate system, globalisation |
|
| 11 | Contemporary Europe |
Fascism, iron curtain, European integration, European identity, refugee crisis and populism, EU |
|
| 12 | Contemporary West and South Asia |
Collapse of Ottoman Empire, decolonisation in South Asia, Third World, Non-Aligned Movement, religion and politics, Islamism and secularism |
|
| 13 | Contemporary East Asia |
Cold War in East Asia, rise of China, unrecognised states, territorial disputes, new Cold War? |
|
| 14 | Conclusion |
wrapping it up |
Class Format
Recommendations for Private Study
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind | Percentage | Grading Criteria etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Final Examination (Written) | ||
| Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
||
| Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 | Mid-term Essay (30%)
|
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN Code | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Globalization of International Society | Tim Dunne and Christian Reus-Smit, eds. | Oxford University Press | 978-0198793434 | |
| What Is Global History? | Sebastian Conrad | Princeton University Press | 978-0691178196 | |
| The Birth of the Modern World, 1780-1914: Global Connections and Comparisons | C. A. Bayly | Blackwell | 978-0631236160 | |
| Remaking the Modern World 1900-2015: Global Connections and Comparisons | C. A. Bayly | Wiley-Blackwell | 978-1405187169 |
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Other Comments
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/