What We Are Learning This Week with Dr. Tareq Ismael

March 29, 2021 in POLI 283 Issues & Trends In World Politics

Dr. Tareq Ismael is exploring examining popular protest and opposition to global elites with a focus on inequality, the 1%, as well as how technology and contemporary media frame such issues.

 

Can you tell us a little more about this topic?

This week builds on our exploration of global political regimes, with the focus on the growing inequality found in many societies, how protests have come to be commonplace in response to the decisions of local elites the world over, followed by an examination as to how mainstream media interacts with these dynamics in our framing of political issues. A lot to cover in a single week, but building on the previous weeks we can see both the impacts of inequality as well as how media plays a central role in our identification of the politics involved.

What else do you cover in your course?

POLI 283 covers a wide range of topics, from irregular migration, non-state actors, social movements, the advance of rights-based discourses, as well as the emergence of radical political actors such as Islamists and the ‘alt-right’. It focuses on the trends found in contemporary world politics and their impact(s) on society, allowing students to investigate international interaction by focusing on issues of development, conflict and reconstruction, intervention, illicit trade, and the impacts of ecological change, as well as how we as Canadians are both a part of—as well as how we can make a difference in—the world.

What are some of your most rewarding moments from this course?

I appreciate this course for the interactions it provides both between and with students. The diversity of topics routinely provides an opportunity for the diverse student body in our program to recognize that many of the most pronounced political problems we see around the globe are to be found almost everywhere. While each region or state may hold particular aspects, they all share experience with topics we cover—from illicit crime, the hollowing of state sovereignty, social movements, and many others—students reach beyond simple solutions that dominate our media, suggesting the value of our program in better understanding our world.

Finally, what other courses would you recommend for students interested in this topic?

Students should follow their interests with a wide range of course offerings available in the Department. A grounding in both Political Thought (POLI 310), as well as the fields of Comparative Politics (POLI 359) and International Relations (POLI 381), will build their understanding of the study of politics and allow better focus on senior courses designed to allow for regional phenomena. Beyond our strength in Canadian politics, the regular offerings of American, Latin American, and Asian politics as well as my own POLI 369 Governments and Politics of the Middle East, POLI 469 Middle East: Contemporary Political Problems, and POLI 569 Selected Topics in Middle East Politics provide an opportunity to advance interests in global politics.

Our Thanks to Dr. Tareq Ismael for sharing your course with us.

See sample course outline.