Geopolitics and International Relations

In its conventional meaning, the notion of geopolitics conjures up images of complex, sometimes even tragic political games played by powerful states with the intention of maximizing their position in the international (geo)political arena. Although this is certainly one set of dynamics geopolitical models try to explain, the scope of this fascinating discipline is far wider and involves much more than states and their grand strategies. Geopolitics, in its modern understanding, is as much about the course of action that states pursue when they engage in international power politics as it is about the many ways in which each state justifies those actions before its domestic constituency. Geopolitics means exploring different perspectives about the interactive relations between human and physical geographies. Geopolitical codes and geopolitical imaginations constitute the fundamental immaterial basis on which states are legitimized to act and, increasingly, on which they are held accountable by their citizens and/or international organizations. Moreover, states have lost their monopoly over the creation and mobilization of geopolitical codes and power. The progressive erosion of the meaning of borders in the wake of the globalization of economic and political processes has meant that new actors, both above and below the state, have come to concur in the making of geopolitics.

The objective of this course is to analyze the evolution over time of the discipline of geopolitics and its practical impacts in both global and domestic politics. It will also analyze a set of issues of critical importance for the present and future dynamics of interactions among states and, most importantly, the people that live within them.

This course does not aim to give you the ability of predicting the future or making certain statements about what policies geopolitical actors should follow in any given situation as to maximize their benefits. It would be unrealistic and intellectually flawed if it attempted to do so. Conversely, this course is about providing a set of ideal categories and practical notions that will empower you to critically interpret the construction of geopolitical narratives and the ways in which they are acted upon.