IR Theories and Democratic Republic of Congo Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary and case studies for the IR theory final exam, including specific theoretical varieties, indigenous rights initiatives, and the political history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Classical Realism

One of the two specific types of realism discussed in the lecture focus on basic tenets and variations.

Liberalism

A core IR theory categorized into two distinct types, emphasizing foundational tenets and the differences between those variations.

Marxism Varieties

Includes classical Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, Dependency theory, World systems theory, and the Gramsci perspective.

Feminist Approaches

Divided into four distinct types: Liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, Post-structural feminism, and Post-colonial feminism.

Post-Colonialism

A theory addressing historical colonial relationships and their ongoing effects, encompassing indigenous rights, environmental justice, and global power structures.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The first formal document from an international organization to acknowledge the rights of indigenous people on a global scale.

World Bank

An establishment institution traditionally siding with stronger states that currently defines indigenous rights through a neoliberal economic lens tied to unregulated capitalism.

Andrew Zarekko

One of the first IR scholars to treat U.S. government treaties with indigenous peoples as international relations issues.

The Disorder of Things

A website providing academic resources on international relations from post-structural and post-colonial perspectives.

Congo Basin Institute (UCLA)

An initiative focusing on the Congo Basin rainforest, local livelihood issues, and the historical roles of indigenous women as land caretakers.

Prescribed Fire Management

An indigenous practice to prevent wildfires that was historically disregarded by California state bureaucracy but is now being reintegrated through collaborative county councils.

Sumeg Park

The official indigenous name for the Northern California state park formerly known as Patrick's Point.

Sovereign Bodies Institute

A research entity founded by indigenous scholars that utilized post-structural analysis to deconstruct hierarchies privileging white settlers.

Post-Structural Framework

A methodology within the Sovereign Bodies Institute that examines how bodies are socially constructed and deconstructs settler hierarchies.

MOVE Incident

A conflict in $1985$ where the Philadelphia mayor ordered bombs dropped on a radical Black group's house, leading to the unauthorized use of members' remains by the University of Pennsylvania anthropology department.

Renate Create the Land Fund

A local post-colonial initiative where a committee of indigenous women collects a land tax to fund free community gardens and medicinal plants.

Patrice Lumumba

The first democratically elected Prime Minister of Congo ($1960$) who was assassinated by the U.S. and Belgium after refusing to concede mineral resources.

Conflict Minerals

Minerals found in all electronics, including cell phones and computers, that serve as major drivers of the warfare in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Maurice Carney

The leader of the Washington D.C.-based NGO Friends of the Congo and a bilingual graduate of Howard University.

Fulbright Program

An international exchange program founded by U.S. Senator William Fulbright to address American isolation by sending students and faculty to teach abroad.

Dr. George M. Plassé

A colleague from the University of Kinshasa who team-taught IR theory and political economy with the professor.

Neo-Colonialism in Academia

A practice where external scholars study a region briefly for professional advancement without contributing benefit to the local community.