International Lec Intro + Global System

What are the four principles of international studies?

1. Transnational

2. Relational

3. Inclusive

4. Interdisciplinary

What does transnational mean?

Focusing on issues and events that cross state boundaries

What does relational mean?

Examining different aspects of the world that are shaped and affected by each other

What does inclusive mean?

Considering perspectives from underrepresented people and countries

What does interdisciplinary mean?

Drawing from a range of academic disciplines when looking at global issues

What are the 3 ideological assumptions of eurocentrism?

1. Superiority of the west

2. The agency of the west

   1. The universalism of the west

What does superiority of the west assume?

Western culture, politics, economics, technology is inherently and historically superior to the East.

What does the agency of the west assume?

The west actively makes history and moves progress forward, while the east is stuck in history and acted upon by the west

What does the universalism of the west assume?

Once western culture, politics, economics, technology is introduced it will take hold as it is universally applicable to other societies

What are the three analytic concepts of worldcentrism?

1. Contingency

2. Accident

3. Conjuncture

What are contingencies?

Historical events that only occur because of other historical events they are dependent on

What are accidents?

Historical events involving natural occurrences that are unpredictable and beyong human control

What are conjunctures?

When accidents and contingencies independent of one another interact to create a historical significant moment

What made up the iberian imperialism conjuncture?

1. The Ottoman empire contingency

2. The Ming dynasty contingency

What is the Ottoman empire contingency?

Ottoman empire blocked Europe from direct access to the eastern Mediterranean’s trade circuits to China forcing the Portuguese to pursue alternative routes

What is the Ming dynasty contingency?

The withdrawal of the Chinese navy from the Indian Ocean granted the Portuguese access to Asian goods and spices

What made up the iberian imperialism conjucture to the west?

1. The immunity accident

2. The resource accident

3. The Chinese Silver contingency

What is the immunity accident?

European diseases brought to the Americas led to the death of 90% of the indigenous populations within a 100 years

What is the resource incident?

The geology of the Americans contained an abundance of gold and silver metals that were highly valued in Europe

The Chinese silver contingency

China had a high demand for silver as it was their official currency, driving Spain to export to China to finance the growth of Spanish Empire

What made up the British imperialism conjuncture to the east?

1. The Mughal empire contingency

2. The French empire contingency

What is the Mughal empire contingency?

An internal power contest led to the disintegration of the Mughal empire in India by the mid-1700s

What is the French Empire contingency?

France loses the Seven Years War to Britain due to constant in-fighting in King Loui’s court between different political factions

What made up the British imperialism conjuncture to the west?

1. The climate accident

   1. The slave trade contingency

What is the climate accident?

The tropical climate in the British colonies of the Carribean ideal for growing cheap sugar

What is the slave trade contingency?

Portuguese and Spanish established African slave trade routes that Britain eventually used to acquire millions of enslaved people to work in their colonies

What made up the industrial revolution?

1. The accident of land

2. The accident of coal

What was the accident of land?

New world colonies had a massive expanse of land available for growing materials needed for food, fuel, shelter, and clothe

What was the accident of coal?

England has an immense amount of readily minable coal with highly navigable seas and rivers for efficient transportation