Redefining Intervention: Local Perspectives in a Globalized World

4 Credits.

A great deal of international relations scholarship on Western intervention in non-Western societies lends itself to narratives that center the interveners' agendas and capabilities. This course delves into the complex dynamics of international interventions, focusing on the interplay between global policies and local communities within the context of geopolitics. It shifts the narrative away from the sole perspectives of intervening nations, instead highlighting the vital contributions of local actors in shaping their own social and political landscapes. Discussions and real-world case studies will explore how local communities actively respond to, adapt, and sometimes resist interventions labeled as humanitarian or developmental. By integrating indigenous insights with established theories, the course aims to unravel the rich tapestry of interactions that characterize these encounters. By placing indigenous scholarship alongside Western theories across a range of historical and contemporary cases, the course will build an analysis of these interactions to reveal the powerful dynamics and instabilities that shape interventions as they unfold.