Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Teaching Introduction to International Politics with Film

2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 9; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/15512169.2013.747840

1551-2177

Brandon Valeriano,

Film in Education and Therapy

Abstract This article is an overview of a comprehensive film-based course that covers basic topics appropriate for an introduction to international relations (or world politics) course. Film provides a new and novel perspective by which to view international interactions. I explore how various aspects of international politics are covered by movies with attention focused on how these films can provide important educational lessons to guide course content. The course focuses on the topics of conflict, peace, and theories of international interactions, but others should adapt the content to meet their pedagogical or ideological needs. Emphasis is placed on using film to explain events and theory. The goal is to utilize movies to reach out to students unfamiliar with the processes of global affairs so that they will be motivated to move on to advanced topics and understand the basic issues in the field. Keywords: filmintroduction to international relationspedagogy Acknowledgments I thank John Van Benthuysen, William Baum, Fred Bergerson, Patrick James, Steven Saideman, Samuel Basset, and Ryan Teten for their comments and suggestions. Notes This is not to suggest that engaged students are not served by the course. Frequently the more advanced students who have moved on to graduate school still comment that the lessons learned in this course have served them well. Since we have a separate track for international political economy (IPE) at my college, I have removed IPE from my intro course almost entirely. There are plenty of movies that can be used to discuss basic IPE topics but I leave that for others. The American Film Institute (afi.com) lists Dr. Strangelove as Number 39 overall, down 12 places from its 1997 ranking. An issue to be aware of is the level of extreme violence in many of the films. The graphic depictions of combat in Black Hawk Down (2001), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Full Metal Jacket (1987) are extreme and students should be warned beforehand if these types of movies are chosen. This is especially a concern for students who have experienced combat personally and have issues with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000709/REVIEWS08/7090301/1023 (accessed 1/30/2011). A case can be made for using either the old version of Lord of Flies (1963) or the newer American update (1990). The older version is preferred since it is superior in terms of quality and tone, but students generally will enjoy the update since it is more recent and of a visual style they are used to (color). The classic text "On War" from Summa Theologica can be found online in public access format. IMDB.com lists the 1930 version with 8.1 stars and the 1979 version has 7.1 stars. Generally IMDB ratings are skewed towards newer films so there seems to be some agreement that the older version is indeed better. Black Hawk Down (2001) is a more recent example of a film that would be useful to dissect the first-person perspective during battle. The films are in public domain and can be found online for free. Also due to the film's clear parallels to the War in Iraq (2003) and counterinsurgency strategy. The Dr. Seuss film Butter Battle Book (1989) is also useful for illustrating the security dilemma. Unfortunately it is only available on VHS and can be rather silly with all the talk of toast and butter wars.