Course syllabus

Development Studies Programme

DEVELOP 717:
Humanitarian Interventions

(15 points)

SEMESTER 1 - 2017

Wednesday 12 – 2 pm, Room 114-G18
(Commerce A, Room G18)

Course Outline

Lecturer:

Dr. Jesse Hession Grayman

Office: 201E - 836B

Email: j.grayman@auckland.ac.nz

Office hours:  by appointment only (no walk-ins)

                                                                                                                                     

1. Scope and Approach

 

Course Description:  Humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have recently become important sites for social scientific inquiry parallel to their increasing prominence in the management of world affairs.  This course traces the rise of the humanitarian narrative and examines how humanitarianism—along with other key words such as crisis, emergency, and intervention—has become one of the organizing categories of political action and order.  Course content analyses both the possibilities and limits of intervening in the lives of individuals and “communities” grounded upon humanitarian discourses of compassion.

 

Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, students will…

1. Review and critique the historical rise (and present crisis) of humanitarian intervention as a prominent mode of governance in global affairs.
2. Think, write, and speak critically about key analytical concepts in studies of humanitarian interventions such as the politics of bare life, the emergency-development continuum, humanitarian partnerships, trauma, and resilience.
3. Identify and critique research methods used in the social studies of humanitarian interventions. 
4. Situate the everyday practices of humanitarian intervention (project design and implementation, organizational management, working with local partners, etc.) in light of objectives 1, 2 & 3. 
5. Locate and critically appraise these debates and practices in the context of particular case studies of humanitarian interventions around the world. Examples may include but are not limited to:  Christchurch earthquake, Haiti earthquake, Asia-Pacific cyclones (e.g. Cyclones Haiyan & Pam), Syrian civil war and refugee crisis, Hurricane Katrina, volcano eruptions and frequent flood events across Southeast Asia, American military misadventures in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, etc.  

 

2. Coursework

Seminar Participation                                       10%

Weekly Critical Reading Response                   30%

Student-Led Presentation & Discussion           15%

Case Study Research Project                           45%

Seminar Participation (10%)

This is a graduate seminar and students are expected to take ownership of their learning and knowledge. That includes attending all seminars prepared to participate in seminar discussions. This means you must read all the required readings before class and then actively engage in class discussions. Your routine participation each week will count toward 10% of your course grade.

 

Weekly Critical Reading Response (30%)

Starting the second week of classes, you will log on to our closed, private Facebook group weekly and submit a critical response (i.e. not just a summary) between 200 and 300 words for the week’s readings before midnight on Tuesday each week. You may contribute an original response, or respond to the original posts of your peers. Engage in constructive and polite critique in order to develop and practice debate skills. You may skip two weeks without penalty. With such a limited word count per week, you should not try to address the entire week’s readings. Rather, try to address a particular question or theme, or focus on doing close readings of standout passages in the text. Please note this weekly exercise prepares you for seminar participation (see above). Some questions you might consider addressing in your weekly responses may include but are certainly not limited to the following:

 

• What are the main arguments in this week’s assigned reading(s)?
• What evidence does the author use to make their argument?
• What are some methodological and/or ethical issues raised?
• What theoretical frameworks are introduced?
• What underlying assumptions does the author make?
• How does the author’s location, position, and interests relate to their object of analysis and argument?
• Are you convinced by the author’s arguments? Why or why not?
• What are the practical implications of the author’s arguments?
• How do the current week’s reading(s) relate to each other or to prior weeks’ readings?
• What lessons can you draw from the reading(s) in thinking about your research and/or professional interests?

 

Student Presentations & Discussion (15%)

During Weeks 2-12, a student (or small group of students, depending on enrolment) will be responsible for introducing the week’s readings. This entails a 20-30 minute presentation that should draw on the articles, but also bring in additional materials, such as powerpoint slides, internet resources, short videos, images, etc. 5% of the presentation grade will be for originality and creativity of presentation, 5% for critical analysis of the topic, and 5% for the formulation of two or three questions that will start the class discussion upon completion of your presentation. The point of the presentation is not to simply summarise the weekly readings but to use them along with supplementary material to make an engaging presentation that will lay the groundwork for a discussion. Student-led presentations and discussion should be no less than 30 minutes and no more than 60.

 

 

Case Study Research Project (45%)

Write a 4,000-word case study report that critically addresses a specific aspect of humanitarian interventions (either historical or contemporary) in light of the analytical themes introduced in the course. Assessment of your project will accumulate as you achieve the following consecutive benchmarks on the following due dates:

 

Week	Date	Case Study Research Project Due Dates
5	28 Mar	Formulation of a Case Study Topic (5%) Prepare this in the form of a provisional title along with a 200-300 word abstract that addresses the who/what/where/when/how/why of your chosen case study. You have eight weeks (including the break) to settle upon a topic. Like the weekly readings, your definition of a case study may be flexibly defined in scale, theme, issue, region, institution, and so on, but in keeping with the conventions of primary social science research, I will demand a rigorous focus from you. Do not hesitate to consult with me in advance (by email, or by appointment) as you consider what to pursue for this assignment.
8	2 May	Literature Review in Annotated Bibliography Format (15%) Prepare an annotated bibliography with a minimum of nine (9) citations, three each for the following types: 1.     citations drawn from this course syllabus to link your case study with themes from this class. (this should be the easiest, as you may rely upon, i.e. copy and minimally revise, your reading responses that are relevant to your case study) 2.     primary sources in the professional literature (e.g. project reports, donor publications, policy papers, legal documents, archival materials, etc.) 3.     peer-reviewed academic literature (e.g. journal articles or monographs similar to the readings on the syllabus, but with direct relevance to your topic and sourced by you) For each citation, provide a summary of its relevance to your case study in 200 words or less. Think of each annotated citation as a tailored abstract, i.e. do not copy-paste the abstract or executive summary, but rather provide the who/what/where/when/how/why of its specific relevance to your project. Flexibility in the selection of your citations to accommodate the unique particularities of your case study will be considered with advance consultation.
12	30 May	Completion / Submission of Report (25%) 4,000 words that may incorporate, where appropriate, what you have written in your topic abstract and annotated bibliography.

 

3. Expectations

This course is reading intensive, and the readings serve as the basis for weekly reflections in writing, class lectures, and the student presentations, as well as a starting point for your case study research project. Class time provides opportunities for you to undertake close analysis of particular readings and discuss major concepts and arguments put forth in them. My expectations are as follows:

 

1. Submitted work is your own
2. Sources of ideas and quotations will be appropriately and consistently referenced

• Advertised submission dates are non-negotiable (with the exception of serious illness, family bereavement, or other compelling reason)

1. You arrive to class on time and prepared to actively engage in class discussion

 

 

Academic Integrity:  The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student’s own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources online. A student’s assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

 

Submission Penalties:  Late submissions without prior written permission of the instructor will normally be penalised in the following way:

 

1 day late = 15% penalty

2 days late = 20% penalty

3 days late = 25% penalty

4 days late = 30% penalty

5 days late = 35% penalty

6 or more days late (work will not be marked)

Please note: weekends and public holidays are not included in the lateness penalty

 

Feedback:  Students will have opportunities to provide feedback on course content and conduct throughout the semester, including a mid-semester formative evaluation during Week 6 and an end-of-semester course evaluation. Students are also encouraged to ask questions about course expectations, or provide feedback, in class or privately, either by appointment or by email. The instructor will provide detailed, handwritten feedback on the hard-copies of student assignments, not electronically.

 

Inclusive Learning:  Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements face-to-face and/or in written form with the course lecturer.

 

4.  Seminar Schedule (Thursdays 1 – 3pm)

Week	Date	Topic
1	28 Feb	Introduction:  The Nature of Disaster and White Helmets Short Film
2	7 Mar	The Idea of Emergency
3	14 Mar	The Politics of Life
4	21 Mar	Mobile Sovereignty
5	28 Mar	Humanitarian Spaces in Aidland Case Study Topic Due
	4 Apr 11 Apr	Mid-Semester Break – No class
6	18 Apr	Salvage and Salvation: Faith-Based Humanitarianism
7	25 Apr	ANZAC Day - No Class
8	2 May	Case Studies in Humanitarian Practice Literature Review / Annotated Bibliography Due
9	9 May	Social Lives of Humanitarian Objects (guest lecture with Dr. Tineke Water)
10	16 May	Building Back Better, or Linking Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development
11	23 May	Afterlives of Humanitarian Aid
12	30 May	Aotearoa New Zealand Humanitarians (guest lecture with Devon Hanna) Final Case Study Report Due

 

5. Reading List

I repeat:  this course is reading intensive! Weekly readings are listed according to the schedule provided on the 'Reading Lists' tab. Readings will be available either on the Canvas course site or through electronic download via the University of Auckland Libraries and Learning Services.

 

6. Useful Resources

You are you encouraged to read widely. Indeed, it is a requirement for your case study research project. Humanitarian agency websites (donors, international agencies, NGOs, government agencies, etc.) often have publication pages of their own, which I would generally categorise as “professional publications” or “grey literature.” Google Scholar and other search engines are quite powerful for doing literature reviews. Academic social networking sites such as Academia.edu and ResearchGate.net are increasingly useful as well for finding literature close to your interests. With all sources, the challenge is to read critically. This means considering the context of the text (who wrote it, why, and where); analysing the structure of the paper (what is the author trying to do - argue/prove/disprove/report - what new ideas are being presented); paying attention to references (study the bibliography); and thinking about how the text is useful to you. Refer to the list of critical reading questions above on page 2 of the syllabus.