Kent J. Kille
The College of Wooster
Paper presented at the 43rd Annual Convention of the International Studies
Association,
New Orleans, LA, 24-27 March 2002
Abstract
In an age when even Madonna sings about the "bourgeoisie," one can see links between popular culture and concepts discussed in international relations. However, the question remains of how to draw upon popular culture to bring international relations to life in the classroom. This paper presents one example of how international relations theories and principles can be used by students to examine the interactions of "actors" in an "anarchic, self-help" system - the cut-throat competition on the television show Survivor. The paper discusses the possibiliies of incorporating popular culture into the classroom in general and evaluates the effectiveness of the use of Survivor as an engaged learning tool in particular.
Course Material:
Syllabus for Political Science 120: Introduction to International Relations (Spring 2001)
Syllabus for Political Science 120: Introduction to International Relations (Fall 2001)
Survivor position paper question (Spring 2001)
Take home essay question (Spring 2001)
Take home essay question (Fall 2001)
Survivor rules handout (Fall 2001)