Cultures in International Relations
- Credits: 6
- Ending: Examination
- Range: 2P + 2C
- Semester: winter
- Year: 1
- Faculty of International Relations
Teachers
Included in study programs
Teaching results
The aim of this course is to understand the issues of culture, cultural specifics and the differences between world cultures. The main goal is a presentation of selected paradigm interpretations of intercultural or inter-civilizational relations. Each know-how is formed by historical-logical and causal analysis of those attributes, which determined their identity and influence in the international environment. We put verbal and nonverbal entities into the set of elements of cultural structures such as languages, written systems, religions, traditions, cultural politics, intercultural relations with a specific regard to cultural identity of the European Union. In this case, the given course contributes to the extension of students’ knowledge in international economic relations and economic diplomacy.
Knowledge: to learn the distinctiveness and specifics of individual cultures; to get acquainted with historical coherence of formation of cultures; to understand key thesis of current intercultural dialogues and the ability of critical evaluation.
Competences: to understand the cultural specifics within the international environment and the ability to identify the key features of world cultures and to determine the specifics of their development.
Skills: to be knowledgeable, analyze and work with relevant literature sources, the ability to deal with nonstandard intercultural situations, the ability of effective and high-qualified as well as sensitive communication with international partners, associations or institutions.
Completing this course each student would:
recognize, identify and understand the key concepts and terms connected with the development of cultures in the international relations
be able to identify the main cultures, their development, reasons of their expansion or collapse
learn cultural specifics of decisive world cultures and civilizations
read comprehensively; analyze and evaluate the relevant reference books critically;
learn to discuss critically the current topics related to intercultural and inter-civilizational processes
Indicative content
Terminology and key categories of interpretation of cultures and civilizations. European culture. Russian culture. Cultural and civilizational identity of the USA. Multiculturalism in Canada. Latin American cultures. Islamic culture and Islamic civilization. Indian culture, Hinduism and Buddhism Chinese culture, Confucianism.Japanese and Korean cultures. Jewish culture. African culture. Cultural diplomacy.
Support literature
LEHMANNOVÁ, Z. a kol.: Paradigma kultúr. Vydavatelství a nakl. Aleš Čeněk, s. r. o., Plzeň, 2010
ZÁGORŠEKOVÁ, B., M.: Medzikultúrne vzťahy. EKONÓM, Bratislava, 2011.
BLANDORFOVÁ, L., DAVIDSON, P. Milníky civilizace. Mladá fronta, Praha, 2010
ECO, U. Dějiny legendárních zemí a míst. Argo, Praha, 2013
HUNTINGTON, P. S. Strět civilizací. Boj kultur a proměna světového řádu, Rybka Publisher, 2001.
Lexikón svetových náboženstiev. Kresťanstvo, Židovstvo, Islam, Hinduizmus, Budhizmus a iné náboženstvá. Bratislava: Aktuell, 2006
ŠUBRT, J.: Kultury civilizace a světový systém. Karolinum, Praha, 2010.
WOOLF, A.: Dejiny sveta od praveku po súčasnosť. Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2019.
Syllabus
1. Terminology and key categories of interpretation of cultures and civilizations. Terms – culture and civilization. Explanation of relations between individual systems and classes of cultural elements. Cultural models. 2. European culture. European roots of Western civilization. Periods of European culture development: Antics, Christianity, Humanism, Renaissance, and Enlightenment. Industrial and post-industrial era. The period of critical self-reflection. Scope of values. Cultural politics of the European Union, its political and legal scope. 3. Russian culture. Development phases of formation of Russian culture. Orthodoxy as religious basics of Russian culture. Scope of values. Totalitarianism and propaganda in Soviet culture. 4. Cultural and civilizational identity of the USA. Development phases of formation of the American culture. Specific features of formation of the American culture. Scope of values of American society and current issues of American society. 5. Multiculturalism in Canada. Formation of Canadian society. Reasons and forms of institutionalization of multiculturalism in Canada. Current issues of Canadian society. The position of native population. 6. Latin American cultures. Term of Latin America. Main pre-Columbian civilizations. Specifics of formation of current cultures in Latin America. Current discussion on colonialism and colonial heritage in Latin American region. 7. Islamic culture and Islamic civilization. Origins of Islamism and its establishment. Geographical expansion and specifics. Islamization as a factor of identity of countries. 8. Indian culture. Hinduism and Buddhism. Origins and establishment of Indian civilization. Hinduism and Buddhism and their scope of value. Current issues of Indian society. 9. Chinese culture. Confucianism. Origins and establishment of Chinese civilization and its scope of value. Confucianism and its meaning in the region of South-Eastern Asia. Specifics of Chinese culture. 10. Japanese and Korean cultures. Origins and establishment of Japanese culture. Historical sources of Korean culture. Phases of development and specific features of Japanese and Korean cultures. 11. Jewish culture. Origins of Jewish culture and its scope of value. Judaism and its specifics. Current social issues of Israeli society. 12. African culture. Reasons of specific social and cultural development of the African continent. European colonialism and its consequences for cultural and social development of the continent. Regional, cultural, language and social specifics of Africa. 13. Cultural diplomacy. Definition of term. Examples of cultural diplomacy and its realization in Slovak conditions. Culture, new tools of democracy.
Requirements to complete the course
The final grade is based on continuous control of study during the entire semester as well as on oral exam as follows: 40% continuous control of study (attendance 10%, activity/control questions 10%, and presentation on selected topics 20%). Final examination – oral exam (60% of the total course evaluation).
Student workload
Participation in lectures 26 hours, participation in seminars 26 hours, preparation for seminars 13 hours, preparation of a semestral project 13 hours, preparation for the exam 78 hours.
Language whose command is required to complete the course
Slovak
Date of approval: 13.03.2024
Date of the latest change: 20.12.2022