Ethical Frameworks and Divisive Topics in Teaching International Relations

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

From economic justice to genocide, from racialized and gendered histories to the risks of the rise of China, International Relations as a discipline has to engage with divisive, challenging topics. This roundtable brings together teachers of international relations from a range of experiences who have all had to confront challenging topics, and asks them to reflect on whether, how, and under what circumstances they bring ethical frameworks to bear in their pedagogy. While recognizing that there is no generally accepted single ethical framework, we ask whether foregrounding ethics in the teaching of international relations can lead to better cross-cultural communication and an ability to help students build tolerance and empathy amid an increasingly tense campus - and world. The panelists foreground their discussions in their histories of proximity to power and ethical questions, particularly given their ties to Washington, DC and the operations of the US national security system.

Sub Unit

• Roundtables

Chair

• William A. Schlickenmaier Georgetown University

Discussant

• Nikolas K. Gvosdev Naval War College

Presenters

• Aubrey Kenton Thibaut Georgetown University

• Shea Marie Minter Georgetown University

• Michael Steven Rosol United States Military Academy