International Environmental Negotiations
FLETCHER SCHOOL OF LAW AND DIPLOMACY (DHP P231)
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (DUSP 11.364)
Fall 2013
This course provides students with a broad overview of the international information and communication field, using an interdisciplinary approach. It will provide students with an overview of the elements of international communication, their governance, their relationship to governments, and some of the most relevant policy issues. The course begins with the elements of international communication, broken into two categories: infrastructure and content. We explore governance of international communication (both content and infrastructure) as well as its relationships to governments. This contextual foundation is then followed by explorations of several of the major policy issues of international communication. Students will also have the opportunity to explore an area of particular interest in greater depth through a research project. Some important questions that will be addressed throughout the course include: How do the different means of international communication influence international relations and world affairs – and how has it changed with new technology and the new media? What is the impact of international communication on governance? Or governments on international communication? What is the impact of ownership and industry structure in the information and communication industries on the nature of international communication? When are communication technologies the means for greater freedom and when for greater domination?
