Alice Fill (alice.fill chez ens.psl.eu), Marie Kwon (marie.kwon chez ens.psl.eu)

Wednesday 10h30-12h30, 2nd semester

Course overview
This interdisciplinary course delves into the critical analysis of space and borders, exploring their socio-political construction and implications. Through a combination of International Relations theories, Critical Security Studies, and Postcolonial Theory, students will examine the relationships between geopolitical discourses, conflicts, and the delineation of cross-border spaces. The theoretical part of the course will provide a conceptual mapping of the latest developments across disciplinary fields, paving the way for a nuanced understanding of the study of borders and space, with
a focus on regionalism, mobilities, and infrastructures. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the social construction and power dynamics shaping space, cartographic representations, and the complexities of borderlands. Sessions on practices will build on ongoing research projects and will focus on research design,
fieldwork methodologies, and interviewing techniques, preparing students for empirical studies in this field.
The course aims to equip students with the tools to investigate the interplay between power relations, knowledge, and practices that define and contest borders and space. Preparatory readings will be shared with the students before each class. Assessment will be based on active participation, presentations, and the submission of a final research paper.

Course structure
Part I : Theories

1. Introduction to International Relations theory (IR), Critical Security Studies, and Postcolonial Theoretical approaches to the study of space

2. Cartography, regionalism, and contested geographies : an International Political Sociology (IPS) perspective

3. Borders, mobilities, and infrastructures : a Science and Technology Studies (STS) perspective

Part II : Practices

4. Borderlands in practice : a perspective from area studies on South-East Asia and West Africa

5. Research design and the study of space : positionality, reflexivity, and fieldwork practices with a focus on interviewing techniques

6. Project showcase : students’ presentations and feedback on the final paper plan

Format
Students will be expected to do a reasonable amount of preparatory reading of relevant papers and case studies, which will be available online.

Language of the course : English

Exam
Students will be assessed based on (i) Active class participation (10%) ; (ii) In-class presentations (20%) ; and (iii) a Final research paper (70%).