(Mis)Representations of the United Nations in the news, literature

SciencesPo Grenoble
CS S1/2016-2017
(Mis)Representations of the United Nations
in the news, literature and movies
Marieke LOUIS [email protected]
Associate Professor in Political Science
Office hours: (by appointment only)
Course description
While everyone has heard about the United Nations, few people actually understand its
functioning. Since 1945, the institution has suffered from many criticisms (naive idealism,
paralysis, bureaucratization, power politics, etc.) which challenge its legitimacy. This course
suggests re-visiting these criticisms not through the lenses of International Relations (IR)
theories but from the perceptions of other groups that are contemporary of these institutions
and form another part of “civil society” namely journalists, writers and movie directors.
Through their professional activity and art, they have shared (often at a broader scale than
academics) their representations of the United Nations.
What are these representations? To what extent do they accurately reflect what
actually happens within the United Nations and on its field of action? How were these
representations spread and received?
While the priority will be given on the analysis of a corpus of selected documents
(newspaper articles, books and movies), attention will also be paid to some theoretical works
(in political science, sociology and history) in order to help us understanding the way in
which particular media may influence our own representations of international institutions.
This course is open to any student that has an interest for international politics,
international organizations and media studies in general.
Teaching language
The course will be given in English. However, French will be tolerated for oral presentations
(“exposés”) and the final exam since sources are both in English and French. Please note that
it’s not the language but the content that is evaluated and that it is a good opportunity for
students to practice and improve their spoken English.
Assignments
-
Oral presentation: (35%): 20’ by group of 2 or 3 (in French or in English)
Written exam (50%) : 2 hours individual essay (in French or in English)
Oral participation (English only) (15%)
Session 1: The United Nations (UN): A short introduction
Readings (in class):
Laurent Greilsamer, « Le machin et la machine », Le Un, n°79, October 21 2015.
Anthony Banbury, « I love the UN but it is failing », International New York Time, March 18,
2016.
Session 2: Campaigning for the 2017 UN Secretary General
Readings
Somini Sengupta, « UN Strives for Transparency in Picking New Secretary General »,
International New York Times, April 4, 2016.
« The Race to Run the United Nations », International New York Times, April 9, 2016.
Julian Borger, “Candidates for UN top job given public hearing”, The Guardian, April 12,
2016.
Malo Tresca, « Un grand oral à l’ONU pour succéder à Ban Ki Moon », La Croix, 13 avril
2016
« Le grand oral des candidats à la tête des Nations unies », La Tribune de Genève, 13 avril
2016
Edith Lederer, « ONU: l'interrogatoire des candidats au poste de secrétaire-général est
terminé », La Presse Canadienne, 15 avril 2016.
Somini Sengupta, “At UN Ambassadors Hold Auditions for Next Secretary General”,
International New York Times, April 15, 2016.
Session 3: Covering China’s admission to the UN
Readings
“The Case Against Red China”, The New York Times, September 29, 1957.
René Lombard, « Succès américains », La Gazette de Lausanne, December 18, 1961.
Jean-Maurice Hermann, « La Chine populaire peut-elle être ignorée ? », Libération,
September 29, 1962.
André-François Poncet, « Les sourires de Pékin », Le Figaro, January 1st, 1964
Justin Mendy, « Les chinoiseries de l’ONU à propos de Pékin », Afrique nouvelle, October
14, 1965.
Jane Rosen, « China’s dry run », The Guardian, October 29, 1971.
Claude Bourdet, “Mao le nouveau ‘grand’, un atout pour les ‘petits’”, Témoignage chrétien,
November 4, 1971.
“Are you seated comfortably”, The Economist, November 13, 1971.
“Maoist ‘modesty’ at the UN”, The International Herald Tribune, November 19, 1971.
Session 4: From the League of Nations to the UN: depicting the “bureaucracy”
Reading
Excerpts from Albert Cohen, Belle du Seigneur, Folio, 2012 [1968]
Session 5: A diplomat-writer inside the UN
Reading
Excerpts from Romain Gary (Fosco Sinibaldi), L’homme à la colombe, Gallimard, 1984
[1958]
Session 6 : The UN and peacekeeping: the Bosnian War
Movie
Danis Tanovic, No Man’s land, 2001 (98’)
Session 7: Judging War Criminals
Movie
Marcel Schüpbach, La liste de Carla, 2007 (95’)
Session 8: The UN Between Domestic and International Politics
Movie
Armando Iannuci, In the Loop, CTV International, 2009, (106’)
Session 9: Final exam