Reflecting on Teaching Military and Politics: Content, Method, and Principles

Reflecting on Teaching Military and Politics: Content, Method, and Principles For seven years (including this academic session) I have been the sole person responsible for teaching a required undergraduate course (POL 4301 Military and Politics) in the Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano-Nigeria This covers part of the period, after collapse of Nigeria’s University System, when a reform and innovation is expected. Furthermore, this is also the period when globalisation has changed everything including development in the knowledge industry i.e. teaching, learning and research. One of the biggest challenges in teaching military and politics was that at the time of rapid changes in theories and practice of military in politics, the existing programme I met is dominated by traditional approach which contained themes such as why military intervened in politics; the theories from modernisation school of thought on why military intervenes in politics; military and development in African countries, etc. In view of new development and of new issues in the science of “Military and Politics” and in order to keep the class current and engaging as well as with new perspectives for increased analytical capacity, we are always looking for new ideas of theoretical nature associated with globalisation to expose students who, more often than not came with idea of “military and politics” as merely a study of military coups and military regimes. In order to capture the new development, the issues or themes and the focus of the programme changes every academic year as: 1. Military and development 2. Military theory and practice 3. Military and democratization 4. Globalisation and militarisation 5. Military theories and strategy in the contemporary globalization 6. Military, state, society and globalization 7. Military and state: globalization and post-modern military It is reasonable to account more clearly of these. In the first year, the content and the issues, the theories and the scope were defined within the perspective of modernization. Here, the classical literature such as of Huntington; Finer; Janowitz; Decalo; etc. were analysed and judged according to the practices of military in African politics and development or underdevelopment. The second year has an overriding theme and issues derived from Marxist theory. It offered in a somewhat detailed manner the underdevelopment theory of military intervention in politics. Class analysis and revolutionary theory perspectives were also applied to study the intervention of military in politics as well as revolutionary taking over of political power by the military and the subsequent development. We specifically treated Mengestis Ethiopia; Rawlings’ Ghana; Thomas Sankara’s Burkina Faso; etc. then, the military theories of some African revolutionaries and leaders of National Liberation Movements became subject of study in the programme. Following the turmoils of the late twentieth century of the Third wave of democratization in African countries, when military and one-party regimes were removed from power either by constitutional or violent means political science in particular became enriched with new theories and perspectives on the structure, organization and social relations of the military in society. Thus, in the third year a comparative study was made of the military in Africa and Latin American countries in the democratization process and after. Thinking more about these changes and following the debate on these issues, in the last three academic sessions, the central focus became globalization and militarization. Approached from postmodernist perspective we developed a method which combined political science, economics, international political economy and international relations to analyse and understand the usage of force i.e. military behaviour to achieve political and economic objectives. The teaching became more theoretical by formulation of model of globalization, transnational state and military strategy. Following this context and theoretical orientation we developed the content and issues of this academic session (2007/2008), with emphasis on whether we would say there is postmodern military. Does it exist? If yes what are its characteristics which distinguish it from traditional military? One of the pleasures of the teaching is the recognition that learning has collapsed therefore the use of many artistic and other methods to make sure that the knowledge is delivered to be comprehended, and cultivate critical minds among the learners. Philosophers of education have already debated different forms of delivering and development of knowledge. In a university system whose essence is to generate and disseminate ideas by teaching, learning and research, it is argued could be done by forming knowledge in theoretical form of scientific standards with a view to produce students with varied perspectives on issues around them. Secondly, is to guide and tailor learners to acquire and develop knowledge of a practical reasoning that cultivates and disciplines the mind to enable self-knowledge to be developed. As Alistair Miller (2007) has argued the first one embodies a rationalist conception of imparting pure universal knowledge while the second is a way of imparting knowledge which by contrast, brings “an understanding of the self as a social, political and cultural being, and the practical wisdom needed to make judgments in practical, political and human affairs”. The debate on these two positions in generation and dissemination of knowledge is endless. There are advantages and disadvantages of each. I need not carry you into these controversies as this will take us to Plato and Aristotle as well as Socrates and the sophists because the methods, the controversies and generally the ideas came from them as teachers and educationists. However, it is explicit in the notion of “practical reason” that it is not the same with mechanical empiricism of modern academicians, but a kind of “paideia” which theory and practical wisdom or judgement are regarded as two sides of the same coin, the one entailing the other, and are always outcomes of a whole process of teaching, learning and research that cultivated the mind, trained the intellect and formed the character. Although with some expected difficulties, defending on the quality of the students we have attained high level of “paideia” through many ways we conduct teaching and learning. Such as: a weekly reading of a text and coming out to give judgement or assessment of it; a debate on controversial ideas; a theatric performance; round-table discussion, writing and submitting a report; writing a group test and reading the same in a class; etc. The merits of practical reasoning in unity with theoretical ideas can be seen in the WTO mock summit which started in the class of “Military and politics” 2004/2005 session and since then it became a public affair being staged to the wider community of Bayero University, Kano The mock summit was a class exercise to demonstrate the post-modernist conceptions of military, militarism and militarization. We selected the management of global economy, and the international trade by the WTO became a very good example. As we were studying it and playing it, it becomes very clear that the great institution uses force and military behaviour in conduct of its affairs. Earlier (in 2003/2004) session) we tried to show the application of force on African countries to accept the IMF/World Bank Structural Adjustment Programme. M.M. Yusuf Department of Political Science Bayero University, Kano February, 2008