[POLS W3618] Conflict and Cooperation In World Politics

The one-sentence summary? Jervis is wasted on the first-years. I took Intro to IR as a freshman and fell asleep regularly every week. the TA made the class bearable, and I did pick up what I was supposed to, but I didn't leave with a good impression of Professor Jervis himself.

Two years later I took Conflict and Coop with him, and fell in serious academic crush with the man. I'd trot eagerly to class first thing Monday morning (and I'm not a morning person) to sit and hear his amusing expositions on The State Of The World Today / The State Of Today's Headlines. witty AND incisive, they cut through the crap and helped shed valuable light on what was actually taking place. every time I read about a new political development I'd want to hear what Jervis would have to say about it in the next class. The lectures were for the most part just as insightful and interesting (though I'd be lying if I said I didn't doze off even once). Reading was on the heavy side but all good selections. The grading wasn't easy, but I felt like I worked for and earned what I eventually got - and unlike so many classes, I actually took increased knowledge away with me at the end of the semester.

Bottom line: the man deserves his reputation. Definitely consider taking one of his classes if/when you're not a freshman any more, and better able to appreciate what he's saying. A genuine interest in the world around you also helps.

OK so I say Jervis is brilliant, but read this about the class
Ok, Fall of 2002 C&C is 3618, Fall of 2003 it is 4818 - that is telling.
Interesting subject matter and advisable to take the class then drop it and take it again - then you'll know what to do. Very theory orientated, which is fine, but sometimes the theory becomes ponderous and redundant. The room we had our class in was dungeonous. Read everything assigned (lots) and then read it again, and be able to expound on it liberally at the 50% of the grade final. It may sound as if I am outright slamming the class, far from it - it is a great subject taught by Columbia's best, but the set-up of it was neither for the timid, nor for the beginner - which honestly was me. My badge is that I did it and survived, would have preferred a fair warning ahead of time though.
BTW our class had no Discussion Section - a serious loss! and a P/T TA - kinda unfortunate.
Nevertheless, great class.

I learned very little in this class that I didn't learn in the Intro to IR class, most of the readings and lecture just rehashed the major ideas in international relations,with some more profound development. Most of what I learned was through my own research for the final paper (15 pages). At first, I naively attempted to keep up with the ridiculous reading list, but eventually just settled for reading what I thought was interesting. Professor Jervis' insight into the international relations is incisive, brilliant, but a bit cynical (he's a Realist after all)--but he willingly concedes to other ideas and perspectives, as well as to his own faults. He'a a quirky character who has had a major influence in actual foreign policy in the US, and he loves sharing his personal experiences and perspective on current ffairs. He answers all types of questions, and spends the first half of the class going through current events. Although this seemed boring at first, it was refreshing to see how the theoretical side of IR was actually working in the real world. I went to see him at office hours, a bit intimidated, but he was quite welcoming and gave me several ideas for the term paper. One great thing is that its generally a pretty small class (30-40) for an IR class with such a famous professor, and you can participate and actively gain from what he's saying. If not, you'll just listen to the droning up at the front. I recommend taking this class, but you'll only get out of it what you put in. Basically, because of the grading scheme, you'll spend the whole time wondering how the hell you're doing, and where he's going with this thought, and then at the end you'll realize what has sunk through to you.

Jervis is one of my favorite professors. Although many seem not to like his lectures, I enjoy them immensely. He's absolutely brilliant and even a little funny. What i love most about him is his intellectual honesty -- something you don't find often in academia nowadays. He's a realist and a "yellow-dog" (his words) Democrat, but he'll acknowledge any fallacies in or exceptions to his arguments. He's very nice and approachable and, again remarkably, HUMBLE, especially considering he's one of the top people in his field.