Undergraduate Politics And International Relations 2014-2015

The course covers a broad range of key historical events throughout the twentieth century before specific attention to the contemporary situation is provided. It introduces students to the development of International Relations as a discipline, but also to key concepts and analytical skills required to study the subject at a higher level.

This course is an introduction to the discipline of political science. We begin by asking ‘What Is Politics?’ and address arguments surrounding the current ‘crisis in politics’ in advanced liberal democracies. The course covers key concepts in politics including state and democracy. We then study key institutions ranging from parliamentary and presidential systems, political parties, electoral systems and social movements. We address the role of the European Union and debates on globalisation. The aim of the course is for students to glean a sound foundation in understanding the key concepts, issues, institutions and actors in political science.

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of principal classical and contemporary political ideologies.  The perspectives examined range from liberalism, conservatism, socialism and fascism to nationalism, feminism and ecologism.  The course explores key concepts and issues that inform(ed) political action and political movements past and present, critically assessing the ideological positions, their interrelatedness and relevance today.  In this way, students develop an understanding of the contested and changing nature of politics and political language.

This is a team taught course offering an introduction to the major perspectives deployed in the study of International Relations and stressing the importance of theory to our understanding of world politics. After exploring a conceptual history of the discipline and discussing the origins of IR as an academic discipline, the course will examine a variety of theoretical approaches, including among others Classical and Structural Realism, Classical and Neo-liberalism, the English School and Social Constructivism, Critical and Post-Structural Theories, Post-Colonialism and Orientalism, and Feminism.

The course offers a broad introduction to the changing nature of democracy and to the problems of putting democracy into practice in today’s world. We examine the historical development and the various interpretations of the meaning of democracy, the conditions for thriving democracies, and the major obstacles for democratic practice, including the challenges of capitalism and transitions from authoritarian rule. We examine and evaluate the democratic credentials of different political institutions, party- and electoral systems, as well as the role civil society, social capital or social movements can play in democracies.

This course provides a historical overview of the role of political economy in the global system. Engaging with a variety of theoretical perspectives from neo-liberalism to critical frameworks, topics range from the role of international economic institutions (for example the IMF, World Bank and WTO), to financial systems and crisis with attention to current events. Particular focus upon poverty, welfare and development will question the potential reasons for poverty creation and the possibility of its eradication.

This course explores salient concepts of security and conflict, focusing on contemporary issues and problems.  It examines traditional, state-centred topics ie. interstate and intrastate war, as well as the ‘new security agenda’  involving issues like terrorism, organized crime, environmental security, health security and population trends.  Students will gain knowledge of international security and its role in contemporary International Relations through  analysis of conceptual factors and case studies.  In addition, students will develop critical thinking skills, communication skills and analytical skills, including being able to formulate lucid, concise and rigorous accounts of international security affairs.

This course is an introduction to the study of Peace and Conflict. It aims to provide students with an understanding of how conflict and conflict resolution can be analysed in today's global world. After an initial theoretical exploration of the discipline, the course investigates the implications and consequences of the three major types of contemporary international conflict - namely interstate, civil, and state-formation conflicts - for durable peace agreements. The course also discusses the role of international institutions and regional contexts in the peaceful resolution of disputes.

This course will provide preparation for a variety of future challenges, in studies as well as employment. A significant part of the course is devoted to quantitative research methods. There will be exercises and assignments using the statistics software package SPSS, which is a useful addition to the computing skills section in a CV. Extra support will be available for students uncomfortable with statistics. Qualitative methods will also be covered, and there will be lectures on substantive themes where various research techniques are applied. The skills learnt will provide preparation for the dissertation, but also enhance students’ employability.

This course provides an introduction to the political systems of the five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. It will cover a wide range of topics, such as parties and party systems, elections and voting, welfare systems, security and international relations, policy making, parliaments and governments. It is not necessary to have any specific prior knowledge of the countries concerned, or to be able to read any of the Nordic languages. The course is suitable for anyone interested in Politics and/or IR, and the different themes covered will be linked to key theories in those disciplines. 

The course involves a detailed examination of Britain’s party system and the individual political parties.  Through this course, students should acquire a knowledge and understanding of a number of inter-related themes, including the role and democratic function of political parties in Britain, the development of party philosophies and how these relate to the realities of party policy, the organisation and distribution of power within Britain’s political parties, and elections and party campaigns.  In this way, the course examines the contested and changing nature of political debate in British politics.

The course will scrutinise the political and social conditions which gave rise to the 'Basque Conflict', a paradigmatic case of a conflict at the level of the state. Topics to be considered include but are not confined to: industrialisation and the emergence of Basque nationalism; the Spanish Civil War and its legacy; the emergence and durability of ETA; the transition to democracy; social movements for peace and future prospects in the light of the demise of political violence.

This course examines contemporary Russian Foreign Policy through the historical framework of Soviet foreign relations. International, domestic, cultural and ideological factors will be examined throughout the course. This will provide an understanding of a wide range of issues that have affected Moscow’s foreign policy decision making in both the recent past and their legacy in the contemporary situation.

This course introduces students to the main outlines and issues in American (US) foreign policy since the beginning of World War II and to the cultural and ideological foundations of these policies.  A “critical political historical” approach will be utilized. Key events, actions, personalities and policies will be focused upon. The underpinnings and forces that offer the most comprehensive explanations of the past record and the basis to anticipate the future behaviour of the United States in foreign affairs, including the ‘War on Terror’ and the current ‘pivot to Asia’ will be examined.

International terrorism and counterterrorism are at the top of today’s agenda – of scholarly debates in International Relations (IR) as well as of policy discussions on international politics. The course focuses on both the (individual and/or structural) causes and different manifestations of terrorism and reviews the debates on how to respond to terrorism not only effectively but also without violating humanitarian principles and international law. The course is interdisciplinary and will provide both an overview on current research on international terrorism and counterterrorism in IR and also with in-depth knowledge of core aspects of the issue.

This course utilizes a range of disciplinary and theoretical approaches to analyze the concept of ‘transition’ as a fundamental condition of world history. It examines this through two related processes; the transition from conflict to peace, and from peace to conflict at both a macro and micro level. Topics include how states transition through revolutionary violence or through peaceful means, how individuals are radicalized into terrorist groups or become involved in non-violent movements, and transitions in global institutions, norms and technology that generate local and individual changes.

The course examines the politics of the modern and contemporary Middle East. It looks at relevant theories, history and case studies of the region, providing an in-depth understanding of the political, economic and cultural facets of the region's politics by looking at its political systems, its regional and international relations, conflict, political economy, and the 'politics of identity' such as nationalism and Islamism. The course assumes no prior expertise in regional politics or history.

This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge/research skills in the  field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.

The course will scrutinise the historical development, political characteristics and strategic condition of the most enduring and emotive conflict in the international system. The topics to be considered include the political impasse since 2003, the origins of the conflict, the wars and peace plans between 1948 and 1979, the nature and policies of the PLO and Hamas, the Peace Process 1993 - 2003, US - Israeli relations, the EU and the dispute, the 'peace partners': Egypt and Jordan, the 'rejectionsit front': Syria and Iran, and prospects for the resolution of the conflict.

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of how conflict between ethno-national groups impacts on international politics. It explores the responses of the international community to inter- and intra-state conflict. Following an initial exploration of the relevant theories, the course investigates focuses on a number of key conflicts in international politics. What explains violent conflict between ethnic groups? What role do external actors play in peace processes? Should the international community intervene to stop violent conflict? What kind of institutional frameworks do external actors promote in

This course will provide an in-depth analysis of a European party family which is growing in electoral support as well as political influence. Individual countries and parties will be covered, as well as key concepts such as fascism, racism, xenophobia and populism. Students will also be familiarised with different theoretical approaches explaining the growth of extreme right parties, and responses from the political environment. The course will be beneficial to future study and work in a wide range of areas and contexts, and has relevance to social and political challenges such as integration, internationalisation, globalisation and social cohesion.

This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and research skills in the broad field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.

Energy and Climate Politics is a course designed to increase understanding of how energy and climate politics affects conventional political analysis and vice versa. EU politics of energy, controversies surrounding electricity market reform in the UK, how problems of energy security and climate change interact are among the topics.
How contemporary political issues are illustrated by energy issues is an important subject for discussion - for example electricity policy and the debate about the referendum and devolution and the issue of how different political systems work in their policy consultation patterns are important topics in the course.

Taking a historical approach, the course will trace the key events that have led to current Political Islam (Islamism) concentrating on the ideology and practice of various movements and groups.  It will explore contemporary constructs of identity and political arrangements within Islamism and encourage critical analysis and independent thought in relation to the challenges Islamist poses to existing theoretical paradigms.  Areas to be explored will include: the political construct of early Islam, the Sunni/Shia divide, key ideologues, and contemporary movements such as the Muslim Brothers, Hamas and Hizbullah.

The course deals with the 'Third wave of democratization' between 1974 and 2005 in Southern Europe, Latin America and post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe. It deals with the emergence of democracy and market economy at the level of the general public and electorate as well as that of elites and institutions. It  introduces discussion about the character of these processes of democratization as 'transitions', 'transformation' or 'revolution' between authoritarian and democratic regimes. It is within mainstream debates about democratization and marketisation as processes within post-authoritarian societies, and addresses several crucial aspects of democratization, like transitional justice and the EU.

Nationalism is one of the most powerful forces in modern politics but one of the most difficult to understand. The course addresses theories of nationalism, including primordial and modernist approaches and more recent syntheses. It addresses normative questions about the relationship of nationalism to democracy, social solidarity and conflict. These theoretical perspectives are complemented by a study of cases of nationalism across Europe.  There is a strong emphasis on combining theory with cases and on the historical context of nationalism. Students are encouraged to explore cases, and there is a strong focus on in-class discussion.

This course examines the ways in which societal understandings of the past shape political outcomes in the present.  Introducing students to the concept of ‘Collective Memory’, the course engages with key theoretical and empirical debates in this emerging field of Politics and IR. It asks such questions as: How can narratives of the past reproduce or challenge contemporary power relations? To what extent do political actors and institutions engineer particular historical narratives that serve their current interests? To what extent are societal ideas of the past malleable? What is the relationship between ‘remembering’, ‘forgetting’ and political power?

The main aim of the module is to introduce students to the broad range of political and security challenges facing the fifteen independent states of the former Soviet Union. The module will situate the politics of this region within debates in international relations and security studies, while encouraging students to critically examine political, societal and security challenges with reference to relevant concepts and examples. The module will outline the impact of the Soviet past on the development of the Soviet Successor States, including the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

This module encourages students to explore and engage with the concepts of political and social progress and our contemporary anxieties with utopian thinking and peacebuilding. It will enable students to identify the intellectual, cultural, social and political roots of historical progress and the main critiques from a number of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives. The course will afford students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply theoretical concepts acquired in previous courses to debates about neoliberalism, democratization, Political Islam, Marxism and the apocalyptic in contemporary culture.