INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr S Y Kim

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This is a level 1 International Relations course.

Overview

The course provides students with an outline of the structure of the international system and introduces them to certain key concepts such as state, nation, alliance, war etc. The course is in three sections covering concepts, the political power structure and the political aspects of the functioning of the international economy.

Structure

3 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (60%), in-course assessment (30%) and tutorial participation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%) if tutorial participation grade is a pass.

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr B Gruffydd Jones

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This is a level 1 International Relations course.

Overview

Through the study of a linked series of issues and case studies, this course will introduce students to a range of developments in International Relations from a number of perspectives. To amplify the conceptual lessons that may be drawn from these studies, different theoretical perspectives will be explored in each instance.

Structure

3 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 examination (60%), internal assessment (30%) and tutorial participation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%) if tutorial participation grade is a pass.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor T Salmon

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above who have passed PI 1008 or PI 1509.

Notes

This is a level 2 International Relations course.

Overview

An examination of the role and functions of international organisations in Europe; the rise of regional integration and institutions in Europe; the theoretical perspectives on those developments; a study of the European Union - its structure, pillars and policy-processes, the power of its institutions, its relationship to member-states, and contemporary issues. Other European institutions including Council of Europe, NATO, WEU and OSCE are studied from a comparative perspective.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (60%), in-course assessment: long essay (30%) and tutorial participation (10%).

1 two-hour examination (100%) if tutorial participation grade is a pass.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor M Pasha

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above who have passed PI 1008 or PI 1509.

Notes

This is a level 2 International Relations course.

Overview

An introduction to the major perspectives that have evolved in the discipline of International Relations within a framework emphasising the importance of methodological issues to our understanding of the subject. The course will examine: ‘rationalist’ approaches to theory, including realism and neo-realism; liberal and marxist international political economy; and ‘reflectivist’ theories, including critical theory, social constructivism, post-modernism, feminism and environmentalism.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 two-hour tutorial per fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment: long essay (30%) and tutorial participation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour examination (100%) if tutorial participation grade is a pass.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr D Galbreath

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3.

Notes

This is a compulsory International Relations course for Junior Honours International Relations students.

Overview

Salient concepts of security and conflict will be examined within a broad historical context. This will be complemented by an assessment of the contribution of notable thinkers from classical to contemporary times. Within this framework the utility of practical instruments of international security such as alliance, limited war, deterrence, collective security, and military intervention will be considered, as will selected contemporary national security policies.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (100%) unless the candidate gets to carry forward in-course assessment grades.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr D Galbreath

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3.

Notes

This is a level 3 International Relations course. This course will not be available in 2005/06.

Overview

Globalisation and Democratisation explores the two fundamental processes of our time. We engage with the questions: What is Globalisation? What is Democratisation? What is transition and consolidation? What is the role of the international community in regards to democratisation within a given state? Can democracy be exported? And is democracy universal or does it need to be tailored specific to a particular country? The course is divided into three sections: a) definitions and theory, b) concepts and issues, and c) case studies. These case studies will include a look at the regions of Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

Structure

1 two-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial to be arranged per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (60%); in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (100%) unless student opts to carry forward in-course assessment mark.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S Y Kim

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This is a Level 3 International Relations option.

Overview

This course examines the evolution of the international system in East Asia from the late 19th Century until today. It will examine how and why different systems rose and fell in East Asia, and how the foreign policies of major states in the Asia-Pacific region influenced those developments. This course focuses particularly on the interlocking relations among China, Japan, Korea, the United States, and Russia. Throughout the course, the roles played by such different dynamics as power competition, pursuit of economic interest, and intercultural relations will be reviewed.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: examination (100%) unless the candidate gets to carry forward in-course assessment grades.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr B Gruffydd Jones

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This is a Level 3 International Relations option.

Overview

The first part of the course examines Africa in the historical development of the modern global political economy, from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. The second part of the course looks at contemporary issues in Africa, such as poverty, structural adjustment and neo-liberal reform, conflict, human rights. Throughout the course contending perspectives and interpretations of Africa’s politics and international relations will be considered, paying attention to questions of Eurocentricity, and the writings of African scholars.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (100%) unless the candidate gets to carry forward in-course assessment grades.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R Vij

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 3.

Overview

The course introduces students to the theoretical-empirical consequences of "globalization" for the disciplinary study of IR. Beginning with a critical consideration of dominant conceptions of globalization and its implications for the study of international politics, economics, and culture, the bulk of the course is devoted to an investigation of the impact of globalization on substantive issues including, global order and political community, poverty, development, and welfare; and national and cultural identity. Students will be encouraged to examine the theoretical and substantive issues covered in the course, via a focus on any region of their choice.

Structure

2 lecture and 1 tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: Examination unless candidate opts to carry forward in-course assessment mark (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A Brown

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4.

Notes

This is a level 4 International Relations option. This course is not available to students who have completed PI 3043.

Overview

The course will consider political, economic and social aspects of the international environment and will bring up analytical, ideological, empirical and ethical questions about the organisation of contemporary society. The course aims to introduce students to the difficulties and complexities involved in studying (and indeed tackling) environment problems at the international level. Its main themes will include - Introduction; Theory, Concepts and Ideologies; State and Non-State Actors; Intergovernmental Organisations (in particular UN and EU); the North-South Conflict; and Current Issues such as Climate Change, GMOs and Agenda 21.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S Y Kim

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This course is a level 4 International Relations option.

Overview

This course examines several major crises in international history in the twentieth century. It focuses on international crises and diplomacy, and assesses the qualities of diplomacy and statecraft during these crucial junctures of international history. The module focuses upon the constraints imposed by the international domestic situation.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M Bain

Pre-requisites

None.

Co-requisites

This is a Level 4 International Relations option.

Overview

This course examines aspects of contemporary Modern Day Latin America. This includes amongst others the role of the United States. The special case of Cuba, globalisation, guerrilla warfare, the drugs trade and the return to democratisation in the region are examined with appropriate case studies being given. Throughout the course the ideas of development and dependency will be given appropriate attention. This gives students an understanding of a wide range of issues that have affected Latin America's recent past and how they still affect the continent today.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and one essay (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Mr K J Morrison

Pre-requisites

Notes

This is a level 4 International Relations option.

Overview

The aim of the course is to provide students with a detailed understanding of the politics of nationalism and national identity in the Balkan region - predominantly focusing on the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Hercegovina) as well as Albania and Romania. The course comprises historical and contemporary aspects of the 'National Question' which has dominated political discourse in the Balkans - from the Battle of Kosovo through to the formation of the Yugoslav state, its collapse in the 1990's and subsequently to post-Yugoslav politics.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (60%) and in-course assessment(40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr B Gruffydd Jones

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This is a Level 4 International Relations option.

Overview

This course examines both theories and concrete histories of imperialism. What are the various theories of imperialism, and to what extent do they help to shed light on contemporary features of international relations and world order? The course begins by examining theories of imperialism as a way of explaining the construction of world order. Their relevance and limitations are then explored through examination of concrete forms of imperialism spanning the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This includes consideration of economic, political and cultural expressions of imperialism. As the twenty-first century begins to unfold are we witnessing the emergence of a new imperialism?

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Mr B Criddle

Pre-requisites

Available only to Level 4 students.

Overview

Students prepare and present, under the supervision of a member of staff, a dissertation on a topic approved by Politics and International Relations.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Dissertation, 10,000-12,000 words in length (100%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A Oelsner

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4.

Notes

This is a level 4 International Relations option.

Overview

The course focuses on the concept of peace and its meaning for International Relations (IR). Traditionally, the study of IR concentrated on issues and concepts such as war, power, and competition between states. In recent years, and in the context of greater research diversification in IR, the concepts of peace and stable peace also gained more space within the discipline. This course approaches the issue of international peace, reviewing different theoretical perspectives the more traditional ones as well as more recent developments, discussing the existence of different types of peace, and studying various international strategies for its maintenance and for improving its quality.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J Galbreath

Pre-requisites

This is a Level 4 International Relations option.

Notes

This course will not be available in 2005/06.

Overview

The course is divided into three sessions: Theories and Approaches to Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA); Tools of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA); and case studies.

Structure

1 two-hour seminar.

Assessment

1 two-hour written examination (60%); in-course assessment (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr C Heristchi

Pre-requisites

N/A

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 4.

Overview

The course examines the politics of the contemporary Middle East. The course aims to provide the students with an in-depth understanding of the politics of the region by looking at systems of governance, foreign policy-making, conflict, political economy, and the politics of identity (including religion, ideology and gender).

Structure

1 lecture and 1 tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Examination (60%) and in course assessment (40%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.