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2020/2021

International Relations

Code: 103112 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501933 Journalism OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Nora Sainz Gsell
Email:
Nora.Sainz@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Prerequisites

This course does not have academic prerequisites.

The student must have the habit of reading and consulting different channels of communication of general information, especially to follow international news, as well as opinion articles on global political issues.  

Objectives and Contextualisation

This course has a basic training character. This means that it serves as a foundation from which international reality should be analyzed.  

The basic objectives of the course are: that students know the fundamental concepts of the discipline, that they acquire analytical skills applicable to international relations; to become familiar with the set of processes and references that have shaped global contemporary society on a global scale; and, that they are able to express and defend orally and in writing their points of view on the most relevant international issues. 

Competences

  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge of the modern world and its recent historic development in terms of social, economic, political and cultural aspects.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and be able to relay them effectively in Catalan, Spanish and a third language.
  • Respect the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Rigorously apply scientific thinking.
  • Use a third language as a working language and means of professional expression in the media.
  • Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Develop critical thinking and reasoning and be able to relay them effectively in Catalan, Spanish and a third language.
  2. Establish links between communicative knowledge and social sciences to understand international relations in the new context of globalisation.
  3. Explain the state of the world and its recent historic development in the realm of international relations.
  4. Know how to find the substance and relevance in documents linked to international relations.
  5. Respect the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  6. Rigorously apply scientific thinking.
  7. Value diversity and multiculturalism as a foundation for teamwork.

Content

This course (one semester) has a double objective: to familiarize students with the analysis tools of International Relations and offer information on international events. This (selected) information will help students, on the one hand, to know relevant facts at an international level and, on the other, to examine these facts within an analytical framework. 

The course has been divided into three major blocks: "theory and concepts", "international system" and "global international society". Each of these blocks, in turn, is divided into several lessons or themes. Not all subjects or lessons will have an identical treatment (in terms of class hours). The content of the course will be sensitive to aspects related to the gender perspective. 

Students must do a series of compulsory readings for each subject (as well as the two compulsory readings for the follow-up of the whole course), as well as any other reading that the teachers indicate to the students throughout the course (whether offered in paper or electronic format through the Campus Virtual). The readings, together with the material delivered in classes, will be the object of the evaluations. For the update of the topics, the follow-up of some yearbooks is recommended (see the final section with reference works). It is very important for students to have this combined system of work / classes in the classroom complemented by work (readings) that must be done outside the classroom to follow correctly the course and its content. 

 

PROGRAMME 

PART I. THEORY AND CONCEPTS 

Topic 1. International relations as an area of study 

  1. The international problem: war and peace 
  2. Origin of the discipline: the social and intellectual impact of the First World War 
  3. Anglo-Saxon origin of the discipline: the framework of the social sciences 
  4. Idealistic substrate of the discipline: institutionalization and collective security 
  5. International society: object of study of international relations 

Topic 2. International theory: the great traditions of thought 

  1. Hobbesian tradition: anarchy or state of nature 
  2. Grotain tradition: order or society of states 
  3. Kantian tradition: emancipation or world community 

Topic 3. Theoretical approaches to international relations 

  1. Paradigms, mental maps or images of the world 
  2. Realism and analysis of the cold war 
  3. Transnationalism and global problems 
  4. Structuralism and underdevelopment 
  5. The theory of international relations in the post-Cold War 

PART II. INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM 

Topic 4. The actors of the international system (I) 

  1. Definition and elements of the system (actors, structure, dynamics and operating rules) 
  2. Definition of international actor 
  3. Classical typology and other typologies 
  4. The state: the system of states 
  5. Hierarchy in the system of states: the exercise of internationalpower (the powers of the system) 
  6. Current typologies of states (failed states, pre-modern-modern-post-modern, etc.) 

Topic 5. The actors of the international system (II) 

  1. International organizations (IGOs): definition and typology 
  2. IGOs: structure and decision-making mechanisms 
  3. Transnational forces: nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 
  4. Transnational forces: transnational corporations (TNCs) 
  5. Impact of NGOs and TNCs in today's society 

Topic 6. The dynamics of the international system: conflict and cooperation 

  1. The notion of conflict in Social Sciences 
  2. Typology of conflicts and map of international conflict 
  3. The notion of cooperation 
  4. Areas and forms of cooperation (formal vs. informal, bilateral vs. multilateral, public vs. private) 
  5. International architecture of development cooperation (OECD, UN, EU, etc.) 

Topic 7. The structure of the international system 

  1. Evolution of the definition of power: traditional power, soft power, structural power 
  2. Polarity and distribution of power 
  3. Continuity and change in the system

PART III. THE INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL SOCIETY 

Topic 8. Presentation of the great dynamics of contemporary international society 

  1. The East-West fracture or split: The Cold War (CW) engine  
  2. The Center-Periphery fracture: Inequality 
  3. The stages of the CW system 
  4. The post-CW 

Topic 9. Political order (I): From the CW Society to the post-CW 

  1. Diplomatic-military bipolarism: the block policy 
  2. The fragmentation of the system: emergence of a third block 
  3. Changes in the CW system: fall of the Berlin Wall, disappearance of the USSR, Balkan wars 
  4. The Society of the post-CW: change and continuity 

Topic 10. Political order (II): The United Nations system 

  1. Genesis of the organization: San Francisco 
  2. Principles and purposes: The Charter of the United Nations 
  3. Institutional structure and decision-making mechanisms 
  4. International peace and security (chapters VI and VII of the Charter) 
  5. Economic and social progress, development 

Topic 11. Economic order: The Bretton Woods system and the commercial order 

  1. USA: hegemonic power 
  2. Bretton Woods: principles and institutions of the system 
  3. Crisis of the Bretton Woods system 
  4. Post-IIWW trade order: from the GATT to the WTO 
  5. Neoliberal model: the Washington Consensus 

Topic 12. Challenges of the global agenda in the 21st Century 

  1. The EU in the world 
  2. Security and terrorism 
  3. Environment 
  4. Human rights 
  5. Developing 
  6. Gender perspective in international relations 
  7. Access to information 

Compulsory readings  

- BARBÉ, Esther, International Relations, Madrid: Tecnos, 2007 (3rd edition). This book serves as a manual for the whole subject. It also includes a series of complementary readings (brief texts of political or analytical order) that must be made throughout the course following the instructions of the professor. In each of the chapters there is complementary bibliography on the subjects of the program. 

- McMahon, Robert, The Cold War. A brief introduction, Madrid: Alianza, 2009. This book serves to follow the origins and evolution of the international Cold War system, very important for part III of the agenda (The International Global Society)  

- Reading of the international section of the national and international press. 

- Other readings that the teacher considers appropriate for the correct monitoring of the topics that make up the program. These readings include from news items to academic journals and can be delivered by the teacher in class, can be purchased at the Photocopies Service or can be found posted on the Virtual Campus. 

 

 

 

Methodology

The dedication of the students to this subject is divided into several types of activities, each one of them with a determined weight of working hours. This variety of work forms materializes in differentiated methodologies. 

-Activities in the classroom, with the presence of the teaching staff: master classes (with the support of ICT and with the possibility of developing debates in a large group); seminars to discuss the readings and documentaries in which cases, problems and examples related to the course syllabus will be analyzed. 

- Supervised activities carried out by the students outside the classroom according to a work plan, designed and subsequently supervised and evaluated by the teaching staff. Students must: read and prepare texts; conduct group work consisting of gathering documentation on a specific international relations topic and write an academic work, a report or a documentary 

- Autonomous activities that the students do on their own and in accordance with the requirements of the course to successfully pass the course, can be basic and complementary readings, study of class notes or all those other activities that complement the training that is achieved in this course 

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Debates and seminars on theory and international dynamics 17 0.68 6, 1, 5, 4, 7
Master classes with use of ICT and group discussions 34 1.36 1, 2, 3, 4
Type: Supervised      
Reading and preparation of texts that will be subject to control in class 8 0.32 2, 3, 4
Writing group report 13 0.52 6, 1, 5, 4, 7
Type: Autonomous      
Study of the syllabus of the course and complementary readings 56 2.24 2, 3, 4

Assessment

Evaluation
 
 The course will be evaluated by: 
 
										
											 1. The realization of a written exam relative to the theoretical and practical content that represents 50% of the final grade of the subject and 
that must be overcome with a minimum grade of five points (5/10) as an indispensable condition to pass the course.
In the event that this face-to-face written examination could not be carried out in the classroom, for reasons that are in the public domain, Covid 19 and confinement situation, 
an individual exercise will be carried out, which will be indicated in due course.

   2. The elaboration of a written group work and defended orally (30% of the total of the final grade of the subject). This work is mandatory to pass the subject (must be overcome with a minimum grade of five points (5/10).  

3. The readings and comments of a series of texts (the guidelines and criteria for reading the texts will be indicated during the course) which will be carried out in seminar format (15%). Likewise, the student's participation (comments, discussion of texts, exposition of topics, etc.)  in the classes (readings, comments and participation 5% of the final grade of the subject) will be valued in the overall final grade.    

Students who do not pass the written exam will have the opportunity to take part in the compensation activities, that is, they will be able to take the suspended exam again on the day determined by the Faculty.

The evaluable seminars with note and the group work can not be done again, they do not have compensation activities.  

Important: Students who do not obtain the minimum grade, five points out often, in thewritten exam, will have the subject suspended, even if they have approved the work done in a group, the corresponding seminars and other evaluation guidelines.  

The fact of submitting to the partial written exam exempts the student from the grade "NOT PRESENTED".

 
 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Assistance and participation (classes, seminars and debates, text comments and other activities prepared by the teaching staff) 5% 0 0 6, 1, 2, 4
Group work related to a topic of the current international agenda 30% 15 0.6 6, 1, 2, 4, 7
Oral and written presentations of the research groups, small group discussions and written summary of the debate, comments and analysis of texts, documents or news assigned in class) 15% 4 0.16 6, 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 7
Written exam in classroom on the totality of the content worked on in the programme (notes, obligatory readings and student research) 50% 3 0.12 2, 3, 4

Bibliography

Bibliography 

Mandatory readings 

- BARBÉ, Esther, International Relations, Madrid: Tecnos, 2007 (3rd edition). This book serves as a manual for the whole course. It also includes a series of complementary readings (brief political or analytical texts) that must be done throughout the course following the instructions of the teaching staff. In each of the chapters there is complementary bibliography on the subjects of the program. 

- McMahon, Robert, The Cold War. A brief introduction, Madrid: Alianza, 2009. This book serves to follow the origins and evolution of the international Cold War system, very important for part III of the agenda (The International Global Society) 

 Although it is not compulsory reading, they are highly recommended:

 - BAYLIS, John; SMITH, Steve. and OWENS, Patricia. (eds.), The Globalization of World Politics. An Introduction to International Relations (Sixth Edition), Oxford University Press, 2014

 - LUNDESTAD, Geir, East, West, North, South. Major developments in International Politics since 1945 (Seventh Edition), SAGE, 2014.

 - Reading of the international section of the national and international press 

- Other readings that the teacher considers appropriate for the correct monitoring of the topics that make up the program. These readings include from news items to academic journals and can be delivered by the teacher in class, can be purchased at the Photocopies Service or can be found posted on the Campus Virtual. 

 

Recommended Bibliography (Basic texts and reference material) 

 

AA.VV., El estado del mundo, Madrid: Ed. Akal (edició 20..l).

Anuario Internacional CIDOB, Barcelona, Fundación CIDOB.

ARACIL, Rafael.; OLIVER, Joan.; SEGURA, Antoni., El mundo actual: De la Segunda Guerra Mundial a nuestros días, Barcelona: Publicacions Universitat de Barcelona, 1995.

ARENAL, Celestino del, Introducción a la relaciones internacionales, Madrid: Tecnos, 1990 (3ª edició)

ARON, Raymond., Paz y Guerra entre las Naciones, Madrid: Alianza, 1985 (2 vols.)

ATTINÀ, Fulvio, El Sistema político global: introducción a las relaciones internacionales, Barcelona: Paidós, 2001

BANCO MUNDIAL, Informe sobre el Desarrollo Mundial (anual), Washington, Banco Mundial.

BIMBI, Linda (ed.), No en mi nombre: Guerra y Derecho, Madrid: Editorial Trotta, 2003

BOYD, Andrew, An Atlas of World Affairs, Londres: Routledge, 1991 (9ª ed.)

BRZEZINSKI, Zbigniew, El Gran Tablero Mundial, Barcelona: Paidós, 1998.

BULL, Hedley, La sociedad anarquica: un estudio sobre el orden en la política mundial, Madrid: Los Libros de la Catarata, 2005.

CALVOCORESSI, Peter, Historia Política del mundo contemporáneo. De 1945 a nuestros días, Madrid: Akal, 1999 (Setena edició).

CARLSNAES, Walter; RISSE, THomas.; SIMMONS, Beth A. (eds.), Handbook of International Relations, Londres: SAGE, 2002.

CARR, Edward H., La crisis de los veinte años (1919-1939). Una introducción al estudiode las relaciones internacionales, Madrid: Los Libros de la Catarata, 2004.

CARRILLO SALCEDO, Juan Antonio (comp.), Textos básicos de Naciones Unidas, Madrid: Tecnos, 1982.

CASTELLS, Manel., La era de la Información. Economía, sociedad y cultura (3 vols.), Madrid: Alianza,1997-98.

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN PARA LA PAZ (CIP), Anuario delCIP. Conflictos y dilemas de la sociedad internacional, Madrid: CIP / Icaria.

CHALIAND, Gerard i RAGEAU, Jean P., Atlas stratégique et géopolitique, Brussel·les: Complexe, 1994

DER DERIAN, James (ed.), International Theory. Critical Investigations, London: MacMillan, 1995

DONELLY, Jack, Realism and International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

DOUGHERTY, James E. i PFALTZGRAFF JR., Robert L., Contending Theories of International Relations: A Comprehensive Survey (4th edition), New York: Longman, 1997.

DOYLE, Michael W., Ways of War and Peace, New York / London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.

EVANS, Graham i NEWNHAM, Jeffrey, The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations, London: Penguin Books, 1998

GARCÍA DE CORTÁZAR, Fernando i LORENZO, José María, Historia del mundo actual, 1945-1989, Madrid: Alianza, 1990.

GRIFFITHS, Martin, Fifty Key Thinkers in International Relations, London: Routledge, 1999.

GRIFFITHS, Martin i O’CALLAGHAN, Terry, International Relations: The Key Concepts, London: Routledge, 2002

HALLIDAY, Fred, Las relaciones internacionales en un mundo en transformación, Madrid:Los Libros de la Catarata, 2002.

HELD, David, La democracia y el orden global: del estado moderno al gobierno cosmopolita, Barcelona: Paidós, 1997

IFRI, Ramses, Rapport annuelmondial sur le sistème economique et strategique, París. 

IGNATIEFF, Michael, Los derechos humanos como política e idolatría, Barcelona: Paidós, 2003

JACKSON,Robert i SORENSEN, Georg, Introduction to International Relations: Theoriesand Approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003

JOUVÉ, Edmond, Relations Internationales, Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1992.

KALDOR, Mary, Las nuevas guerras, Barcelona: Tusquets Editores, 2001.

LAWSON, Stephanie (ed.), The New Agenda for International Relations: From Polarisation to Globalisation in World Politics?, Polity Press, 2001

LINKLATER, Andrew (ed.), International Relations. Critical Concepts in Political Science (5 vols.), London: Routledge, 2000.

MERLE, Marcel, Sociologíade las relaciones internacionales, Madrid: Alianza Universidad, 2000 (3ª edición revisada y ampliada).

MORGENTHAU, Hans, Escritos sobre política internacional, Madrid:Tecnos, 1990.

NAÍM, Moises, El fin del poder, Madrid: Debate, 2014.

NASSAU, Adams Worlds apart: the north-south divide and the international system, London: Zed Books, 1993.

NYE Jr., Joseph S., La paradoja del poder norteamericano, Madrid: Taurus, 2003.

NYE Jr., Joseph S., The Future of Power, New York: Public Affairs, 2011

PEÑAS, Francisco J., Hermanos y enemigos. Liberalismo y Relaciones Internacionales, Madrid: Los Libros de la Catarata, 2003.

PNUD, Informe sobre el Desarrollo Humano (anual).

SIPRI Yearbook on Armament and Disarmament, Oxford: Oxford University Press (anual).

STEGER, M., Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

TRUYOL, A., La sociedad internacional, Madrid: Alianza, 1993 (2ª edició).

VIOTTI, P.R.and M.V.KAUPPI, International Relations Theory. Realism, Pluralism, Globalism, and Beyond,Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999 [3ª edició]

WALZER, M., Guerras justas einjustas.Un razonamiento moral con ejemplos históricos, Barcelona: Paidós, 2001.

WHITE, Brian, LITTLE, Richard i SMITH, Michael (eds.), Issues in World Politics, Palgrave Macmillan, 2001 (Second Edition - Revised, Expanded and Updated)

ZORGBIBE, Charles, Historia de las Relaciones Internacionales (2 vols), Madrid: Alianza, 1997.

Journals 

 

-          Afers Internacionals (CIDOB)

-          Alerta 2010! Informe sobre conflictos, derechos humanos y construcción de paz (Escola de Cultura de Pau de la UAB)

-          Anuario 2010 de Procesos de Paz (Escola de Cultura de Pau de la UAB)

-          Anuario Internacional CIDOB 2008

-          Cooperation and Conflict

-          European Journal of International Relations (UK)

-          Foreign Affairs (USA)

-          Foreign Affairs en español (Méxic)

-          Foreign Policy – Edición Española (Espanya)

-          International Affairs (UK)

-          International Organization (USA)

-          International Security (USA)

-          International Studies Quarterly

-          Keesing’s World New Archives (www.keesings.com)

-          Le Monde Diplomatique (França-Espanya)

-          Política Exterior (Espanya)

-          Revista Electrònica d’Estudis internacionals (Espanya): http://www.reei.org

-          Review of International Studies (UK)

-          Third World Quarterly (UK)

-          La Vanguardia Dossier (Espanya)

-          World Politics (USA)

-          The World Today (UK) 

Web pages

  

Amnistia Internacional: http://www.a-i.es/

CIDOB: <ahref="http://www.cidob.es/">http://www.cidob.es

Comitè d´ajuda al desenvolupament de l’OCDE: http://www.oecd.org/cad

FIRST (Facts on International Relations and Security Trends) - http://first.sipri.org/

FMI: http://www.imf.org/external/spa/index.htm

ForeignAffairs -http://www.foreignaffairs.org/

Foreign Affairs en español –http://www.foreignaffairs-esp.org

Foreign Policy – Edición Española -http://www.fp-es.org

Heidelberg Institute of International Conflict Research  (HIIK) - http://www.hiik.de/en/index.htm

International Relations and Security Network - http://www.isn.ethz.ch/

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) - http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?home_index.html

Le Monde Diplomatique: http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/

Naciones Unidas: http://www.un.org/spanish

Observatori de crisis del Cidob: http://observatori.barcelona2004.org/observatorio/home_c.htm

Revista electrònica de relacions internacionals: http://www.reei.org

The Swedish Institute of International Affairs - http://www.ui.se/

The WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources <ahref="http://www2.etown.edu/vl/">http://www2.etown.edu/vl/