Introduction to Political Science and International Relations
Code: 101519 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500244 East Asian Studies | FB | 1 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Just Castillo Iglesias
- Email:
- just.castillo@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Other comments on languages
This course is taught in English. Students must have an adequate level of proficiency in this language.Teachers
- Hang Xiao
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites to take this subject, although students should have some knowledge of and interest in politics and international relations. A habit of reading news and analysis articles from various viewpoints is highly desirable. Students must have basic computer skills and an adequate level of English (e.g., level B2 of the CEFR) to follow the classes and to understand written and audiovisual documents in that language.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of this subject is to help students acquire analytical skills applicable to political science, political theory, and international relations. The course aims to provide students with the basic analysis tools to be able to place the debates and topics of their specialisation (East Asia) in a broader context, both in the theoretical field and in the global political reality. During the semester, we will work on developing and applying the basic tools of political theory and science to understand and analyse processes, structures, actors and discourses. As regards the study of international reality, we will introduce the debates and theoretical frameworks that have helped people to interpret the world and shape it. The subject seeks to improve students’ ability to think critically and interpret the relationship between today’s political behaviours, events, dilemmas, changes and contradictions.
Competences
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Developing self-learning strategies.
- Ensuring the quality of one's own work.
- Having interpersonal skills.
- Knowing and understanding the structures, agents, institutions and organizations that shape the political processes and international relations in connection with Asia.
- Knowing and using the information and communication technology resources (ICT) in order to collect, produce, analyse and present information related to the East Asian Studies.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be flexible and capable of adapting to new circumstances.
Learning Outcomes
- Assessing the obtained results in the information search process in order to update the knowledge about political sciences.
- Demonstrating knowledge of key concepts and theoretical frameworks of the political sciences.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Developing self-learning strategies.
- Ensuring the quality of one's own work.
- Having interpersonal skills.
- Identifying and describing the main structures, agents, institutions and bodies of the political and international systems.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be flexible and capable of adapting to new circumstances.
- Using different tools for specific purposes in the field of political sciences.
- Using the basic terminology of the political sciences.
Content
Section A: Introduction to the basic concepts of political science
What is politics? Political science.
Causes and dynamics of political conflict.
Power, authority and resistance.
State and sovereignty. The genesis of the modern state.
States and nations.
Section B: Ideologies and political thought
Political values, ideologies and political culture.
Classical liberalism, neoliberalism and radical liberalism: individuals, states and markets.
The left and socialisms: utopian socialisms, Marxism(s), communism.
Anarchism(s), mutual aid and cooperativism.
Fascism and totalitarianism.
Imperialism and colonialism.
Nationalisms.
Feminisms.
Political communication and propaganda.
Section C: Regimes, structures, institutions and actors
David Easton's political system.
Types of regimes: polyarchies-democracies, non-democratic regimes, dictatorships, autocracies and totalitarian systems.
Forms of political organisation. Structure and institutions of the State. Forms of government.
Participation and representation. Plebiscites, referendums and electoral systems.
Political parties: from class interests to professionalisation.
Collective action. Social movements, pressure groups and corporations.
Media: public opinion.
Section D: International relations: theories and debates
The discipline of international relations and the inter-paradigm debate.
Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism.
The structure of the international system.
The dynamics of international relations: conflict and cooperation.
Methodology
To achieve the established objectives, this subject combines lectures with the individual work and active participation of the students. The subject’s essential content will be covered in lectures and complemented by reading assignments to be carried out outside class. Students will be encouraged to use the Moodle virtual classroom as a common space for exchanging information related to the course (information, debates, materials, complementary resources, etc.).
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Exercises | 9.5 | 0.38 | 2, 3, 8, 9, 6, 11, 5 |
| Lectures | 40 | 1.6 | 2, 7, 11 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual work, guided reading assignments and tutorials | 18 | 0.72 | 1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 8, 9, 6, 10, 11, 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and documentation | 71 | 2.84 | 4, 10 |
Assessment
Assessment is continuous. Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing three mandatory tasks. Task deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class. The information on assessment activities is a guide. The subject's lecturer will provide full information when teaching begins.
Review
When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.
Missed/failed assessment activities
Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.
The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.
Classification as "not assessable"
In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript.
Misconduct in assessment activities
Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the student involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred (e.g. plagiarism, copying, impersonation) are excluded from recovery.
More information: http://www.uab.cat/web/study-abroad/undergraduate/academic-information/evaluation/what-is-it-about-1345670077352.html
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation tests (2 tests) | 70% (35% x 2) | 7.5 | 0.3 | 2, 4, 3, 7, 11, 5 |
| Written assignment (1 essay) | 30% | 4 | 0.16 | 1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 8, 9, 6, 10, 11, 5 |
Bibliography
Recommended bibliography
- Roskin, M.G., R.L. Cord, J.A. Medeiros, & W.S. Jones. Political Science: An Introduction. New York: Pearson, 2016.
- Baylis, John, Steve Smith, & Patricia Owens (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. 7a edició, New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.
- Vallès, Josep M., & S. Martí Puig. Ciencia política: un manual. Updated edition. Barcelona: Ariel, 2020.
Other reference resources
- Ball, Terence & Richard Bellamy (eds.), Historia del pensamiento político del siglo XX. Madrid: Akal, 2013.
- Caminal, Miquel (ed.), Manual de Ciència Política. Madrid: Tecnos, 2005.
- Del Arenal, Celestino, Introducción a las relaciones internacionales. 4a edición,Madrid: Tecnos, 2007.
- Eccleshall, Robert, et al. (eds.). Political Ideologies: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 1994.
- Goodin, Robert E. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Kelly Paul & Rod Dacombe (eds). El Libro de la Política. Tres Cantos: Akal, DL 2014.
- Kelly Paul & Rod Dacombe (eds.) The Politics Book. Big Ideas Simply Explained. London: DK Publishing, 2013.
- Mellón, Joan Antón (ed.), Ideologías y movimientos políticos contemporáneos. Barcelona: Ariel, 2006.
- Simon, Robert L. (ed.), The Blackwell guide to social and political philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Available online: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.are.uab.cat/doi/book/10.1002/9780470756621
Software
No specific software will be used.