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2022/2023

International Relations

Code: 106205 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OB 2 2

Contact

Name:
Blanca Camps Febrer
Email:
blanca.camps@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

Teachers

Timothy Kaldas Kaldas

Prerequisites

It has no academic prerequisites.

Students must have the habit of reading, watching, listening to and consulting different media of general and international information, especially following news of an international policy nature, as well as opinion articles on global political issues understood in their broadest sense.

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject has a basic training character.

This means that it serves as a basis from which to be able to analyze international reality.

The basic objectives of the course are:

1. Know and understand the fundamental concepts of the discipline;

2. Acquire analytical skills applicable to international, transnational and global processes;

3. Understand and be able to delve into the processes, structures and developments that have shaped contemporary international society on a global scale: from colonialism or the development of capitalism to current neoliberal agendas and populisms;

4. To be able to express and defend orally and in writing their views on the various most relevant international issues.

Competences

  • Apply theoretical trends and classical and recent analytical approaches to international relations in practical case studies.
  • Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Contrast the main contemporary political theories.
  • Describe the origin and development of the main current social, political and economic conflicts.
  • Distinguish between and analyse the type of relations that have been established over the last century among the different social, political and economic agents on national, regional and international frameworks.
  • Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
  • Identify the main actors, structure and functioning of political systems in the internal and international sphere from a theoretical or applied perspective.
  • Integrate historical, political and economic knowledge in the search for global solutions to current world problems.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse processes of decision-making, drawing up and implementing Spanish foreign and security policies.
  2. Analyse the historical and comparative roles of the different actors in the large regional areas.
  3. Analyse the historical processes that lead to armed conflict.
  4. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  5. Applying theoretical and analytical knowledge of International Relations to practical and professional cases, in particular to the areas of conflict and cooperation between actors.
  6. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  7. Assessing and critically solving the historiographical problems of war studies.
  8. Assessing specific distinctive aspects and conceptual and methodological instruments of the different tendencies and analytical approximations of International Relations.
  9. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  10. Critically analysing the patterns explaining the historical phases.
  11. Critically evaluate the impacts of globalisation in different areas: security, environment, human rights, migrations and peace.
  12. Critically taking part in classroom oral debates and using the discipline's specific vocabulary.
  13. Demonstrate motivation regarding the quality of the work performed and sensitivity regarding the consequences on the environment and society.
  14. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  15. Demonstrating they know theoretical tendencies and classical and recent analytical approximations of International Relations.
  16. Describe the international order: anarchy versus order, national society and transnational society.
  17. Describe the main elements that characterise international global society (1945-2000).
  18. Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
  19. Drawing up an academic text using the discipline's specific vocabulary.
  20. Effectively working in teams and respecting different opinions.
  21. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  22. Explaining the major approximations to the international relations (realism, transnationalism and structuralism).
  23. Identify the factors of change and continuity and the main trends in Spanish foreign and security policies, and their relationship with the international, European and Atlantic organisations with which they interact.
  24. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  25. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  26. Identifying the social, economic and political structures of the contemporary world.
  27. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  28. Make a brief comparison of national and/or regional cases within the same international and/or regional framework.
  29. Make adequate use of the theory and concepts of international relations (Hobbesian, Grotian and Kantian thought).
  30. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  31. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  32. Present works in formats tailored to the needs and personal styles, both individual and small group.
  33. Producing and planning researches or analytical reports.
  34. Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
  35. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  36. Solving problems autonomously.
  37. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  38. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  39. Using computing resources of the area of study of history.
  40. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  41. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  42. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

Part I: Theories of International Relations


1.      Introduction to the Study of IR
2.      Realism
3.      Liberalism
4.      Constructivism
5.      Marxism and Critical Theory
6.      Feminism(s)
7.     Post-Colonialism


Part II: Analytical Concepts


8. The Agency vs. Strucutre Debate: the case of nationalism
9. Levels of Analysis: Revolutions and Counterrevolutions
10. Security in IR: Securitization and the Impact of GWoT
11. International Systems: Multipolarity, Bipolarity, Unipolarity,
12. Units of Analysis: State, TNCs, International Organizations, Populations


Part III: Contemporary Developments


13.  Neoliberalism: from the State to Globalisation
14. Humanitarian Interventions and the Responsibility to Protect
15. Global Crises: Climate vs Pandemic
16. Migrations, Mobility and Border Regimes
17. Conlcusions
18. Group Presentations

Methodology

The study of this subject is divided into several types of activities, each with a certain weight of working hours. We will use different methodologies:

- Classroom activities: lectures; seminars to discuss the readings; and case discussions related to the syllabus of the course will be conducted.

- Supervised activities carried out by students outside the classroom in accordance with a designed workplan and subsequently tutored and evaluated by the faculty. Students must: read and prepare texts; do group work consisting of gathering documentation on a specific topic of international relations. Details will be given through Moodle and explained in class.

- Autonomous activities that students do on their own and in accordance with the requirements of the subject.

Note: 15 minutes of a class will be used, according to the calendar established by the center / degree, for the students' surveys of evaluation of the performance of the profesors and of evaluation of the subject / module.

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      
Class Debates 15 0.6 3, 36, 38, 9, 15, 35, 25
Lectures 50 2 3, 2, 7, 28, 9, 15, 17, 16, 23, 22, 26, 25, 37, 29, 8
Type: Supervised      
Group Exercises in Class 15 0.6 3, 2, 5, 6, 38, 10, 7, 28, 9, 15, 17, 16, 23, 22, 35, 30, 26, 25, 27, 13, 31, 21, 12, 32, 37, 42, 20, 29, 34, 8, 11
Practical Exercises 20 0.8 3, 5, 4, 36, 6, 38, 14, 18, 33, 19, 35, 30, 24, 27, 31, 21, 12, 32, 37, 41, 42, 20, 34, 39, 40, 11
Type: Autonomous      
Weekly Reading 50 2 3, 5, 36, 6, 10, 17, 30, 26, 25, 37, 29

Assessment

Evaluation The subject will be evaluated by:

1. The realization of a written examination relative to the theoretical and practical content that represents 50% of the final note of the asignatura and that has to surpass with a minimum note of five points (on ten), like condition indispensable to have passed the subject. 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 group work written and defended orally (25% of the total of the final note of the asignatura). This work is of obligatory character to pass the asignatura (it has to surpass with a minimum note of five points (out of ten).

3. The readings and the comments of a series of texts (the guidelines and criteria for the reading of the texts will indicate in the course of the classes of the asignatura), that will carry out in format of seminars and debates (15%).

4. Likewise, the participation of the students (comments, discussion of texts, exposition of topics, etc.) in the classes (readings, comments and participation 10% of the final mark of the subject).

The date of the written exam, of the seminars evaluable with note and other activities will specify in the frame of the programming of the asignatura (Virtual Campus): Students who do not pass the written exam will have the opportunity to take part in the compensation activities, in other words, they will be able to take the suspended exam again on the day determined by the Faculty. Assessable seminars with grades and group work cannot be repeated, not in compensation activities. Important: Students who do not obtain the minimum score, five points out of ten, in the written exam, will have the subject suspended, even if they have passed the work done in groups, the corresponding seminars and other assessment guidelines. The fact of appearing to the partial written examination exempts to the alumnado of the qualification "NOT PRESENTED".

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Group Project 25% 0 0 4, 6, 9, 18, 33, 19, 35, 24, 26, 25, 13, 31, 32, 41, 42, 20, 34, 40, 11
Participation in Class 10% 0 0 38, 9, 35, 25, 21, 12
Reading Reviews 15% 0 0 36, 15, 14, 19, 35, 25, 37, 39
Written Exam 50% 0 0 1, 3, 2, 5, 6, 10, 7, 28, 15, 14, 17, 16, 23, 19, 22, 30, 26, 25, 27, 13, 37, 29, 34, 8, 11

Bibliography

The professors will provide one to two required readings per theme through moodle. These readings are essential to understand and participate in class.

Recommended Handbooks that provide a basic introduction to the main theories of International Relations:

  • Barbé, Esther (2020). Relaciones Internacionales. Madrid: Ariel.
  • Dougherty, James E.; Pfaltzgraff Jr., Robert L. (2000). Contending Theories of International Relations: A Comprehensive Survey. Nova York: Pearson.
  • Roach, Steven (Ed.). (2020). Handbook of Critical International Relations, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
  • Tickner, J. Ann. (2014). A feminist voyage through international relations. Oxford University Press. Recurs electrònic disponible UAB.
  • Dunne, Tim; Kurki, Milja; Smith, Steve (eds.) (2013). International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Jackson, Robert J. (2013). Global Politics in the 21st Century. Nova York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Kaufman, Joyce P. (2013). Introduction to International Relations. Theory and Practice. Plymouth: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.
  • Viotti, Paul R.; Kaupi, Mark V. (2012). International Relations and World Politics. New York: Pearson.
  • Ruiz-Giménez Arrieta, Itziar; Rubio Grundell, Lucrecia & De Lima Grecco, Gabriela. (2022). Feminismos Críticos en Relaciones Internacionales: Nuevas Teorías, Metodologías y Agendas de InvestigaciónRelaciones Internacionales. Número 49. February 2022 - May 2022. Grupo de Estudios de Relaciones Internacionales. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

 

Software

Written papers will always be submitted in PDF format unless otherwise specified.

Use of power point or other open source or alternative software for presentations.

Access to the virtual campus, pdf.

The use of bibliography managers such as Zotero is recommended.

If any student has technological accessibility difficulties, please let us know.