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International Relations

Code: 106205 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OB 2

Contact

Name:
Blanca Camps Febrer
Email:
blanca.camps@uab.cat

Teachers

Timothy Elhami Kaldas

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


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.      Structuralism 

6.      Post-structuralism 

7.      Feminism(s) 
8.     Post-Colonialism 

 

Part II: Analytical Concepts 

 

9. International Systems: Multipolarity, Bipolarity, Unipolarity 
10. Geopolitics: space and geography in politics 

11. Nationalism in international relations 
12. Revolutions and Counterrevolutions 
13. Security in IR: Securitization and the Impact of GWoT 

 

Part III: Contemporary Developments 

 

14. Neoliberalism: from the State to Globalisation 
15. Armed Conflict Analysis  

16. Challenges in applying a normative Foreign Policy: Why aren’t States nicer? Humanitarian Interventions and the Responsibility to Protect 
17. Policy Advocacy 


Activities and Methodology

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

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

- Classroom activities: lectures; sessions to debate 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. 

- Independent activities that students do on their own and in accordance with the requirements of the subject, from revising their class notes to reading academic papers or following current affairs and international issuees.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

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

 

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The subject will be evaluated through:

1. The completion of two written exams related to the theoretical and practical content. Combined, they represent 50% of the final gradeof the course.  In order to pass the course students must get a grade of at least a 5 (out of 10) on each exam. 

2. The preparation of a group project and individual written assignments (30% of the total final grade for the subject). It will involve independent work outside the classroom and in class.

3. Readings and written tasks based on a series of texts, which will be carried out in the format of tests and debates in class. (15%).

4. Likewise, student participation (contribution in class, active attendance, comments, discussion of texts, presentation of topics, etc.) in classes will be valued 5% in the overall final grade. Never participating orally in class means a 0 in participation.



The date of the written exams, the sessions that can be evaluated with grades and other activities will be specified within the framework of the subject programming (Virtual Campus).



Students who have failed with a minimum grade of 3.5 will have the opportunity to take advantage of compensation activities. With compensation you can pass with a maximum of five points out of ten, and as long as you have submitted at least two thirds of the evaluation activities.



The use of plagiarism or artificial intelligence to prepare any of the evaluable activities will result in a 0 for the activity.

Only students who take a maximum of one third of the evaluation activities are considered "NON-EVALUABLE" students.



SINGLE EVALUATION

The single evaluation will be carried out based on three pieces of evidence that must be completed:

 Written exam 50%
 Written work 25%
 Reading control 25%

 


Bibliography

The professors will provide the references for the required readings through the virtual campus. These readings are essential to understand and participate in class.

 

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

  • 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.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 50 English second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 50 English second semester afternoon