Analysis in International Relations, Security and Development
Code: 42986 ECTS Credits: 15| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 4313800 International Relations, Security and Development | OB | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Oriol Costa Fernandez
- Email:
- oriol.costa@uab.cat
Teachers
- Rafael Grasa Hernández
- Eduard Soler Lecha
- Juan Pablo Soriano Gatica
- Blanca Camps Febrer
- Lluc Vidal López
- (External) Laia Serra
- (External) Pol Bargués
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
In order to lay the foundations of the course and homogenise the starting level of the group, before the start of the sessions students should read the book by Esther Barbé (2020), Relaciones Internacionales, 4th edition, Madrid: Tecnos. It is also advisable to read, during the course, the book Del Arenal, Celestino and Sanahuja, José Antonio (2015), Teorías de las Relaciones Internacionales, Madrid: Tecnos. For the methodological sessions, the support book is the following one: Zapata Barrero, Ricard and Sánchez Montijano, Elena (2011), Manual de investigación cualitativa en la ciencia política, Madrid: Tecnos. This handbook might be useful for students who prefer to read in English: Dunne, T., Kurki, M., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (2021). International relations theories: Discipline and diversity. Oxford University Press, USA.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course provides an introduction to some of the main theoretical perspectives on the study of international relations and their research methods. Students will learn new ways of thinking about and analysing international society, increase their ability to evaluate the main theoretical ideas and apply these perspectives to analyse specific issues in contemporary international politics. The course also aims to provide conceptual and methodological tools and guidelines to enable students to better prepare their final master's thesis.
Learning Outcomes
- CA01 (Competence) To apply the knowledge acquired to potentially solve an issue related to the analysis of international relations in broad contexts and little-known or multidisciplinary environments.
- CA02 (Competence) To independently design a research project in the field of international relations, security and development that meets the criteria of rigour and academic excellence.
- CA03 (Competence) To take part in the development of projects related to international relations, security and development with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals.
- CA04 (Competence) To discuss the main issues on the international agenda while promoting cooperation.
- KA01 (Knowledge) To recognise the main theoretical and conceptual perspectives for analysing international relations, as well as the various thematic areas of international activity and the main geographical regions, identifying the authors and reference sources.
- KA02 (Knowledge) To approach and contextualise a research topic by incorporating relevant information from specialised documentary and bibliographic resources on matters of international relations, security and development.
- KA03 (Knowledge) To categorise the main actors within the international systems in a particular thematic area.
- SA01 (Skill) To use analytical constructs to understand international relations, particularly with regard to issues associated with security and development.
- SA02 (Skill) To apply the methodological instruments necessary for systematically and rigorously analysing international relations (observation, comparison, formulation of hypotheses, etc.), as well as intervention tools.
- SA03 (Skill) To assess the application of intervention tools (policymaking, strategy development, planning, negotiation and mediation techniques, etc.) in managing interdependencies and their suitability for local and international contexts.
Content
Introduction
Session 1, Intro 1. Oriol Costa 4 October
The discipline of IR: emergence and general key points
Required reading:
- Viewing this video about the book Hathaway, O. A., & Shapiro, S. J. (2017). The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World. Simon and Schuster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2tfebkUbPo&feature=emb_title (can be found on the New America channel, under the same title as the book).
Session 2, Intro 2: Anna Ayuso October 7
Public International Law: The Language of International Order
Required reading
Session 3, Intro 3: Eduard Soler 11 October
Frameworks of Analysis in IR: Structures, Actors, Processes and Levels of Analysis
Required reading
BLOCK I. Theoretical Approaches in IR
Session 4, Theories 1: Oriol Costa October 18th
Realism
Required reading
- Moure Peñín, L. (2015), ‘El realismo en la teoría de las Relaciones Internacionales: génesis, evolución y aportaciones actuales’, in C. del Arenal and J. A. Sanahuja, coords, Teorías de las Relaciones Internacionales, Madrid, Tecnos, pp. 61-96.
- Smith, N. & Dawson, G. (2022). ‘Mearsheimer, Realism, and the Ukraine War’. Analyse & Kritik. https://doi.org/10.1515/auk-2022-2023
Session 5, Theories 2: Oriol Costa 21 October
Liberalism
Required reading:
- Grasa, Rafael (2015), ‘Neoliberalismo e institucionalismo, La reconstrucción del liberalismo como teoría sistémica internacional’, chap. In Arenal/Sanahuja (eds), Teorías de las Relaciones Internacionales, Tecnos, pp. 97-126.
- Nye, J. S., & Keohane, R. O. (1971). Transnational relations and world politics: An introduction. International organization, 25(3), 329-349.
Session 6, Theories 3: Lluc Vidal October 25
Marxism, Structuralism and Critical Theory
Required reading:
-Cox, R. (1981) ‘Social Forces, States, and World Orders: Beyond International Relations Theory’, Millennium Journal of International Studies, Vol. 10, No.2, pp. 126-55.
Session 7, Theories 4: Lluc Vidal 28 October
Constructivism
Required reading:
-Wendt, A. (1992) ‘Anarchy is what states make of it: the social construction of power politics’, International Organization, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 391-426.
Session 7, Theories 4: Lluc Vidal October 28th
Constructivism
Required reading:
-Wendt, A. (1992) ‘Anarchy is what states make of it: the social construction of power politics’, International Organization, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 391-426.
Session 8, Theories 5: Blanca Camps 4 November
Feminist, post-structuralist and decolonial approaches.
Required readings.
-Gulash Capan, Z. (2017). decolonising international relations, Third World Quarterly, 38(1), 1-15, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1245100- Lugones, M. (2010). Towards a decolonial feminism, Hypatia, 25(4), 742-759. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1527-2001.2010.01137.x Translated by Gabriela Castellanos.
Recommended reading:
-Cohn, C. (1987). Sex and death in the rational world of defense intellectuals. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 12(4), 687-718. https://doi.org/10.1086/494362
-Jacoby, T. (2006). From the trenches: Dilemmas of feminist IR fieldwork. In B. Ackerly, M. Stern, & J. True (Eds.), Feminist Methodologies for International Relations (pp. 153-173). Cambridge University Press.
BLOCK II. Theoretical approaches to security
Session 9, Security 1: Juan Pablo Soriano 8 November
Security: concepts, approaches, trends and challenges.
Compulsory readings
- Soriano, J.P. (2021), ‘Los estudios de seguridad: orígenes, evolución, herramientas y debates en curso’, in Grasa, R. and Rodríguez, C. (eds.), Ciencia política y Relaciones Internaciones: un mundo y una disciplina en proceso de cambio, UNAD, Bogotá, pp. 77-95. https://hemeroteca.unad.edu.co/index.php/book/article/view/5063/4870-
Recommended reading:
- Caballero-Anthony, M. (Ed.) (2015). An introduction to non-traditional security studies: a transnational approach. Sage, pp. 3-35. Electronic version at UAB Libraries. https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1eqfv2p/alma991000710129706709
- Hough, P. (2018). ‘Chapter 1. Security and securitization’, in Understanding Global Security. 4th edition. Vol. 1. [Online]. Milton: Routledge. Electronic version in UAB Libraries.
Session 10, Security 2: Pol Bargués 11 November
Human Security and Peace in an Insecure World
Required reading
Kaldor, M., Martin, M., & Selchow, S. (2007). Human security: a new strategic narrative for Europe. International affairs, 83(2), 273-288.
Session 11, Security 3: Juan Pablo Soriano 15 November
Foreign policy analysis
Required reading
- Hudson, V. M., & Day, B. S. (2020), ‘Introduction: The Situation and Evolution of Foreign Policy Analysis: A roadmap’, in Foreign Policy Analysis: Classic and Contemporary Theory, 3rd edition, 2020. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 3-36.
BLOCK III. Approaches to development
Session 12, Development 1: Rafael Grasa 18 November
From growth to development(s). Emergence and evolution of the concept and practice.
Compulsory readings
- Amartya Sen, ‘A Decade of Human Development’, in Journal of Human Development, vol I, nº 1, 2000, pp 17-23.
Session 13, Development 2: Oriol Costa 25 November
Development and the environment: the case of climate change
Required reading
- Aklin, M., & Mildenberger, M. (2020). Prisoners of the wrong dilemma: why distributive conflict, not collective action, characterizes the politics of climate change. Global Environmental Politics, 20(4), 4-27.
Session 14, Development 3: Laia Serra 29 November
Development, Environment and North-South Relations: An Intertwined and Growing Agenda
Compulsory readings.
-UNEP. 2020. GEO6. Summary for policy makers. Pp. 9-21. Available at: https://bit.ly/3LmeVRt
BLOCK IV: Method
Session 15. Methods 1
2 December (16-19). Martijn Vlaskamp
Session 16. Methods 2
9 December (16-19). Martijn Vlaskamp
Session 17. Methods 3
13 December (16-19). Martijn Vlaskamp
Session 18: Essay (exam). Date to be confirmed
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures and exercises at class | 75 | 3 | CA01, CA04, KA01, KA02, SA01, SA02 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and study of basic texts | 300 | 12 | CA01, CA04, KA01, KA02, SA01, SA02 |
--
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ensayo final en clase | 50% | 0 | 0 | CA01, CA02, KA01, KA02, KA03, SA01, SA02 |
| Evaluación continua | 20% | 0 | 0 | CA01, CA02, CA03, CA04, KA01, SA01, SA03 |
| Fichas de lectura | 30% | 0 | 0 | KA01, KA02, KA03, SA01 |
Students will hand in, in each session in which it is indicated in the programme, a reading card. The reading cards include the presentation of the main argument of the article (in a maximum of 10-15 lines) and the proposal of some questions by the student, either to raise doubts or to promote debate in class (one page per card). The texts are available on the virtual campus. In addition, in each session, two students will effectively put their questions to debate.
On a date to be determined, there will be an exam in which students will write, during the two hours of the session, an essay on a subject proposed by the teachers, for which they will be able to use any bibliographical material they wish. During the same two hours, they will also answer a question related to the sessions dedicated to methods of analysis. The evaluation is made up of: the handing in of worksheets, which will account for 30% of the mark; the exam, which will account for 50%; and the evaluation of small assignments given during the course, the remaining 20%.
Bibliography
The description of the course content already includes the reading list.
Software
--
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |