International Politics: An IntroductionModule Details

Rationale 

This course will provide an overview of the key issues, events and developments that characterise international politics. The course will start by examining the definition and the importance of studying international politics today. A study of the main historical events that took place after the end of the second world war as well as a discussion on how these have shifted the way we study and interpret current events, will follow. Students will also examine aspects of Transnational Politics and Regional Politics and will discuss some key issues of contemporary global politics including international security, the European financial crisis and the Global dimensions of poverty and inequality. International Politics will provide an insight into the challenges facing the international community today, as well as the efforts being undertaken to address them. The study of International Politics is considered the key for anyone who wants to make sense of the increasingly global political world that we all now inhabit.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:

(i)     Describe theories and ideas involving international politics.
(ii)    Identify historical patterns and institutions underlying contemporary international relations.
(iii)   Analyse contemporary political events in a coherent global context.
(iv)   Describe the development of international institutions and their roles in contemporary issues of inequality and conflict.
(v)    Identify the main aspects of International Law. 
(vi)   Describe the global political dimensions of terrorism, poverty, inequality and religion.
(vii)  Explain how countries and different nations interact and co-operate with each other. 
(viii) Explain how globalization affects the relationships between countries.
(ix)   Evaluate a variety of theoretical approaches to issues in international politics.
(x)    Engage with specific case studies examining the relationship between theory and practice in world politics.