Module Descriptions for International Relations

Introduction to International Relations
This module provides an introduction to the theory and history of international relations. The module will give a broad overview of the discipline of international relations, engaging with the scope of study, key theories and concepts, and will ground these in a historical overview of the international system since 1945. Key historical themes are highlighted to demonstrate changes in the patterns and conduct of world politics. These include: the origins of the Cold War; the New World Order bruited at the end of the Cold War, and the latest phase of globalisation.

Contemporary Issues in World Politics
Provides an introduction to international relations by examining some of the key issues in contemporary world politics. The course is divided into two parts. Part one introduces the actors, structures and processes of world politics, outlining some of the core themes such as the international system of states and international society, transnational and global society, the global political economy, international organisations and transnational actors.

Current Issues in Politics and International Relations
This module is designed for delivery of occasional modules offered by visiting lecturers or by Politics and International Relations staff for trial runs of new modules.

Researching Politics and International Relations 1: Analytical Mode
An examination of different approaches to political research. It covers theoretical approaches to politics and international relations, the handling of primary data, the levels of analysis problem and the structure-agency divide, as well as comparative methodologies and theories. The module is constructed around a set of central issues and debates that concern and divide the discipline and allows for assessed elements of reflective learning.

Researching Politics and International Relations 2: Methods
The aim of the module is to introduce students to the ideas underpinning the design and conduct of research in politics and international relations, starting with the 'big questions' of 'What exists?' and 'How can we know about what exists?' before moving to consider the practice and implications of different research methods. The course explicitly seeks to prepare students for conducting their own small-scale research in their final year dissertation, and contains hands-on workshops and practical sessions.

Understanding Europe: History, Culture and Political Economy
Explores what we mean by 'Europe' from the perspectives of current scholarship. It draws on a variety of disciplinary insights into the history, culture, political economy and boundaries of Europe in a period marked both by powerful integrative and disintegrative forces. These include regionalising (Europeanising) pressures visible most obviously in the EU, global constraints, relations with older and newly-potent world powers and the echoes of 'civilisational' tensions, migration, nationalism and localism.

Structures of International Governance
This module examines the web of governance structures in a world no longer dominated by state actors. It explores the changing 'architectures' of statist governance and the variety of inter- and trans- societal, as well as global, structures and processes. The role of state and non-state actors in global policy-making and implementation is canvassed, through the part played by governments, inter-governmental organisations (IGOs) and regimes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as transnational companies in different policy areas.

Contemporary Security Studies
The topic of 'security' - what it is, how to achieve it, who should provide it, and even who and/or what should 'be secured' - is hotly contested by policy makers, the academic community, and members of civil society. This course examines some of the different ways that security and its objects of protection (whether these are the nation-state, the environment, the economy, a 'way of life', and/or the individual) have been conceptualised and the implications for peace and global conflict as well as for everyday forms of violence and exclusion.

America and Europe: the Political Economy of Global Hegemony
Since the 16th century, there is no doubt that Europe has been at the centre of the global economy, and as of the 19th century the United States joined this capitalist core. Out of the crucible that was World War II emerged a distinctly transatlantic configuration of the core under US hegemony. Any understanding of global political economy requires an appreciation of this leadership role. The aim of this module is to immerse students in in-depth study of the political economy of these transatlantic core relations. It will cover the subject matter in its theoretical, historical and contemporary aspects, paying particular attention to key dimensions such as the governance of financial markets, production structures, the question of capitalist convergence and variety, the consequence of the European Union and the financial crisis. Does the latter spell the end of US hegemony, and perhaps even the end of the trans-Atlanticism itself as the core of the global political economy?

Conflict and Post-war Reconstruction
This module provides students with an overview of the dynamics of intrastate conflict, the dominant practices of conflict management and the reconstruction of post-conflict societies. The module will start with a brief overview of the causes of conflict and a conceptualisation of peace. The module adopts a comparative perspective to draw conclusions about these challenges, using evidence from South Africa, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Burundi, Sri Lanka or elsewhere. Students will analyse cases of violent conflict and critically evaluate peacemaking and post-war reconstruction activities and ask questions about the quality of peace that often emerges.

Identity Politics and Violence
This module probes the links between identity as a localised (even individualised) practice and globalised forms of domination, exclusion and violence. It explores a wide range of foundational and contemporary literature from international relations, feminist, postcolonial and poststructural theory to ask questions about the ways in which particular bodies are raced, classed, gendered and sexualized and the personal/political implications of this. Key concepts include: gender, race, sexuality, the body, neoimperialism, neocolonialism, militarization, agency and resistance.

International Development
Since the end of the Cold War one of the key dynamics in world politics, namely the gap between rich and poor, has come into sharper focus. This module examines both the theory and practice of the international politics of development. The first half of the module looks at key theoretical debates and how these have related to practice. Various contemporary issues in development are then explored to illustrate the theoretical debates. These will include the Third World debt crisis, fair trade, development assistance, sustainable development and the resource curse thesis.

Counter Terrorism in Comparative Perspective
Aims to compare and contrast the shifting and different ways in which states respond to terrorism. The module would aim to critically engage with the idea of counter terrorism; what it is, and its relation to conceptions of the state, security and political violence. It would then examine particular moments of counter terrorism practice, including UK policy with regard to Northern Ireland, Spanish policy with regard to the Basque movement and ETA and non-western cases such as Sri Lanka and Colombia. Then the module will consider the so called 'new' terrorism (critically engaging with this distinction between 'new' and 'old' terrorism) before going on to consider the similarities and differences in various countries' responses to this 'new' terrorism. The module will conclude by considering how these various responses impact upon both human rights regimes and norms and citizenship rights, behaviours and practices.

Globalisation, Democracy and Civil Society
Offers an exploration into the relationship between globalisation and civil society. On the one hand, it looks at how globalisation is changing the contours of civil society and citizen participation and then on the other, it looks at the way in which the concept of civil society could now be applied at the global level. It looks at the extent to which received models of political community, civil society and citizenship have been affected by the undoing of methodological nationalism and by real-world forces that have altered the locus of much decision-making and the ways in which power is organised.

Global Environmental Politics
This module is concerned with the global environmental issues in a broad, interdisciplinary framework. Beginning with an investigation into the international legal and institutional apparatus for dealing with environmental issues, it goes on to consider the wider socio-cultural and ideological aspects, as well as the global political economy of environmental governance and sustainable development.

East Asian Regionalism
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to key aspects of the international relations of East Asia, such as war and conflict management, economic cooperation and competition, and patterns of intra-regional interaction. Particular emphasis will be given to the post-Cold War proliferation in the region's multilateral institution-building, and the module explores key aspects about the development of East Asian regionalism and questions concerning an emerging regional order. As most international relations theories are exclusively built upon Western diplomatic history, the module will critically apply some major international relations theories to the experience of East Asia, by addressing the validity of existing theories for the analysis of East Asian international relations.

Independent Study in International Relations
Offers students the opportunity to undertake independent study and research under supervision. Students can submit a proposal for independent study at any point in Stage II of their programme and, provided that supervision is available, an agreed programme of work and assessment schedule can be constructed.

Interdisciplinary Dissertation in International Relations
Provides the opportunity for independent research under supervision. The interdisciplinary dissertation combines both fields of study. As such, students choose a dissertation topic under advice from staff in International Relations and their other field.

Dissertation in International Relations
As above but for this module, the dissertation is solely within the International Relations field.

Theory and Practice of Human Rights
Offers students the opportunity to develop both a comprehensive understanding of theoretical debates on human rights and an awareness of the myriad practices, actors, institutions, and issues surrounding the concept of human rights, and from a broad range of perspectives within the social sciences. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the ways in which social scientific approaches and methods can be brought to bear on an understanding of the role of human rights in the world. It will also provide a basis for exploring a number of selected human rights issues in depth, including refugee rights, indigenous peoples' rights and genocide.

The Global Political Economy
Examines the global economic order and the interaction of economics and politics in shaping world affairs. The modules is divided into two parts. Part one offers a historical overview, and a range of theoretical tools through which to understand recent changes in the world economy. Part two looks at a number of substantive debates, by discussing how politics and economics are entwined in the areas of production, finance and trade. The module concludes with a discussion of the viability of the current order.