International Relations III

Course Code: IR103E

Institution:

Department of Global Political Studies

Revision:

6.1

For students admitted fall 2012  

Other set versions

Approval

The course was established 27 August 2007.
This course syllabus (version 6.1) was approved 23 April 2012 by the Board of Studies at Faculty of Culture and Society.
The syllabus is valid from 03 September 2012. Replacement for course syllabus ratified 16 April 2012.

Education level

First cycle

Entry requirements

International Relations, 31-60 hp.

Learning outcomes

The general aim of the course is that students should be able to further develop their analytical competence for independent analysis and reflection regarding complex issues in the field of international relations.

Knowledge and understanding
After finishing the course, the student:

- can show knowledge regarding ethical theories and problems within the field of international relations;
- can show knowledge about how military and non-military security issues can be conceptualized within international relations;
- can show further knowledge about central issues regarding methodology and theory of science, and
- can show knowledge of Malmö University’s perspectives: environment, gender, and migration and ethnicity.

Applying knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course, the student:
- can show the ability to argue and account for his or her assessment and analysis of central IR issues, both orally and in writing;
- can show the ability to design and lead, in collaboration with other students, a student-led seminar concerning one of the central issues of the course;
- can show the ability formulate and perform an individual analysis (thesis) of a research problem within the IR subject area, and
- can apply knowledge of Malmö University’s perspectives to issues pertaining to international relations.

Making judgments and communication skills

After finishing the course, the student:
- can show the ability to critically reflect upon ethical issues within the field of international relations;
- can show the ability to critically reflect upon traditional, state-centric as well as new and broader conceptualizations of security, and
- show the ability to critically reflect upon methodological and source-critical issues within the research process

Assessments

Assessment of student performance takes place through written take-home assignments and an individual thesis. The thesis is to be defended at an examination seminar in which students comment on each other’s work (seminar performance is part of the examination). The examiner chairs the seminar and provides a written report for each thesis after the seminar.

Re-sit examinations

Students who do not pass the regular course exams have the minimum of two re-sit opportunities. Re-sits follow the same form as the original exams, apart from re-sits for group work, which take the form of individual written and oral assignments.

Course content

The course consists of three modules.

Ethics and International Relations, 7.5 credits
This module deals with the ethical dimension of international relations. The learning activities focuses on the role of and place for morality, rights and justice in international politics. The general ethics of different IR theories are discussed, as well as more concrete ethical tensions (e.g. between intervention and sovereignty, freedom fights and terrorism, religion and conflict). The module also discusses the importance of highlighting normative positions in analytical assignments. The module contains self-study of literature, lectures and student-led seminars and is examined through a written paper assignment.

The New Security Agenda, 7.5 credits
Utilizing the theoretical tools of earlier IR courses, this module analyzes the concept of security, both from traditional IR perspectives and in relation to “new” security issues, such as the environment, migration and aids. The concept of “human security” is assigned specific weight. The module also focuses on how the choice of conceptualization yields methodological consequences in subsequent analytical settings. The module contains self-study of literature, lectures and student-led seminars and is examined through a written paper assignment.

Thesis, 15 credits
The module contains a series of lectures on methodology along with a individual thesis work (15 credits). The student chooses his/her thesis subject in collaboration with a supervisor. The learning activities of the module consist of lectures, research plan and text seminars and supervision.

Learning activities

Self-study of literature, lectures, seminars, group presentations, thesis work.

Grading system

Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG). ECTS grading system can be used on students demand.

Reading list and other media

Ethics and IR

Beitz, Charles (1999), Political Theory and International Relations, rev. uppl. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (248 pages)
Hutchings, Kimberley (2010), Global Ethics: An Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press. (244 pages)
Rachels, James: The Elements of Moral Philosophy, McGraw-Hill Higher Education: London 2009 (selections, about 100 pages)
Rosenthal, Joel H and Christian Barry, (Eds) (2009), Ethics and International Affairs: A Reader (3rd Edition). Baltimore: Georgetown University Press. (369 pages). Can also be found as e-book in e-brary, Malmö University Library.
Vanderheiden, Steve: "Globalizing responsibility for climate change", Ethics & International Affairs, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 65-84.
Walzer, Michael. 2006. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations, rev. uppl. New York: Basic Books. (400 pages)

The New Secutity Agenda

Peoples, Columba & Vaughan-Williams, Nick (2010) Critical Security Studies. An Introduction. London & New York: Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group.
Smith, Michael E. (2010), International Security. Politics, Policy, Prospects. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Selected journal articles, around 80 pages.

Thesis

George, Alexander L. and Bennett, Andrew (2004) Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press (285 pages)

Course evaluation

All students are offered an opportunity to give oral and written feedback at the end of the course. A summary of the results will be made available on the school’s web-pages. The students are also given a possibility to offer feedback for each module/unit.

Student participation takes place through the course council.