PLT1040

Introduction to international relations

Chris Reus-Smit

6 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton - Prohibited combination: PLT1031

Objectives This subject aims to give students a solid grounding in the major theories of international relations; to acquaint them with important critical perspectives; to introduce them to significant historical and contemporary issues in international relations; and to enhance their conceptual and analytical capacities.

Synopsis International politics is one of the most complex and intellectually exciting domains of human social interaction. This subject begins by introducing students to the major traditions of international relations theory, focusing on classical and structural realism, neoliberalism, British rationalism, cosmopolitanism, and Marxism. We then consider several influential critiques of these dominant modes of thought, especially those offered by critical theorists, poststructualists, and feminists. The remainder of the subject examines a number of historical and contemporary events, developments and issues in international relations. These include the causes of war, the evolution and collapse of the Cold War, the demise of the Soviet Union, the role of the United Nations, the politics and ethics of intervention, the dynamics of European integration, the problem of underdevelopment, the growth of ethnic separatism and political nationalism, and the issues of human rights and environmental protection.

Assessment Tutorial participation: 10% - Assignment (1000 words): 15% - Essay (1500 words): 35% - Examination (2 hours): 40%

Prescribed texts

Beitz C Political theory and international relations Princeton U P, 1979
Bull H The anarchical society: A study of order in world politics 2nd edn, Macmillan, 1995
Morgenthau H J Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace brief edn, McGraw-Hill, 1985

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