Credit Course - Debating International Relations

This course will examine concepts and theories in the study of world affairs and global politics.

It will cover the mainstream approaches of realism and liberalism as well as major critical approaches, including feminism and post-colonialism. Theories and concepts will be discussed in the context of historical and contemporary case studies, including the Cold War, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Relevant scholarly frameworks will also be used to make sense of major issues in the study and practice of global politics such as weapons proliferation, humanitarian intervention, and the climate crisis.

Key information

• Subject: Social and Political Science
• Teaching fellow: Dr Andrew Drever
• Credit level: SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate)
• Credits: 20 SCQF/10 ECTS/4 US
• Eligibility: Students must be aged 18 or over. An academic transcript must be provided to certify at least 1 year of Undergraduate study.
• Language requirements: Evidence of English language ability equivalent of IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
• Dates: 04 July-28 July 2022
• Length: 4 weeks
• Contact hours: 76
• Course fee: £3,710
• Application deadline: 23 May 2022 (17:00 - BST)

Course description

This course considers and debates the foundational concepts, actors, and theories of International Relations, applying these to major issues in world affairs. Concepts that will be examined include anarchy, security, cooperation, and discourse. The course will adopt a broad theoretical focus, considering different variants of the ‘mainstream’ approaches of realism and liberalism as well as ‘critical’ alternatives such as constructivism, feminism, post-colonialism, Marxism, and poststructuralism. Theories and concepts will be explored in the context of important contemporary and historical issues and case studies in world affairs, including the control of weapons proliferation, global governance responses to pandemics, human rights, global distributive justice, and the climate crisis.

Each session will intersperse lectures with tutorial activities and discussions. These will develop knowledge and understanding of IR as well as general academic skills and principles of good scholarship. In order to participate effectively in class discussions and get the most out of each session, students should ensure they have completed the essential reading in preparation for each session. The course material is cumulative with each session building on the content of those that preceded it.

Timetable

Week 1 (4 July)

• Mon (10:00-13:00)
• Tues - Fri (09:00-13:00)

Week 2 (11 July)

• Mon - Fri (09:00-13:00)

Week 3 (18 July)

• Mon - Fri (09:00-13:00)

Week 4 (25 July)

• Mon - Thurs (10:00-13:00)

​​Teaching method

All classes will be delivered in person at the University of Edinburgh’s Holyrood Campus.

Assessment

The course will be assessed through a 2500-word essay. In preparation of the essay, students will be encouraged to give a short presentation in class to and submit an essay plan on which feedback will be provided.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the diverse definitions of key concepts in the study and practice of International Relations.
2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of important theories in International Relations.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of key events and processes in world affairs.
4. Use a range of concepts, theories and empirical evidence to critically assess major current issues and debates in world affairs and International Relations.
5. Employ skills of interpretation, argument and critical analysis in both writing and discussion.