DCU Home | Our Courses | Loop | Registry | Library | Search DCU

Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title Key Issues in International Relations
Module Code LG329
School School of Law & Government
Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Volkan Yilmaz
Semester 2: Shelley Deane
Autumn: Shelley Deane
Module TeachersShelley Deane
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 10
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
None
Array
Description

This module offers an overview of some central themes and issues in the study of contemporary world politics. Complementing theoretical elements with empirical ones, this course aims at outlining some international issues featuring both state and non-state actors. More in details, it seeks the following: i) reflecting on what IR theories are, what they are useful for and how they can be used for the understanding of the current global order. ii) assessing the role and relevance of supranational actors and dynamics iii)looking at the modern states, some of its features and challenges. All along the course, the students will be invited to reflect on the link between conceptual elements and case studies. After successfully completing this module, the student should have an adequate knowledge of a number of world politics themes and the theoretical instruments to think of them beyond the empirical dimension.

Learning Outcomes

1. Familiarity with the main theories and dynamics of contemporary affairs
2. Ability to understanding and processing simultaneously theoretical and empirical elements
3. Contextualization of the main contemporary issues and understanding of the scholarly debate around them
4. Ability to read critically different pieces of research, summarise the main points and argue about the validity and complementarity of the different argument



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture22Interactive lectures with contributions from students building on assigned course readings, past and future lecture topics and students’ own self-knowledge/experiences
Independent Study130Reading, summation, evaluation and integrated learning of lecture and research materials
Assignment Completion98Research and writing for mutliple choice exam, position papers and research paper
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Week 1: Introduction
Introduction to the course and review of some theoretical approaches

Week 2: The big actors in international affairs. Does America still matter? Introduction to the concept of “big powers”.
Outline of the current systemic conditions and their impact on the American foreign policy. Outlining of example

Week 3: Small states: pawn or proactive actors?
Introducing the concept of small states. Discussing what smallness is given by. Reflecting on the role of supranational structures (mostly the EU) in mitigating smallness.

Week 4: The EU external action: Norms or power?
Introducing the EU External Action service, its declared goals and its record. Discussing if its conduct can be classified as power-driven or value-driven.

Week 5: Public diplomacy: projecting soft power?
Introducing the concept of soft power and public diplomacy. Discussing its main features, its relevance and its limits. Pointing out the difference between the public diplomacy of democracies and authoritarianism.

Week 6: Elections in authoritarian contexts: do authoritarian rituals make democracies?
Reflecting on the constitutive properties of democracies and the role of "democratic rituals" in authoritarian settings.

Week 7: Reading week

Week 8: Rentier states. No taxation, no representation?
Introduction to the concept of rentier states and their state-society relationship. Discussion on the possible challenges to this model.

Week 9 : Proliferation and counter-proliferation. Do nukes still matter?
Introducing the main elements of proliferation and its implications on anarchy. Reflecting on the reasons for nuclearization and de-nuclearization.

Week 10: Insurgency: an alternative to the state?
Introduction to failed states, insurgency and counter-insurgency. Discussion on its policy implications.

Week 11: Conflict mediation. Which room for manoeuvre?
Introduction to conflict mediation. Outlining of the conditions favouring a process and the primary mechanisms involved.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
EssayFinal essay: 3,000 words (not inclusive of bibliography).70%n/a
In Class TestIn-class test30%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • Robert Jackson and Georg Sorensen: 2007, Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches, 3, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
  • Mark Beeson and Nick Bisley: 2013, Issues in 21st Century World Politics, 2, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke,
Other Resources

None
Programme or List of Programmes
IRBA in International Relations
IRNBA in International Relations
IRYABA in International Relations (Exchange)
Date of Last Revision27-SEP-11
Archives:

My DCU | Loop | Disclaimer | Privacy Statement