Module SGIA3431: IDEAS AND POWER: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3431: IDEAS AND POWER: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The aim of this module is to build on students’ previous engagement with lower level international relations theory modules, providing them with an advanced understanding of causal factors in international relations.
• This module will engage with a diverse set of scholars within international relations theory and use empirical examples to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Content

• This module explores how we can use materialist and ideational theories to understand phenomena in the international system.
• Beginning with an overview of causation in the social sciences, the class proceeds to examine two oppositional explanatory vehicles in international relations, material versus ideational causation, and structure versus agency.
• It will then proceed to explore particular ideational structures that allegedly have causal effects in the international system, such as trust, legitimacy, and hypocrisy.
• It concludes by looking at how the recent ‘practice turn’ might affect the study of ideational structures in international relations.
• All topics will have associated case studies that will be delivered in the proceeding lecture to ground the theory in empirical material.

Learning Outcomes

• Through the module, students should acquire subject specific knowledge of:
• Theories of causation in international relations.
• The debates over the relationship between agency and structure in international relations.
• Materialist theories of international relations and their implications for the study of IR.
• Ideational (meta)theories of international relations, such as social constructivism.
• The strengths and weaknesses of understanding international relations through particular ideational structures, such as legitimacy, trust, and hypocrisy.
• How these ideational structures can contribute to our understanding of larger social phenomena, such as security communities.
• What the ‘practice turn’ in international relations helps us to understand about the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of norms in the international system.
• The historical detail of the case studies used to illustrate the implications of the theory.

• Through the module, students should also further develop subject specific skills, enabling them to:
• Identify the primary causal elements that appear within international relations theory and demonstrate how these concepts help scholars to understand a diverse set of phenomena in the international sphere.
• Differentiate between material and ideational structures to analyse specific instances of international change or consistency.
• Differentiate between the concepts of agency and structure to analyse specific instances of international change or consistency.
• Make an informed judgment concerning what causal factors might better help to understand a particular research question than others.

• During the module, students will demonstrate and further develop important key skills. They should be able to:
• Demonstrate a range of knowledge of several theories and to show critical understanding of methodological issues in theory
• Retrieve and utilise a wide range of information using their own initiative
• Critically assess, describe and defend a personal viewpoint
• Plan and complete written and other assignments on-time and in appropriate formats
• Demonstrate analytical skills which will establish and defend an intellectual position in response to essay and exam questions, showing engagement with and evaluation of theoretical and conceptual material

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching and learning in this module occurs through a combination of lectures and seminars throughout both terms. With the exception of the first few weeks, which cover core concepts in the module such as causation in the social sciences, agency and structure, and material versus ideational explanatory variables, each lecture will alternate between delivering theoretical perspectives and historical case studies. The purpose of the lectures is to present the major arguments on each theoretical topic or to give the students a background in the case studies that we will use to illustrate the theories.
• Seminars will be used to provide a framework for subsequent debate, analysis and discussion. They will offer an opportunity to consider the particular problems of knowledge and interpretation within international relations, and the difficulties of determining which causal factors are important to reach particular analytical conclusions. They will be scheduled so that students have already had both the theory and case study lectures of the topic at hand. Seminars are student-led and responsive to the needs and interests of students involved, ensuring that they have both the opportunity to and responsibility for shaping their learning.
• Formative assessment is by 1,500-word essay. This offers students an opportunity to explore their initial thought on the module content through a familiar writing exercise.
• Summative assessment is by essay and exam. The questions for the essays will be set to ensure that the students apply theoretical perspectives to empirical case studies. They will be connected to teaching sessions and associated reading lists, but will require in-depth engagement that will typically require reading beyond that identified in module lists. The aim of the exam is to test the students on their comparative knowledge of theoretical approaches, and will involve questions focussed on the differences between them.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 1,500 word essay

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University