Module SGIA3511: POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3511: POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• This module aims to familiarize students with the theoretical foundations of political psychology and how they apply to the study of international relations.
• The module focuses on the role of human decision-makers as the point of intersection between material and ideational factors in IR, addressing the influence on and of individuals, the dynamics of small and large groups, as well as phenomena associated with intergroup behavior.
• By the end of the module, students should have gained an appreciation for a range of alternative theoretical explanations of how actors formulate and implement policy in the international arena, facilitating a more nuanced understanding of practical political skills including crisis management, diplomacy and conflict resolution. Furthermore, the module enables students to critically evaluate leading scholarship in political psychology and its counterpart in practitioner commentaries.

Content

• This module offers an in-depth theoretical and empirical understanding of political psychology in international relations, locating the study of human actors within broader conceptual and analytical debates in IR.
• Students on this module benefit from an exploration of lesser known concepts and how they relate to grand theories such as Realism and Constructivism, but students are also empowered to apply those concepts through real-world case studies and critiquing contemporary news commentaries.
• In addition, the module provides students with a set of analytical tools for understanding historical as well as unfolding events, as well as traditional and new constraints faced by players in the international realm.
• The module aims to foster the development of transferable skills by combining familiar themes such as war, peace, prosperity and justice in ways that are relevant to both scholarly and practitioner debates.

Learning Outcomes

• Students are expected to acquire subject-specific knowledge of:
• Major theoretical approaches to the study of political psychology
• Major methodological considerations for the study of individuals and groups in international relations
• Major debates within academic and practitioner circles
• The multifaceted nature of human rationality, cognition and behavior
• The imprecise and counterintuitive nature of policy implementation .

• Students are expected to acquire the following subject-specific skills:
• The ability to apply and critique relevant theories and conceptual frameworks within the study of political psychology and international relations
• The ability to recognize, analyze and account for the ‘human factor’ within specific case studies
• The ability to conduct independent source searches
• The ability to develop and support explanatory arguments by interpreting empirical data at an advanced level
• The ability to collate and evaluate competing theoretical and empirical explanation for specific events

• Students are expected to develop the following key skills:
• The ability to pursue independent learning within a defined framework of study
• The ability to demonstrate independent critique and analysis of existing scholarship related to the subject area
• The ability to seek out and use relevant data sources
• The ability to work to a deadline and complete written work within specified word limits
• Advanced essay-writing skills
• The ability to condense and convey important information in the form of a coherent policy brief
• Advanced presentation skills

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

• The teaching and assessment methods of the module are intended to provide the framework for a synthesis of political psychology and international relations while promoting the required subject-specific and key skills.
• The module is taught through 13 one-hour lectures and 12 one-hour seminars to cover the wide range of theoretical and empirical issues related to political psychology and international relations.
• The weekly lecture introduces students to conceptual models for understanding human cognition and their application to relevant case studies in 21st-Century International Relations. The lecture provides a framework for understanding the weekly topic and serves as a guide for students’ readings and preparation ahead of their seminars.
• In the seminars, students have the opportunity to discuss and reflect upon some of the issues raised in the lectures in more detail.
• Students are required to submit one summative essay, in which they will be expected to write a 3000-word literature review and critique of related conceptual sources on political psychology. A list of appropriate texts will be included in the syllabus. This assignment ensures that students are well versed in the theoretical literature and the assignment is intended to enhance their skills in critical analysis.
• Students will also be required to prepare a 2000-word policy brief as a summative assignment and make short graded presentations on their projects, outlining a key policy problem and potential options to a hypothetical decision-maker. This method is aimed at helping students develop their critical analysis and independent thinking beyond the readings and develop transferable skills.
• Formative assignment: students will submit a 500-word problematique for their summative essays before week six (reading week) of Michelmas term in order to receive guidance, as well as a 500-word plan for their policy briefs before week 12 (reading week) of Epiphany term. This enables students to receive credit for all of their work throughout the year but with the leeway to be proactive in seeking an assessment of their progress ahead of the deadline.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Submit a 500-word problematique for the summative essays, as well as a 500-word plan for their policy briefs

■ 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