Module SGIA2261: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATONS

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA2261: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATONS

Prerequisites

• Any Level 1 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The module will give students a systematic introduction to international organisations in international relations, and the external impact of key international organisations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organisation, NATO, ASEAN, OPEC/OAPEC, and the Arab League, etc.
• Students will gain an understanding of dynamic nature of global governance with a special emphasis on the dynamics of the global international environment.
• The module is particularly focused on enabling students to apply key theoretical concepts that pertain to the role, function and assessment of a variety of international organisations in international relations.

Content

• The module aims to lay the foundations for a systematic understanding of the increasingly complex network of international organisations in the contemporary global environment.
• It introduces key concepts and theories related to the institutional framework of international relations, such as functionalism, institutionalism, regionalism, constructivism, global and multi-level governance.
• The emphasis of the module lies in an analysis of global governance as well as the regional institutional integration processes as substantiated in, for example, the European Union, ASEAN and Arab League and major functional international organisations such as, for example, the United Nations, NATO, the IMF and World Bank.
• The module will familiarise students with the internal structural dynamics of these organisations through the analysis of key actors and decision-making processes.
• The analysis of the institutional framework will be placed in the context of past and present political, economic, social and environmental global challenges and the dichotomy between globalisation and the revival of the nation state.

Learning Outcomes

• Through the module students will gain an understanding of:
• Historical trends in the development of the existing global institutional frameworks;
• Internal and external dynamics of international organisations in the context of a constantly evolving global environment;
• The value of theoretical approaches for the academic analysis of regional and functional institutional integration;
• An awareness of major global challenges related to institutional integration in areas such as economic development and competition for resources, security, development, human rights and environmental sustainability.

• Students will also develop some subject specific skills, such as:
• Identifying and analysing subject-related literature, including primary material such as reports and statistics;
• Being able to identify and engage with conceptualisations and/or theorisations of major elements of international relations, particularly in relation to institution-building;
• Utilising a range of resources, including primary sources;
• Beginning to develop a self-critical approach to independent learning.

• Students will also develop some important key skills, suitable for underpinning study at this and subsequent levels, such as:
• Retrieving and using competently and confidently resources to which they have been directed.
• Identifying resources on their own initiative and assessing their suitability and quality for the project in hand
• Planning and completing a range of academic exercises, including written assignments and group exercises;
• Effective oral and written communication of research findings;
• Developing strategies of independent learning and evaluating their own progress.

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

• The module includes a mixture of teaching and learning activities, including 16 one-hour lectures, and 9 one-hour small-group seminars which will occasionally consist of group exercises. Lectures provide an established basis for the delivery of core knowledge on the subject and encouraging self-directed research and learning. They also offer an opportunity for staff to highlight the ways in which academic analysis should be developed. Small group seminars provide an environment in which students can debate and discuss theories, concepts and issues in order to help them assess the merits of various positions. Group exercises provide students with an innovative learning environment, where they can develop their organisational and communication skills. They will also allow students to achieve an understanding of the internal dynamics of international organisations by engaging as participants in intra-institutional bargaining.
• Summative assessment will be by means of a 2,500-word essay due during Epiphany term and a 2-hour unseen written examination in May/June. Students will be tested for their subject-specific knowledge in relation to the learning outcomes and the departmental assessment criteria.
• Formative assessment is by a 1,500-word essay due during Michaelmas term. It gives students an opportunity to practice the written communication of the knowledge they obtain during the course and prepare for the summative essay assignment. It also provides feedback on their level of success in achieving the learning outcomes of the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 1500 word essay to be submitted during Michaelmas Term.

■ 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