Module SGIA2131: International Theory

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA2131: International Theory

Prerequisites

• Any Level 1 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The module aims to give students detailed and specific knowledge about contemporary international relations theory and to develop students' critical engagement with theory and the wider implications of such theories for the contested nature of the subject's boundaries. The module contributes to students' wider understanding of theoretical, conceptual and methodological matters in the study of politics and international politics.

Content

• Concepts, theories and illustrative discussion of:
• What constitutes the disciplined study of international politics;
• The major debates of International Relations;
• International Political Theory;
• Methodological considerations;
• Normative theory.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically assess key debates and theories in International Relations, including both explanatory and normative perspectives.
• Evaluate the relevance of core approaches to theorising international political phenomena across diverse contexts.
• Develop critical understanding of theorising central dynamics in the international order and understandings of power.

• Analyse and evaluate major theoretical disputes and their methodological underpinnings in the field of International Relations.
• Develop and justify research questions relevant to international theory.

• Communicate complex ideas and arguments clearly and persuasively in written formats tailored to appropriate audiences.
• Engage critically with their own approach to learning through informal and formal feedback.

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

• Teaching and learning are delivered through digital learning platforms, lectures, and seminars.
• Digital learning platforms, such as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), provide materials (e.g. podcasts, videos, images, text) that introduce themes and central ideas to be further explored in the classroom.
• Lectures provide for the delivery of subject specific knowledge and enable staff to highlight key areas of dispute in the field,. They are also opportunities for students to engage with collaborative and flipped learning where they receive informal feedback from peers and staff that allows students to reflect on their learning.
• Seminars enable students to analyse and assess theories and concepts from the module through discussion-based learning. They also allow students to communicate complex ideas and receive feedback from peers and staff.
• Formative assessment is via a 1,500 word written assignment that allows students to critically assess key theories and concepts from the module, communicate complex ideas and arguments to appropriate audiences, and critically engage with their own learning through formal feedback.
• The first summative assessment is via a 1,500-word written assignment that asks students to creatively and critically engage with the theories and concepts from the module. This assignment requires students to put essential readings from the module in creative dialogue with real world events and/or experiences. This assignment will ask students to critically assess and evaluate the relevance of key theories in IR, develop and justify research questions, communicate complex ideas to specific audiences, and reflect on their own learning. The second summative assessment is a 1,500-word written assignment that asks students to analyse and evaluate major disputes in the field, critically assess IR theories and concepts, and communicate complex ideas.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 1500 written assignment

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.