University of Essex

GV214-5-AU-CO:
International Relations: Theories and Approaches

The details

Year: 2023/24

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 05 October 2023

End date: Friday 15 December 2023

Credits: 15

Last updated: 19 May 2022

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): GV312, GV517

Key module for

BA L900 International Development,
BA L901 International Development (Including Year Abroad),
BA L902 International Development (Including Placement Year),
BA L921 International Development (Including Foundation Year),
BA L250 International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA L258 International Relations,
BA L259 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L260 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL268 International Relations,
MPOLL269 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL370 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LR59 International Relations and Modern Languages (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA LRF9 International Relations and Modern Languages,
BA L903 Global Studies,
BA L904 Global Studies (including year abroad),
BA L905 Global Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA L908 Global Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L225 Politics and International Relations,
BA L226 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L227 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
BSC L222 Politics and International Relations,
BSC L223 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BSC L224 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL234 Politics and International Relations,
MPOLL235 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL236 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L910 Global Studies with Politics,
BA L911 Global Studies with Politics (Including year abroad),
BA L912 Global Studies with Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA L913 Global Studies with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA R110 International Relations and Language Studies,
BA R111 International Relations and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L215 Politics with Business,
BA L216 Politics with Business (Including Placement Year),
BA L217 Politics with Business (including Year Abroad),
BSC LL25 Politics with Business,
BSC LL26 Politics with Business (Including Placement Year),
BSC LL27 Politics with Business (including Year Abroad),
BSC LL20 Politics with Data Science,
BSC LL21 Politics with Data Science,
BSC LL22 Politics with Data Science,
BA L620 Politics with Criminology,
BA L621 Politics with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L622 Politics with Criminology (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the study of international relations (IR). Topics covered will include interstate and civil wars, intervention and peacekeeping, international institutions, international trade, international finance, income inequality, and human rights.

Module aims

The course will introduce participants to analysing actors, interactions, and institutions.

Module learning outcomes

Students will gain knowledge of major theories of international relations, learn about the empirical approaches to study interactions among states and between states and non-state actors, and explore dilemmas policy-makers face in interacting with domestic and international audiences.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be taught over 2 hours per week

Bibliography

Frieden, J.A., Lake, D.A. and Schultz, K.A. (2019b) World politics: interests, interactions, institutions. Fourth edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/1129625.
Reiter, D. (2003) ‘Exploring the Bargaining Model of War’, Perspective on Politics, 1(1), pp. 27–43. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592703000033.
Dafoe, A. and Caughey, D. (2016) ‘Honor and War’, World Politics, 68(2), pp. 341–381. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043887115000416.
Doyle, M. (no date) ‘Liberalism and World Politics.’ Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1960861.
Sebastian Rosato, author (2003) ‘The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory’, The American Political Science, 97(4), pp. 585–602. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3593025?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
Leeds, B.A. (2003a) ‘Alliance Reliability in Times of War: Explaining State Decisions to Violate Treaties’, International Organization, 57(4), pp. 801–827. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818303574057.
Leeds, B.A. (2003b) ‘Do Alliances Deter Aggression? The Influence of Military Alliances on the Initiation of Militarized Interstate Disputes’, American Journal of Political Science, 47(3), pp. 427–439. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5907.00031.
Fearon, J.D. and Laitin, D.D. (2003) ‘Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War’, American Political Science Review, 97(1), pp. 75–90. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055403000534.
Cederman, L.-E., Gleditsch, K.S. and Buhaug, H. (2013) ‘From Horizontal Inequality to Civil War via Grievances’, in Inequality, grievances, and civil war. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 30–54. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139084161.005.
Autesserre, S. (2019) ‘The Crisis of Peacekeeping: Why the UN Can’t End Wars’, Foreign Affairs [Preprint], (January/February). Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=133503992&site=ehost-live.
Hultman, L., Kathman, J. and Shannon, M. (2013) ‘United Nations Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection in Civil War’, American Journal of Political Science, pp. 875–891. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12036.
Oatley, T.H. (2019) International political economy: international student edition. Sixth edition. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Ltd. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5583350.
Alstadsæter, A., Johannesen, N. and Zucman, G. (2018) ‘Who owns the wealth in tax havens? Macro evidence and implications for global inequality’, Journal of Public Economics, 162, pp. 89–100. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.01.008.
Milanovic, B. (2016) Global inequality: a new approach for the age of globalization. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvjghwk4.
Hafner-Burton, E.M. and Tsutsui, K. (2005) ‘Human Rights in a Globalizing World: The Paradox of Empty Promises’, American Journal of Sociology, 110(5), pp. 1373–1411. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1086/428442.
Fariss, C.J. (2014) ‘Respect for Human Rights has Improved Over Time: Modeling the Changing Standard of Accountability’, American Political Science Review, 108(2), pp. 297–318. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055414000070.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Moodle Quizzes	36%
Coursework	Essay	64%
Coursework	2022-23 ONLY IF REQUIRED BY EXAM BOARD

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Saurabh Pant, email: sp20266@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr. Saurabh Pant

Contact details: Module Supervisor: Saurabh Pant - (sp20266@essex.ac.uk) / Module Administrator: Jasini Hobbs - govquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Max Gallop

Institution: University of Strathclyde

Academic role: Senior Lecturer

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 46 hours, 46 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Government

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV214-5-AU-CO:International Relations: Theories and Approaches