FSS:EUP403 International Relations - Course Information

EUP403 International Relations

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 14 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

PhDr. Pavel Pšeja, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. RNDr. Nikola Hynek, M.A., PgDip Res (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Veronika Gábová

Timetable

Tue 14:00–15:40 U43

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• European Politics (Eng.) (programme FSS, N-PL)

Course objectives (in Czech)

In the first part of the course students are introduced to the most important concepts and issues in the discipline of International Relations. This part ensures that students have a basic understanding of the major actors in world politics and of the nature of the international system. The second part of the course deals with the major theories and theoretical debates in the field. The course covers both mainstream approaches in International Relations (such as realism, neorealism and liberal theories) and newer theoretical agendas (such as constructivism, feminism and postmodernism). Students will be invited to discuss the different theories strengths and weaknesses. Particular emphasis is put on detecting the methodological and normative assumptions on which the various ways of theorizing international relations rest.

Syllabus (in Czech)

• Part I: Concepts and Important Issues in the Discipline of International Relations (IR) Week 1. IR as a Science - nature of IR, definitions of the subject, developments in IR Week 2. The International System and the Actors in IR - states, non-state actors, etc. Week 3. Power and Conflict - explanation of basic notions of IR Week 4. Geopolitics Part II: Rival Theories of IR Week 5. Realism and Neorealism Week 6. Liberal theories Week 7. Pluralism, Complex Interdependence, and Neoliberal Institutionalism Week 8. Applications of Game Theory and Rational Choice in Foreign Policy Analysis Week 9. Neomarxism and World Systems Analysis Week 10. Constructivism in IR Week 11. Feminism in IR Week 12. Poststructuralism in IR

Assessment methods (in Czech)

1. Students are expected to read the required reading(s) for each seminar. If there are two or three shorter required readings rather than one long, students are expected to read all of them. The optional reading is only for those who have special interest in the topic. 2. Students are encouraged to actively participate in the seminars by posing questions of clarification or bringing up problems for discussion. 3. Students are expected to write six short position papers (300-600 words each) on six different seminar topics. The papers should include a summary of the main points of the required reading(s), a critique of these readings, questions of clarification, and possible questions for discussion. Students may be invited to present their paper(s) in class to stimulate discussion. To enable the organization of the in-class discussion, papers must have three clearly identified sections: 1) a summary section entitled "Summary"; 2) a critique section entitled "Critique"; 3) a section containing questions for discussion entitled "Questions". Papers that do not have this structure and contain different points scattered throughout the text will be rejected and will not count towards the students grade. 4. There will be a final in-class written exam, consisting of six questions based on the required readings and the discussions in class.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2007, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2007/EUP403