Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3248: Marxism(s) and International Relations

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The module aims to introduce you to Marxist approaches to International Relations. In so doing it will encourage you to consider: theoretical approaches to IR; the relation between capitalism, imperialism, and western hegemony; the role of the state system in global capitalism; the association between globalising capitalism, gendered forms of labour, and concepts of modernity; and the impact of capitalist globalisation on anti-capitalist resistance.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Critically interrogate the relation between states, the global capitalist economy, and anti-capitalist resistance. 2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theoretical debates between Marxism and other approaches to IR.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Critically reflect on key elements of debates regarding concepts of the state, tendencies of capital accumulation, class, imperialism, and revolution. 4. Display awareness of a range of conceptual frameworks to understand the complex relation between the state system, world politics, and the global capitalist economy.
Personal and Key Skills	5. Critically interrogate complex and abstract ideas 6. Reflect on contemporary issues of world politics through the lens of theoretical approaches. 7. Study independently and manage time and assessment deadlines effectively. 8. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through tutorial discussions and module assessments. 9. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases and other IT resources for the purposes of tutorial and assessment preparation. 10. Demonstrate effective academic writing. 11. Demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

globalising capital and the new international division of labour;
a new imperialism?;
conceptualising hegemony;
the state system and the global circuits of capital;
capitalist globalisation and ‘modernity’;
challenging top-down perspectives: social reproduction in a global context;
the ‘international’ in the 21^st century.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities	22	11 x 2-hour seminars
Guided Independent Study	50	Private study reading and preparing for seminars
Guided Independent Study	78	Preparation for essay and exam including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).