Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL1045: International Politics of the Global South

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

1) To introduce students to the historical construction and evolution of the Global South in international politics

2) To critically discuss theories of International Relations (IR) that pay particular attention to the Global South as well as non-Western contributions to IR

3) To identify key features of foreign policy, security and regionalism in the Global South, as well as the Global South’s impact on the global governance

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 Skills1. Demonstrate a contextualised understanding of the historical evolution of the Global South in international politics as well as the key contemporary features of foreign policy, security, regionalism and global governance in/from these areas;
2. Demonstrate the capacity to critically situate and engage with IR theories that deal with the Global South, originating from both the Global South itself and the Western mainstream/core of the discipline;
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Find, use and analyse secondary and primary data relevant to specific issues in politics and IR;
4. Place contemporary political issues in larger contexts;
5. Deploy critical arguments in analysing political issues and evaluating sources;
Personal and Key Skills6. Work independently and in a group, including the presentation of material for group discussion;
7. Demonstrate analytical skills and the ability to digest, select and organise material;
8. Demonstrate writing skills including the ability to produce well organised and coherent essays to a deadline, practice in articulating and defending positions on tutorial topics.

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:

  • Colonialism, decolonisation and postcolonial state- and nation-building
  • The ‘Third World’ and non-alignment during the Cold War
  • (Under)development, ‘developing countries’ (G-77) and foreign aid
  • Post-Cold War and neoliberal globalisation
  • IR theories: structuralism/dependency/international political economy (IPE), subaltern realism, postcolonial and decolonial theories
  • Foreign policies of ‘dependent’/’weak’/’peripheral’ states of the Global South
  • Security: violent conflicts and intervention, representations of failed states
  • Regionalism in the Global South and South-South cooperation
  • The impact of the Global South on global governance: economic governance, climate change
  • Global migration governance and South-North relations

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
26.5123.50

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities16.511 x 1.5-hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities1010 x 1-hour seminars
Guided independent study50Reading for seminars
Guided independent study50Completion of coursework
Guided independent study23.5Exam revision

Online Resources

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

ELE