Module POL2020 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2020: Contemporary Theories of World Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module provides an introduction to, and critical examination of, contemporary theoretical approaches to world politics. The study of conceptual frameworks in International Relations (IR) is important for how it can enhance our understanding of the dynamics of politics, including why and how the political world takes its existing forms. Theory is also the centre of gravity in the field of IR, providing points of collaboration and contestation between scholars on the nature of international political enquiry. On completion of this module, you will have a good understanding of the origins and development of IR as an academic discipline, the way in which theory has shaped this development, and the world-historical events that prompted the development of the theory and the subject itself. The method of the course is broadly contextualist and analytical, inviting you to think about the context of theory development as well as the ways in which theories ‘make sense’ internally and in relation to one another. This module will give you a solid grounding in IR and be of value to all related modules at level 2 and level 3.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of IR theory 2. show knowledge of contemporary issues in international politics 3. articulate your own ethical and political positions on questions of international politics |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. critically analyse both empirical and theoretical material in international politics 5. deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies in international politics 6. engage in the critique of theoretical arguments in international politics |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. construct reasoned argument 8. communicate effectively in speech and writing 9. work independently and with peers to achieve common goals 10. use ICT appropriately 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 precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
1. Theorizing international relations
2. National interests
3. Bounded rationality
4. Global economic factors
5. Identities
6. Identities (2)
7. Discourses
8. Colonial legacy
9. Gender
10. IR theories today: a fragmented field
11. Conclusions
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour tutorials |
| Guided Independent study | 123.5 | A variety of private study tasks directed by module leader and seminar tutors. These tasks may include:- Reading and note-taking in preparation for class (60 hours); Preparation for and completion of examination (40 hours); Essay preparation (conducting research, writing the finished product) (23.5 hours) |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quizzes | Approximately 45mins (for whole cohort) | 1-11 | Verbal comments |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 67 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 67 | 1 hour and 30 minutes | 1-10 | Mark and short written comments on request |
| Essay | 33 | 1,500 words | 1-10 | Written comments |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination (1 hour and 30 minutes) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (1,500 words) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Core:
Dunne, T., Kurki, M., and Smith, S. (eds.), International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Recommended:
Baldwin, D. (ed) Neorealism and Neoliberalism: The Contemporary Debate (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993).
Brown, C. and Ainley, K., Understanding International Relations (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
Carlsnaes, W., Risse, T., and Simmons, B. A. (eds.), Handbook of International Relations (London: Sage, 2002).
Brown, C., Nardin, T., and Rengger, N. J. (eds.), International Relations in Political Thought (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002)
Carr, E. H., The Twenty Years’ Crisis, 1919-1939 (Houndmills: Palgrave, 2001 [1939])
Enloe, C., Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989).
Hasenclever, A., Mayer, P., and Rittberger, V., Theories of International Regimes (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).
Hollis, M., and Smith, S., Explaining and Understanding International Relations (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990).
Keohane, R. O., After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984).
Keohane, R. (ed), Neorealism and its Critics (New York: Columbia University Press, 1986).
Morgenthau, H. J., Politics Among Nations: The Struggles for Power and Peace (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993).
Roach, S., Critical Theory and International Relations: A Reader (Abingdon: Routledge, 2006).
Waltz, K., Theory of International Politics (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1979).
Wendt, A., Social Theory of International Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999).
