Module POL2106 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2106: America in the World
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of this module are to provide you with a detailed examination of US foreign policy. A key emphasis of the module will be to enrich contemporary understandings of international crises and global security through the use of a range of theoretical approaches, keen use of empirical material and solid reasoning. Through taking this module and fully participating in it, you will leave with a grasp of key debates in US foreign policy and knowledge of potential global strategic trends based on historical evidence and analysis of current developments in global politics.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate good knowledge of key issues in international security as they pertain to US foreign policy and develop the capacity to apply this knowledge to a range of theoretical positions, case studies and international crises; 2. display knowledge of the contemporary historical dimensions of US foreign policy and world order; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. develop analytical understanding of the role of great powers, especially the US in helping shape world politics; 4. exercise informed judgment concerning the role of the US in world politics and how this role pertains to international security whilst locating arguments within an historical context; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. conduct independent research, exercise critical judgment, write cogently and persuasively; 6. demonstrate personal responsibility for knowledge interpretation, assimilation and articulation. 7. 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 break down as follows:
- The first section of this module will provide a broad historical overview of the development of US foreign policy from the early Cold War period up to the present day.
- The second section of this module will examine a broad range of issues that pertain to US foreign policy, and which help the analyst to develop applicable knowledge of key developments in US foreign policy including the role of ideology, the rise of non-Western powers, changes in US grand strategy and the viability of the liberal international order.
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 and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hours per week |
| Guided Independent Study | 128 | Reading for seminars (75 hours), reflection and planning for seminars (25 hours), Exam revision + learning consolidation (28 hours). |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
