BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics

To help you understand the world in which we live in today, this module provides asolid grounding in the study of international affairs through the varying theories thathave been developed throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries. Through discussingthese theories, we also examine how they have informed the international systemand the institutions and practices that operate within it. A skills specific session willbe incorporated in this module.

Theory is an important tool in understanding why and how we act whether it be as an individual or a group. This module encourages us to think about the different ways in which we have attempted tounderstand the relationship between the human, state and society. All too often our understandingof these theories are driven by Western political thought. Whilst an essential component, thismodule will also explore non- Western thoughts on this relationship in an attempt to gain a greaterunderstanding of humans and the world in which we live in. A skills specific session will beincorporated in this module.

In order to understand how the state engages with other actors at the internationallevel it is essential to understand how the state functions. It is driven both by theory and practical examples. This module examines the various political models and howthey operate in practice. How does China, for example, operate in the spacebetween authoritarian rule and democracy? Does China's political model offerstability and an example for other states to follow? Can a state lose its democraticidentity as well as gain one? These are all the kinds of questions that arise whencomparing different political systems, states and societies with each other. It alsoexamines the different components to what makes a state or informs a state's culturesuch as political parties and the media. A skills specific session will be incorporatedin this module.

The aim of this module is to provide you with the necessary skills and tools toanalyse academic research on international relations and politics. A skills specificsession will be incorporated in this module.

By providing you with an understanding on how you can engage with the world, thismodule helps encourage your political development. It is not the purpose of themodule to tell you what to believe in but it is responsible for showing you how youcan advocate your political positions. This module brings in activists, experts andscholars to discuss how they are involved in politics in order to give you a groundingof the different ways in which you can engage with your own politics. A skills specificsession will be incorporated in this module.

The state in international affairs is an essential component to the study ofInternational Relations. This module will guide you through its development inEurope from the 17th Century to the present day. We will explore how the stateoperated during this period, and question why it has been so resilient an entity forhuman organisation. We will also examine the impact of the end of the Cold Waralong with subsequent thinking have led to significant changes in how the state andits power are understood by the international community. A skills specific session willbe incorporated in this module.

In the first year of your UG degree you examined the different theories that areapplied in International Relations, and how they were developed. Whilst we touchedon how these theories formed and how they disputed each other, this module goesinto the controversies in further detail. Structured around the 'Great Debates', thismodule provides greater insight into the theories that help inform our understandingof the world.

This module provides students the opportunity to develop an in-depth understandingof a particular topic in IR and Politics, and enables them to develop the necessaryresearch skills in preparation for their L6 dissertation.

Module will focus on a particular region of the world based on what is of particularinterest in the year of delivery, and contingent on the research expertise of theinstructor.

This module introduces students to the history of sub-Saharan Africa under colonialrule. It is important to emphasise that this is not simply a module about Europeancolonialism. We must indeed understand the agendas and policies of Europeancolonial states in Africa. But it is equally important to understand the character ofAfrican responses to those agendas, and the ways in which African 'agency' shapedthe outcomes of colonial interventions in African societies on the ground. Colonialismwas made by Africans at least as much as it was made by Europeans. This moduleuses a blend of political, social and economic history approaches to understand theway colonial Africa was shaped by these interactions between coloniser andcolonised. It also addresses the history of decolonisation in the continent andanalyses the differing processes by which independence was achieved across thecontinent, playing particular attention to the wars of liberation fought in the territoriesof white settlement in southern Africa right up to the end of apartheid in 1994.

This module explores politics and popular culture as a sub-field that articulates theways in which politics is understood through popular culture. It demonstrates howtheory as a means of making sense of the world impacts upon the everyday.

The module will explore the roles and relations of international organisations througha thematic approach. This will allow students to engage with key organisationsfocussing on broader themes of international politics, such as aid and development,health, security and the environment. This approach will allow students to engagewith core debates and explore the roles of a multitude of organisations.

This module is designed with the understanding that our extant historical knowledge(which is implicitly Eurocentric) needs to be globalised. It means that non-westernhistory should be better weighted and given due attention rather than seen as apassive receiver of western impacts. So it emphasises a lot on the multiplicity ofactors in the making of Chinese history and more importantly, their connections andcomplex relationships.

The dissertation is an independent research project. Working under the directsupervision of a research-active member of staff, you will produce an extended pieceof original independent research, which will draw upon the latest developments inyour field and demonstrate your in-depth knowledge. It will further enhance keytransferable skills developed from the L5 Research Paper in IR and Politics, such asproject management, effective research skills, effective communication, criticalanalysis and high-level evaluation of data as well as professional time-management.

The module is designed to provide a comprehension of contemporary world affairs, and the role played by international law in the resolution of contemporary conflicts and disputes, as well as the challenges faced by international law in the modern geopolitical climate.

This modules studies interplay between development and IR. It will also encouragethe students to take a critical look at the pragmatic issues in global governance.

This module provides a critical reflection on the application of democracy promotionby successive US governments, and questions whether democracy promotion asemployed by the US delivers democracy.

The role played by the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace andsecurity is both an interesting and controversial issue. In light of much recentinternational conflict, the module is very topical and likely to evolve constantly withchanges in the international political climate. The module adopts an interdisciplinaryapproach, considering not only the legal rules which govern UN activity, but also theimpact of political factors upon the work of the UN. The module is likely to be ofspecial appeal to those with interests in international affairs, politics or history.

This module uses research-led teaching to build students' understandings oforganised political violence, specifically war, genocide, and terrorism. It situatespolitical violence along a continuum that blurs the boundaries between discreteforms, and invites students to make sense of violence in historical and politicalcontexts. It will provide students an opportunity to present their learning in the finalassessment through the use of podcasts.