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The course provides students with an introduction in International Relations (IR) and allows better understanding of the IR framework, concepts, context and substantive issues. It underlines the European perspectives and the role of the European Union in the IR.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONInternational Relations are introduced in different contexts: theoretical schools and their concepts, international organizations and institutions and their activities, diplomacy and negotiation, interdependence and globalization, feminist perspectives, psychology in international conflicts. Special space is reserved for the substantive issues: foreign policy, security cooperation, nationalism and ethnicity, international finance, international trade, international development, regional integration, international environment, human rights, international law, international cooperation in areas of health, labor, telecommunications, intellectual property, disarmament. The role of European Union in the International Relations and the Transatlantic Agenda are explained more deeply. Where appropriate, an economic explanation of the international relations elements and their grounds is given.LEARNING OBJECTIVESThe course provides students with an introduction in International Relations (IR) and allows better understanding of the IR framework, their concepts, context and substantive issues. It underlines the European perspectives and the role of the European Union in the IR. The perspective of several different countries and their role in the IR is a subject of students´ research and presentations, while the origin and nationality of students participating in the course is taken into account.
COURSE MATERIALMain: Goldstein, J.S. and Pevehouse, J.C., International Relations Eighth Edition, 2008-2009 Update.Supplementary: Carlsnaes, W., T. Risse, and B.A. Simmons, Handbook of International Relations.Hill, C., and Smith, M., International Relations and the EU.
COURSE FORMATThe course will be conducted in the form of lectures (2 hours per week) and seminars (2 hours per week). The course also includes students presentations and discussion to them.CLASS PARTICIPATIONClass participation is an important element in the learning process. Active participation is expected. Mid-term and final tests (an essay) are based on lectures and on the discussion during seminars. Students are graded on their contribution to class discussion, presentations and on the test and the essay results. Voluntary inputs are strongly encouraged.PRESENTATIONStudents are expected to prepare a presentation focused on the role of the different states in international relations in the past or in the present or a presentation focused on details, developments and current stage on any issue of international relations. ATTENDANCE Attendance of students is expected. Unexcused repeated absences will adversely affect one’s course grade. STUDENT EVALUATIONCourse grade will be determined on the basis of the following: presentation (25%), class attendance and active discussion (20%), mid-term test (25%), final essay (30%).COURSE SCHEDULE and CONTENTWEEK 1: Introduction into IR. Definition of international relations, history, development of theories, different concepts of international relations, norms and ethics, linkages of the theories to evidence in international relations; globalization: how and in which fields the global tendencies influence international relations; how it differs from increasing interdependence among states and nations (interconnectedness in trade, finance, investment, capital flows, human mobility, exchange of information, telecommunication, etc.). Importance of geography in IR.
WEEK 2: Realism in IR: realists ground, power politics, elements of power, matherial power, soft power, how to measure power, bargaining: strategies of negotiations – reciprocity, deterrence, compellence, escalation, arm race. Military power, military alliances. Influence of the history on IR.
WEEK 3: Alternatives to power politics: Liberalism, feminism, constructivism. Gender in international relations. Diplomacy, bargaining and negotiations in international relations and in international organizations, role of culture, symmetry/asymmetry, side-effects, mediation and multilateral negotiations, negotiations dynamics, prisoners dilemma.
WEEK 4: International organizations and institutions, UN structure, Security Council, other activities of the UN organizations and of the UN specialized agencies, impacts of these organizations´ activities on the international relations and domestic policies, UN diplomacy.
WEEK 5: Human rights: definition, universal norms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, violation of human rights (political, economic, cultural, ideological and psychological explanations of the grounds and causes), the UN - Human Rights Council. Students presentations.
WEEK 6: International Law: Compliance of international relations and international law (compliance with international treaties, with international court decisions), domestic linkages,definition, characteristics, principles, various approaches in IR theory, law of war x law in war, treaties, enforcement, war crimes, International Court of Justice, International Law Commisstion, Students presentations.
WEEK 7: Students presentations. Midterm test.
WEEK 8: International Trade: development of the multilateral trading system, impacts of the international trade policy rules on the domestic policy, resolution of trade disputes, protectionism versus liberalisms, problems faced by developing and least-developed countries in world trade. Students presentations.
WEEK 9: International finance: retrospective and perspective overview of critical thinking, international monetary system development since the Second World War, state behavior (money and power), financial globalization (causes and consequences for states). Role of FDI in developing countries. Students presentations.
WEEK 10: Foreign policy: does it belong to international relations?, trends an perspectives of wars and peace, peacemaking and conflict resolution, definition of security, problems in security cooperation, international activities in security and disarmament. Students presentations.
WEEK 11: International development: dependence, interdependence, transnationalism, role of the state in development, role of international organizations, financing development, food aid, technical assistance for developing countries. Students presentations.
WEEK 12: Essay
WEEK 13: Transatlantic agenda: the EU and USA relations, development, the future of the transatlantic relations. Regional integration: regionalism and globalism. Final evaluation.
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