Theories of International Relations

Description

This course seeks to ground undergraduate PIA students in the so-called “root discourses” of International Relations (IR) – the field’s most important theories and concepts – analysing how they relate one to another and how they illuminate contemporary real-world issues and problems.  Students will learn to use the theories critically to analyse and explain international trends and events.  The subject matter will include the global economy, wars and terrorism, the transboundary flow of ideas and images through the media, the impact of globalization on governance, how state identities shape foreign policies, and more.  Students will attend the instructor’s class lectures; take part in discussions; sit for a quiz; and write a term paper using IR theory to analyse an important global problem, including submitting an outline in advance and meeting the instructor to discuss it.