Classical Political Theory & International Relations

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module will introduce you to the primary texts of authors such as Hobbes, Kant, Machiavelli, Marx, Mill, Thucydides, Vitoria and others who are commonly cited as precursors of contemporary international thought. It asks what relevance these authors have had for the establishment of International Relations as a discipline, and how far they can be used to analyse contemporary international politics. Finally, the module demonstrates how classical authors can also be read to provide a radical critique of contemporary international thought and practice.

Europe 1900-45

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module focuses on the development of essential study skills such as textual analysis, note-taking, the planning and writing of essays and summaries. You will normally work with texts written in (one of) your foreign language(s).

France 1900-45

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module develops and extends the ideas and themes introduced in the module History and Culture in the 20th Century. Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in the target language, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which the country whose language you study has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation).

French 1A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

You will consolidate and progress your knowledge of grammar. Improved grammatical accuracy, oral and written fluency, lexis, and listening and reading comprehension are achieved through the study of a variety of topics and integrated grammar. You will also gain insight into the culture and society of your chosen country.

French 1B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

You will acquire advanced knowledge of grammar and improve grammatical accuracy, oral and written fluency, lexis, and listening and reading comprehension through the study of a variety of topics and integrated grammar. There is an emphasis on the summarising and handling of authentic texts. You will also study the literature, culture, society and politics of France.

Introduction to International Relations

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module introduces you to the academic study of international relations. The module outlines the specific characteristics of International Relations (IR) as a distinct scholarly discipline, separate from other disciplines such as politics or sociology. The module considers what has defined IR as a discipline and what constitutes its core conceptual and methodological coordinates at the present time. The module approaches these questions through a consideration of the historical development of IR through a series of conceptual and methodological debates. Classically these debates are conceived of as tracing a path from idealism via realism to a pluralist methodological position. Understanding these debates, the circumstances that have given rise to them, and the methods they have generated will give you a good orientation in the disciplinary terrain of IR that will help them in contextualising the ideas they will encounter in the international theory courses in Years 1 and 2.

The Rise of the Modern International Order

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

Today we take it for granted that the peoples and governments of the world are linked in a single international system. Yet it was only during 'the long 19th century' that, for the first time in history, a truly 'world' politics began to emerge. This module examines how this came about by reviewing some major events and process of international history in the period from 1789 to 1914.

It begins with the international impact of the French revolution and the industrial revolution, and moves on to the formation of nation-states in Europe and outside. It analyses the role played by Great Britain in organising the Victorian international system, as well as the occupation of the non-European world by European imperialism. Finally, the module reflects upon the combination of factors that caused this 'long 19th century' to end in the carnage of the Great War. At the same time, by looking at some of the major controversies that historians have had about how to understand these events, the module also raises key questions about the nature of historical knowledge itself.

The Short Twentieth Century and Beyond

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

Few periods in history have been more tumultuous than the 20th century, racked almost from start to finish by wars, revolutions and global ideological conflicts. In the same period, however, the international system also developed new mechanisms of stability and international organisation - the League of Nations and the United Nations, the 'Bretton Woods' institutions and, increasingly, European integration. This module reviews some major international events and processes of 'the short 20th century' (1914-1989), focusing on this theme of order and disorder in international history.

French For Bilinguals A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This is an entry-level module in translation theory and practice. You will submit a fortnightly translation. Weekly, you will work with a tutor on a pre-distributed text and derive a translation in class. Focused attention is given to the problematics of translation, eg basic theories and strategies available, difficulties of untranslatability, cultural/linguistic matters, and the register/genre/style demands of translation. Working is in both directions, eg theme and version. In addition to exploring the relationships between, eg accuracy, fluency and appropriacy in translation, the teaching prepares you for more comparative translation, oral-aural working, and commentary activities in French Translation Theory and Practice 1B.

French For Bilinguals B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

You submit a fortnightly translation prepared at home during the spring term. Weekly, you work with a tutor on a pre-distributed text and derive a translation in class. Focused attention is given to the problems of translation, eg basic theories and strategies available, the difficulties of untranslatability, cultural/linguistic matters, and the register/genre/style demands of translation. Working is in both directions, ie theme and version. In addition to exploring the relationships between accuracy, fluency and appropriacy in translation, the teaching focuses particularly on comparative translation, oral-aural working (ie basic interpreting), and commentary activities.

Contemporary International Theory

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module examines the role this tradition plays in the development of contemporary international theory (post-1945) and the establishment of orthodoxy. Major approaches and debates in the discipline will be examined and evaluated, and placed in the more general context of what is problematic about developing cumulative knowledge of social relations. Varieties of realism, liberalism and the English school approach will be considered as well as more recent critical engagements coming from Marxism, feminism, constructivism, postmodernism and globalism.

France 1945-date

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in French, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which France has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation). The module will allow you to progress towards independent study.

French 2A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Your knowledge of syntax will be revised and progressed and active knowledge of lexis increased. Speaking, listening, reading and written skills will be raised to a higher level through the study of authentic texts taken from a variety of media. The study of relevant current affairs will be an important element of the module.

French 2B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Your knowledge of syntax and lexis will continue to be enhanced alongside the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Practical aspects of living, studying and working abroad will be covered, including history, geography, politics, society, culture and literature.

Introduction to International Political Economy

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The intensity and scope of the relationship between politics and economics has become a central element of international relations. This module offers a distinctive perspective in terms of which traditional issues of international relations - such as war, trade, integration and international society - can be studied. It considers the central theoretical traditions of international political economy: liberalism, realism, Marxism, neo-institutionalism, and critical theory. It then applies these diverse theoretical traditions in an analysis of the evolution of the state system from the 16th to the 20th century, paying particular attention to the relationship between class and state power, on the one hand, and the capitalist world economy, on the other.

Development and the State

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module is concerned with the role of the state in development. It considers this subject matter  theoretically - that is, by exploring debates in state theory, and on the relationship between the state and development - empirically, by investigating a range of historical and contemporary state forms and the impacts of these state forms on processes of development, and normatively, by posing questions about what the nature and role of the state should ideally be.

The module examines the main theoretical approaches to the state and historical state forms and their attendant development experiences, in the north and in the post-colonial south. Finally, the module moves to development since the 1980s, exploring the impacts of state failure, neo-liberalism, democratisation and global governance on state forms and patterns of development.

Europe 1945-date

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module provides you with an overview of important historical and cultural developments in the second part of the 20th century, focussing on the period from the 1940s through to the present day. Movements and trends in the political, historical and social area and their impact on the arts and literature are addressed in the lectures. For all these topics, various national settings (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) are examined and discussed. The lecture series seeks to establish a comparative perspective on the relevant issues.

Globalisation and Global Governance

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module complements International Political Economy I by applying a holistic, political and economic approach to an analysis of the changing character of the contemporary world. It examines the emergence and subsequent decline of the multilateral system and the rise of globalisation, especially the nature of global institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the G8 meetings.

  You will also cover the rise of a global offshore financial system and delve deeper into the changing nature of state, firm and society in the age of globalisation. The module examines the changing character of the development project, from decolonialisation and the decline of the formal empires to the emergence of the third world and the contemporary debates concerning the nature of development, economic growth, human welfare and the environment.

Language and Nation

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Following a short introduction, the module falls into two parts. The first looks at how we discover the links between Language, Thought and Nation, and try to identify and analyse covert as well as overt associations between these. Who are the guardians and gatekeepers of our 'native' languages, and what are the pressures to have English in England, French in France but Castillian in Spain and Post-Florentine in Italy? Are some languages more equal than others, conferring more status to their users? And why do languages still change despite 'Academies'? The second part looks at instances of how expressions of the relationship between a nation and its language emerge as various literary and other genres (with particular reference to the novel), and how these feed back into the collective identity (with particular reference to representations in the cinema of various countries).

Security and Insecurity in Global Politics

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Security is central to the issue agenda of international relations. Traditionally security has been understood to comprise the question of the protection of sovereign territory through armed force. Security has thus examined issues such as arms races, war, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Traditionally these issues were addressed through a realist lens that regarded the state and its survival as the central conceptual maxims. However, contemporary scholarship concerning security has broadened this agenda considerably. New sources of insecurity have emerged outside the traditional state form, as can be seen in the rise of issues such as terrorism as well as wider 'complex emergencies' on the international security agenda. Moreover, the conceptual lenses for examining these questions of (in)security have also multiplied, giving rise to new referent objects of security and a wider security agenda encompassing issues such as identity, genocide, and the environment. This module introduces you to the broad issue agenda that shapes the contemporary study of (in)security. Each week it will focus on a different issue that defines the agenda of international security.

The Politics of Foreign Policy

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Europe Mandatory Year Abroad - Modern Languages

120 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 3

French 3A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

The two hours per week classroom contact throughout this 25-week module are devoted, on the one hand, to oral and interpreting work and, on the other, to translation and composition. There is therefore an emphasis upon oral proficiency, both in everyday conversation and in more formal contexts, such as presentations and mediation between speakers of French and English. There is a similar emphasis upon written proficiency, whether writing French 'freely' within the framework of a discursive essay, translating from English into French or, indeed, from French into English. Roughly equal contact time is devoted to these three written skills and the same weighting is accorded to each of them in assessments.

French 3B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Capitalism and Geopolitics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This multi-disciplinary module is designed to examine the relations between capitalism and geopolitics and how their interaction has shaped different political communities and world orders from the 17th century up to the 21st century. It explores the major theoretical traditions and debates, old and new, on the nexus between capitalism and geopolitics and combines these theoretical perspectives with in-depth interrogations of the historical material the key events, processes, actors that shaped this turbulent international history of war and peace, crises and revolutions, conquest and exploitation.

You critically re-examine the origins and co-development of the terms capitalism and geopolitics as real historical phenomena and associated discourses, 
You examine their interrelation across various historical periods and diverse theoretical registers. 

The first part of the module starts with an overview of the three classical traditions that have most centrally informed this discourse: the writings of Max Weber and Otto Hintze that assert the primacy of military competition for geopolitical orders and that have - since the mid-1980s inspired a Neo-Weberian turn in Historical Sociology and IR; the works of Fernand Braudel and Immanuel Wallerstein updated and extended by neo-Gramscian IR Theory - that stress the rise of commercial exchange and the construction of successive world hegemonies; and the ideas of Karl Marx that, although short on specific arguments on geopolitics, have more recently led to intense debates within the Neo-Marxist literature on how to conceptualise capitalist social relations and class conflict in their effects on inter-state conflict and co-operation across the centuries.

Against this theoretical setting, the second part of the module examines sequentially a number of different historical geopolitical orders dynastic-absolutist, 19th century British hegemony, imperialist, fascist, liberal and contemporary and the transitions between them on the basis of divergent and contested interpretations deriving from the three classical traditions. The aim is to provide a set of theoretically-informed and empirically-controlled analyses of the ways in which capitalism and geopolitics have shaped each other and constituted varieties of territorial orders in historical perspective.

Capitalism and Geopolitics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This multi-disciplinary module is designed to examine the relations between capitalism and geopolitics and how their interaction has shaped different political communities and world orders from the 17th century up to the 21st century. It explores the major theoretical traditions and debates, old and new, on the nexus between capitalism and geopolitics and combines these theoretical perspectives with in-depth interrogations of the historical material the key events, processes, actors that shaped this turbulent international history of war and peace, crises and revolutions, conquest and exploitation.

You critically re-examine the origins and co-development of the terms capitalism and geopolitics as real historical phenomena and associated discourses, 
You examine their interrelation across various historical periods and diverse theoretical registers. 

The first part of the module starts with an overview of the three classical traditions that have most centrally informed this discourse: the writings of Max Weber and Otto Hintze that assert the primacy of military competition for geopolitical orders and that have - since the mid-1980s inspired a Neo-Weberian turn in Historical Sociology and IR; the works of Fernand Braudel and Immanuel Wallerstein updated and extended by neo-Gramscian IR Theory - that stress the rise of commercial exchange and the construction of successive world hegemonies; and the ideas of Karl Marx that, although short on specific arguments on geopolitics, have more recently led to intense debates within the Neo-Marxist literature on how to conceptualise capitalist social relations and class conflict in their effects on inter-state conflict and co-operation across the centuries.

Against this theoretical setting, the second part of the module examines sequentially a number of different historical geopolitical orders dynastic-absolutist, 19th century British hegemony, imperialist, fascist, liberal and contemporary and the transitions between them on the basis of divergent and contested interpretations deriving from the three classical traditions. The aim is to provide a set of theoretically-informed and empirically-controlled analyses of the ways in which capitalism and geopolitics have shaped each other and constituted varieties of territorial orders in historical perspective.

Conflict and Military Intervention: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This seminar analyses what might loosely be called the "new security environment" and its impacts on international relations. During the term, we will undertake a theoretical and, more crucially, policy relevant analysis of the security threats that have led to a growing incidence of inter-state and intra-state conflict in spite of the hopes engendered by a post-Cold War 'New World (Dis)Order'. We will examine for the most part the causal factors, dynamics and domestic as well as international efforts at managing and resolving through political, diplomatic and military efforts intra-state conflicts. Beyond examining the relevant theoretical concepts and viewpoints, we will also explore their propositions within the framework of case studies from a variety of conflict areas. The main focus will be on the relationship between international politics and the employment of soft and hard power in order to resolve such security threats. Particular emphasis will be given to the problems and challenges stemming from the growing trend of humanitarian/military intervention in international politics. Furthermore, the conduct of the 'Global War on Terror' and its implications for international security will be examined in detail.

You are required to be conversant with major international relations theories and have a good grasp of contemporary international history and events in order to make the most of this dissertation option. These two areas will enable you to then explore in detail the theories that specifically relate to conflict and the case studies that relate to the contemporary post-9/11 security trends, many of which had been in fact developing since the end of the Cold War.
The main emphasis of this module is to explain and understand conflict and its resolution from an empirical, pragmatic and policy-oriented (rather that reflectivist and philosophical) perspective. Intensive study will be required as many of the empirical and theoretical approaches that will be explored will be new to most students in any case. 

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO (World Trade Organisation) to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Development and Geopolitics in East Asia: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

The aim of this module is for you to understand the rise of East Asia through examining the interconnections between regional development and geopolitical contestation in the Cold War and contemporary eras. You will adopt an historical approach, beginning with an examination of the legacies of European and Japanese imperialism in East Asia and an analysis of the establishment of post-war US hegemony in the region and its implications for subsequent economic development.

You will examine the divergent experiences of Northeast and Southeast Asia and the rise of China. We then explore the implications of the decline of Cold War geopolitical rivalry and the rise of 'globalisation' and its role in explaining subsequent trends such as the East Asian financial crisis, East Asian regionalism and the changing nature of US-China relations. Within this historical context, you will examine varying analytical frameworks and debates concerning late development, such as neoclassical versus structural institutionalism, Marxist vs. dependency theories, international/regional vs. domestic factors, etc. You will examine such theories critically, both in terms of their analytical purchase and their origins and role in geopolitical rivalry itself.

Environment and Development in World Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

The question of whether current forms of economic and political organisation in international society are capable of responding to the challenge of sustainable development is more pertinent than ever before. Questions are being asked about how development can be redefined to accommodate ecological challenges or whether we need to fundamentally rethink notions of growth and progress. This module takes a critical look at the actors and issues implicated in the emerging global debate on sustainable development. It engages with competing theoretical perspectives about the drivers of environmental change and how best to explain the nature of international cooperation on the environment and its limits, but also aims to provide you with a detailed understanding of the defining issues and tensions that constitute the struggle to define future notions of development.

The module will address empirical case studies such as climate change, biodiversity and biotechnology and deforestation as well as the relationship between trade and the environment, finance and the environment and production and the environment in a context of globalisation. You will gain an understanding of the key actors in these debates from governments and international institutions to civil society organisations and corporations and the ways their power and influence can best be understood.

The module begins with an overview of the shifting nature of the relationship between environment and development in world politics before looking at the key actors in global debates about sustainable development. From there it sets out a range of theoretical tools for understanding the global politics of these issues before focussing in on a range of issue areas, those listed above. It concludes with reflection on prospects for change and the viability of alternative proposals for better addressing the environment and development in world politics

Environment and Development in World Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

The question of whether current forms of economic and political organisation in international society are capable of responding to the challenge of sustainable development is more pertinent than ever before. Questions are being asked about how development can be redefined to accommodate ecological challenges or whether we need to fundamentally rethink notions of growth and progress. This module takes a critical look at the actors and issues implicated in the emerging global debate on sustainable development. It engages with competing theoretical perspectives about the drivers of environmental change and how best to explain the nature of international cooperation on the environment and its limits, but also aims to provide you with a detailed understanding of the defining issues and tensions that constitute the struggle to define future notions of development.

The module will address empirical case studies such as climate change, biodiversity and biotechnology and deforestation as well as the relationship between trade and the environment, finance and the environment and production and the environment in a context of globalisation. You will gain an understanding of the key actors in these debates from governments and international institutions to civil society organisations and corporations and the ways their power and influence can best be understood.

The module begins with an overview of the shifting nature of the relationship between environment and development in world politics before looking at the key actors in global debates about sustainable development. From there it sets out a range of theoretical tools for understanding the global politics of these issues before focussing in on a range of issue areas, those listed above. It concludes with reflection on prospects for change and the viability of alternative proposals for better addressing the environment and development in world politics

Ethics in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

Finance and Power

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module considers the globalisation of finance and the structure of the power relations that drive it. You will examine the ways in which global finance is constructed on the basis of power struggles, and how financialisation empowers certain actors over others. The module begins by examining various forms of financial systems and their social ramifications. You will then examine how the process of globalisation affects the evolution of these financial systems and the social struggles over the direction of change. The module addresses the impacts of financialisation on the project of development, the convergence of various economic systems, and the formulation of progressive politics. Finally you will consider the regulation of finance and the various challenges it raises for political authorities and social forces.

Finance and Power: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module considers the globalisation of finance and the structure of the power relations that drive it. You will examine the ways in which global finance is constructed on the basis of power struggles, and how financialisation empowers certain actors over others. The module begins by examining various forms of financial systems and their social ramifications. You will then examine how the process of globalisation affects the evolution of these financial systems and the social struggles over the direction of change. The module addresses the impacts of financialisation on the project of development, the convergence of various economic systems, and the formulation of progressive politics. Finally you will consider the regulation of finance and the various challenges it raises for political authorities and social forces.

 

 

French Special Subject 1

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module, delivered in French to all single-honours and joint-major students studying French as part of their degree, will address some key works by two of the most significant writers in 20th-century French literature, namely Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone deBeauvoir. The texts themselves may vary from year to year, but they will normally include at least one notable exemplar of the theatre, prose fiction, biography and/or autobiography, and the discursive or polemical essay (whether literary, political, philosophical or sociological in theme). A prime focus of analysis will be the manner in which this famous existentialist couple transposed their lived experience – and, to an extent, their own relationship – into a plethora of literary forms.

French Special Subject 2

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Genres in European Literature

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This weekly lecture plus fortnightly seminar module, delivered in English to all Single Honours linguists (one or two languages) will consider key genres or styles in 20th-century European prose literature. These will vary from year to year, but will typically include some of the following: the novel and narrative theory, the short story, women's writing, biography, autobiography, fantasy, juvenilia and writing about youth. Equally, the authors and works selected for study (in English translation) will vary, but will normally include at least one prominent writer in each of the four European languages offered at this level, namely French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Global Resistance: Subjects and Practices: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Law in International Relations: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module provides a historical overview of the political context and development of international law, an introduction to the most important theoretical issues arising out of the relationship of international politics and law, and a discussion of the relevance and meaning of recent changes in international law. Finally, it introduces you to three important areas and their respective institutions and issues: public international law, the International Court of Justice and issues of sovereignty and intervention; private international law, the World Trade Organisation, and issues of property; criminal international law, the International Criminal Court and tribunals, and issues of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Life, Power and Resistance: Critical Perspectives on the Post-Westphalian Era

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Political discourses of globalisation make implicit claims about the weakening of the state and the evolution, if not outright demise, of the 'Westphalian System'. This module interrogates claims about the arrival of a post-Westphalian era and its transformation of the realms of war, politics and ethics. It critically examines the specific legal, institutional and subjective manifestations of this post-Westphalian era in contemporary world politics, such the international Human Rights regime, the emphasis on democratisation and the evolution of humanitarian intervention. The module ends by examining a number of theoretical perspectives on power and resistance in a global era.

 

Marxism and International Relations

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module enables you to engage systematically with the Marxist tradition of theorising about international relations. It provides an introduction to Marx’s own thought, using selections from primary texts, and then examines how later Marxist writers have applied and developed these ideas across a range of themes in international studies, including imperialism, the Cold War, international political economy and globalisation theory.

Marxism and International Relations: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module enables you to engage systematically with the Marxist tradition of theorising about international relations. It provides an introduction to Marx’s own thought, using selections from primary texts, and then examines how later Marxist writers have applied and developed these ideas across a range of themes in international studies, including imperialism, the Cold War, international political economy and globalisation theory.

Mercenaries, Gangs and Terrorists: Private Security in International Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

Modern Languages Dissertation

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module is available as an option both to single-honours and joint-major modern linguists. It provides the opportunity to conduct a self-assigned piece of research and to write it up in the target language, as an alternative to working in English in "Genres" (R9033). Each student will be allocated a supervisor in the relevant language, with whom s/he will agree the topic of her/his research and the title of the dissertation. However, that research will be essentially self-directed under the light-touch guidance of the supervisor, provided initially through shared workshops and, later on, through one-to-one tutorials. The student will be required to produce two excerpts of work in progress, at mutually agreed points in TB1, so that the supervisor can check that s/he is on the right lines and offer helpful formative feedback. For illustrative purposes, research topics might include: modern French authors, especially Sartre and the existentialists; post-war German literature; cinema adaptations of European literary works; Golden Age Spanish drama.

Political Economy of the Environment: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Religions in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

During this module you will explore the implications of the 'return' of religions, both for world politics and for thinking about international relations. Many sociologists and philosophers have interpreted this return as 'the end of modernity' or the 'de-secularisation of the world'. You will primarily focus on the renewed centrality of religious identities as strategic frames of reference for politics in the post-Cold War world. Against the background of the growing multicultural nature of contemporary international society resulting from what Hedley Bull has aptly termed the 'revolt against the West', the module will encourage you to, firstly, problematise the implicit and predominant reading of religion in international relations as the ultimate threat to international order and stability (especially in the forms of the identity politics of the 'new wars' and the terrorist attacks of religious fundamentalists), secondly, to engage critically with Huntington's thesis of the 'clash of civilisations' and thirdly to discuss the implications of this 'return' for the future of foreign policy and the normative structure and world order of contemporary international society.

Religions in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

During this module you will explore the implications of the 'return' of religions, both for world politics and for thinking about international relations. Many sociologists and philosophers have interpreted this return as 'the end of modernity' or the 'de-secularisation of the world'. You will primarily focus on the renewed centrality of religious identities as strategic frames of reference for politics in the post-Cold War world. Against the background of the growing multicultural nature of contemporary international society resulting from what Hedley Bull has aptly termed the 'revolt against the West', the module will encourage you to, firstly, problematise the implicit and predominant reading of religion in international relations as the ultimate threat to international order and stability (especially in the forms of the identity politics of the 'new wars' and the terrorist attacks of religious fundamentalists), secondly, to engage critically with Huntington's thesis of the 'clash of civilisations' and thirdly to discuss the implications of this 'return' for the future of foreign policy and the normative structure and world order of contemporary international society.

Russia and the Former Soviet Union in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module explores the international politics of post-Soviet Russia and the former Soviet space.  After a period of relative decline in the 1990s, Russia has more recently been described as a "rising Great Power" and developments in the CIS have returned to the news - from "gas wars" to the conflict between Russia and Georgia, and from the "democratic revolutions" in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan to the apparent erosion of democracy in Russia. 

These developments have implications for Western Europe and beyond, touching on traditional and contemporary security issues, and shedding light on the implications of Western democracy promotion and the role of norms and identity in contemporary global politics. 

This module will investigate the background for - and current development of - international relations in the region. You will look in detail at Russia's status as Great Power; the "colour revolutions" in Ukraine and Georgia; NATO and the US in the former Soviet space; the question of Europe's "energy security" and its relations with Russia; and what has been called the "new Great Game" between Russia, China and the US in Central Asia. In doing this, it will introduce relevant theoretical concepts related to foreign policy analysis and constructivist explanations of the role of norms and identity in the international politics of Russia and the FSU.

Russia and the Former Soviet Union in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module explores the international politics of post-Soviet Russia and the former Soviet space. After a period of relative decline in the 1990s, Russia has more recently been described as 'rising Great Power' and developments in the CIS have returned to the news - from 'gas wars' to the conflict between Russia and Georgia, from the 'democratic revolutions' in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan to the apparent erosion of democracy in Russia and talk of a "new Cold War" between Russia and the West.

These are developments with implications for Western Europe and beyond, touching on traditional and new security issues alike, and shedding light on the implications of Western democracy promotion and the role of norms and identity in contemporary global politics.

The module will investigate the background for and current development of international relations in the region - in particular Russia's status as great power, the 'colour revolutions' in Ukraine and Georgia and the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia, NATO and the US in the former Soviet space, the question of Europe's 'energy security' and its relations with Russia, and what has been called the 'new Great Game' between Russia, China and the US in Central Asia. In doing this, it will introduce relevant theoretical concepts related to foreign policy analysis and constructivist explanations of the role of norms and identity in the international politics of Russia and the FSU.

Sex and Death in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

The Arms Trade in International Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

The Political Economy of Latin American Development: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module provides a long-term historical account and analysis of Latin America's formation and integration into the modern world system.  You will investigate patterns of growth and distribution of wealth over different periods of time and between countries.  In particular, the course investigates how these patterns have influenced and have been shaped by three interrelated factors - domestic social structures, state formation and integration to the evolving world system. 

Key issues covered include: the Iberian political economic lethargy; attempts at constructing cohesive state structures and state-led economic development; the influence of rural and urban social movements on the politico-economic structures of different countries; responses to globalisation, including the attempt at creating blocs across the region; and a discussion of the extent to which the current 'pink tide' (or red wave)constitutes a realistic alternative political-economic trajectory for the mass of the continent's population. 

 

The Politics of International Trade: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module aims to equip you with an understanding of the international trade system and the theoretical traditions that have helped to shape it. It will begin by examining the core theories around trade and trade liberalisation, particularly those of liberalism, economic nationalism and neo-Marxism and other critical approaches, in order to explore different understandings of the relationship between trade and development. The empirical section of the module will start by examining the creation of the post-WWII trade regime centered on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its evolution to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995. Core elements of, and controversies within, the global trade system will be scrutinised and situated within this historical context. These will include the fragmentation of the trade system engendered by regional trade agreements, the increasing role of emerging powers, including China, India and Brazil, and the impact of the trade system on developing countries. The module will also examine the contentious treatment of agriculture within the WTO and analyse the debates concerning ethical trade, gender and trade and the enviornment. Drawing on all of the above and integrated throughout the module, the module will evaluate and elucidate the current round of WTO trade negotiations - the Doha Development Agenda - with the aim of understanding why it has stalled and to consider the future prospects for a more equitable trading system.

The Politics of Terror

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module addresses the relationship between fear, security and identity in international politics. Typically, security is taken to defend already existing identities such as the national interest or the integrity of the environment. However, during this module you will explore the argument that security constitutes identity in relation to fear. That is to say, rather than simply defending extant entities, discourses of security produce novel identities. These identities are produced in relation to perceived fears. The question thus becomes how are fears constituted and what identities are secured against such perceived threats?

The module will begin with an examination of the nature of fear and identity in international politics. The remainder of the module will comprise an examination of the broadened security agenda of the post-Cold war era. The purpose of this examination will be to show the multiple ways in which fear is mobilised and the manifold identities thus produced. The consequences of such fears and identities will be examined in relation to cases such as ethnic nationalist conflict.

The Politics of Terror

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module offers an advanced level introduction to terrorism and political violence in modern societies. Through attention to case studies, academic literatures and original sources the module focuses on:

- the conceptual and analytical challenges of defining and understanding terrorism and political violence 
- terror as a political instrument
- the relationship between state and non-state terror
- the historical development of terrorism and counterterrorism
- the organisational, ideological and strategic dynamics of terrorist organisations
- the policy dilemmas faced and principle methodologies employed by democratic and other states in countering terrorism
- the role of media, mass communication and 'public dismodule' in political violence

The module is divided into two sections. The first, studying terrorism: historical and conceptual issues, offers a thematic exploration of terrorism considering its historical development in modern societies; relation to other forms of organised violence; some of the animating ideas historically associated with the use of terror for political purposes; the phenomenon of 'suicide terrorism' and the ideas, organisations and practices used by states in their efforts to counter terrorism. The second section, cases and contexts, situates terrorism and political violence within the changing context of state power, international and global politics, exploring the historical and contemporary relations between them. We conclude  by surveying the origins and contemporary character of al-Qaeda type terrorism and how states have sought to counter it.

The United States in the World

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

As the 21st century begins, the United States is still the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that reach the entire globe. To understand the place and power of the US in the contemporary world, it is vital to understand how its geopolitical strategies function, militarily and economically. Yet because US power is also secured through cultural and discursive strategies, it is equally important to analyse how US cultural/discursive products and processes participate in the construction of the US in all the varied ways it imagines itself. The aim of this module is to analyse how US cultural/discursive strategies participate in imagining the US in the world, either by being embedded within traditional geopolitical strategies or by sitting alongside them. Rather than taking an historical approach, the module is organised around specific theoretical and cultural/discursive themes and practices. These include architectural theory and the building of embassies abroad, design theory and designing the nation through everyday objects, film theory and screening the nation through popular film, remediation theory and virtually remediating the nation, entertainmentality theory and exhibiting the nation in museums, performance/performativity theory and re-enacting the nation though historical re-enactments as well as song, and advertising theory and advertising the nation to US citizens. Along the way, significant foreign and domestic policy debates from Cold War politics to the War on Terror to the US domestic War on illegal immigration will be considered through political, cultural, and discursive theories (eg Said's notion of orientalism, Foucault's notion of governmentality, Butler's notion of performativity, and Ranciere's notion of the birth of the nation).

The United States in the World: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

As the 21st century begins, the United States is still the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that reach the entire globe. To understand the place and power of the US in the contemporary world, it is vital to understand how its geopolitical strategies function, militarily and economically. Yet because US power is also secured through cultural and discursive strategies, it is equally important to analyse how US cultural/discursive products and processes participate in the construction of the US in all the varied ways it imagines itself. The aim of this module is to analyse how US cultural/discursive strategies participate in imagining the US in the world, either by being embedded within traditional geopolitical strategies or by sitting alongside them. Rather than taking an historical approach, the module is organised around specific theoretical and cultural/discursive themes and practices. These include architectural theory and the building of embassies abroad, design theory and designing the nation through everyday objects, film theory and screening the nation through popular film, remediation theory and virtually remediating the nation, entertainmentality theory and exhibiting the nation in museums, performance/performativity theory and re-enacting the nation though historical re-enactments as well as song, and advertising theory and advertising the nation to US citizens. Along the way, significant foreign and domestic policy debates from Cold War politics to the War on Terror to the US domestic War on Illegal Immigration will be considered through political, cultural, and discursive theories (eg Said's notion of orientalism, Foucault's notion of governmentality, Butler's notion of performativity, and Ranciere's notion of the birth of the nation).

What is War

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

You will gain an advanced understanding of the place of war in the political world. What is war and how, if at all, is it different from other forms of violence? What is the relationship between war and politics? We will ask what war is and then investigate its relation to the fields of ethics, gender, sexuality, and culture. You will then use this knowledge to investigate specific forms of warfare, including genocide as a war of annihilation, insurgency/guerrilla warfare, and counterinsurgency. We conclude by addressing anti-war activism and related forms of civil disobedience as alternatives to war. You are provided with an advanced knowledge and analytical skills that will help you to think, talk, and write in an informed and critical manner about war.

What is War: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

You will gain an advanced understanding of the place of war in the political world. What is war and how, if at all, is it different from other forms of violence? What is the relationship between war and politics? We will ask what war is and then investigate its relation to the fields of ethics, gender, sexuality, and culture. You will then use this knowledge to investigate specific forms of warfare, including genocide as a war of annihilation, insurgency/guerrilla warfare, and counterinsurgency. We conclude by addressing anti-war activism and related forms of civil disobedience as alternatives to war. You are provided with an advanced knowledge and analytical skills that will help you to think, talk, and write in an informed and critical manner about war.