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Unit of study_
GOVT6137: Forces of Change in Int Relations
2024 unit information
This unit introduces students to some of the most important contemporary structural changes in the global political economy and power structure with special attention to non-state actors (including corporate ones) and global civil society. The unit begins with an outline of the dominant modes of thinking about international political and economic relations, surveys some of the main theoretical schools and then examines global politics and political economy in terms of those events and forces that have been or are capable of precipitating major change. The historical focus will be principally on the role of war (including the so-called War on Terror), globalisation, power shifts and ideological innovation (including American unilateralism and Islamic fundamentalism) in the post Cold War period. The new agenda of international politics will be explored in a theoretical perspective - including the climate change emergency and the issue of effective global governance; the struggle for global social and economic justice, and the global prospects of democracy. The unit is designed as an advanced introduction to international relations for students pursuing postgraduate studies.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Arts and Social Sciences
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Government and International Relations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of world politics, particularly the ideas, pressures and constraints contributing to dynamism
- LO2. critically examine public and academic discourse and identify the assumptions behind it, and behind students’ own worldview
- LO3. situate current events within the larger flow of history
- LO4. engage in critical discussion and debate with respect for, and a desire to understand, other points of view
- LO5. find and evaluate comprehensive relevant material
- LO6. communicate effectively and coherently, formally and informally, in discussion and in writing.
Unit availability
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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