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Unit of study_
GOVT6147: Foundations of International Relations
2025 unit information
Why do states behave the way they do? Using a historical perspective, this unit explores the ways in which the different theories of international relations account for what shapes the international system - who are its main actors, what are its determining forces and structures. It examines both how these theories have vied with one another within inter-paradigm debates and how they developed in relation to specific historical events. These theories include realism, idealism, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, Marxism, the English school, constructivism, poststructuralism, feminism, post-colonial approaches. While no prior study of international relations is required, a willingness to engage with theoretical thinking and grapple with complex questions of ontology and epistemology is essential.
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 sound basis of knowledge of the different theoretical approaches that define the field of International Relations (IR) and of their founding concepts; with a view to being able to subsequently apply these to its other issue-areas.
- LO2. Demonstrate the ability to apprehend contemporary international issues through theoretical lenses and to understand, discuss, and explore the relations between theory and practice in the study of international relations.
- LO3. Engage in critical analysis of the contending approaches through which international issues are understood in order to differentiate between academic and polemical writing/reporting.
- LO4. Demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection so that the assumptions underpinning the study of IR can be effectively scrutinized.
Unit availability
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