GOVT6147: Semester 1, 2023

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Units GOVT6147 Semester 1 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

GOVT6147: Foundations of International Relations

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

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

Unit code	GOVT6147
Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Keshab Giri, keshab.giri@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Georgette Matthews, georgette.matthews@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Essay Critical comparative essay	45%	Formal exam period Due date: 08 Jun 2023 at 23:59	3,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Tutorial participation Participation	10%	Ongoing	In class throughout the semester
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	First Essay Critical comparative essay	45%	Week 08 Due date: 20 Apr 2023 at 23:59	3,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

1st Essay

The first essay is 2,000 words in length and is due on Friday 29 April by 11:59pm. It must be submitted online via the Canvas site for this unit of study. It is designed to fulfil the following requirements:

To test your ability to think analytically and critically about the theoretical approaches covered in weeks 2-8.
To test your ability to reach a conclusion about which ones you think are (1) most analytically accurate; and (2) most ideologically appealing.

2nd Essay

The second essay is 4,000 words in length and is due on Monday 6 June by 11:59pm. It is designed to fulfil the following requirements:

To test your ability to think analytically and critically about the major theoretical issues and perspectives studied throughout the unit of study.
To test your ability to research around a chosen topic and pursue new arguments, identify new material, and provide evidence as a result of research in the library and elsewhere.

Tutorial Participation

You will be allotted a participation mark, worth ten percent of the overall assessment. The key to a good tutorial is informed debate and discussion – not only discussion between the tutor and students, but above all between students themselves. Fruitful discussion cannot occur if everyone is not adequately prepared and willing to engage in conversation. Because tutorial participation is such a fundamental part of the learning process (and indeed of university experience more generally), it is part of the overall assessment.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard. Below 50 is a fail.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Realism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Liberalism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Marxism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Constructivism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Post-Structuralism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Feminism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Gender and IR	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Non-Western IR	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Decolonizing IR	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Race and IR	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Just War Tradition and IR	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Concluding Thoughts: What Have We Learned about the Nature and Value of Theory in IR?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Lectures will be recorded and made available to students on Canvas. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend at least three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Required Readings

Textbook

This course uses one core textbook:

Dunne, Tim, Kurki, Milja and Steve Smith eds. (2021), International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Additional Required Readings

There are also some additional required readings each week. These are available from the library and via a link from the Canvas site. Alternatively, you can purchase them as a hardcopy reader from KopyStop, which is located at 55 Mountain Street, Broadway (shop 3, ground level). You can go there to buy the reader. Alternatively, you can phone them on 9211 2733 or email print@kopystop.com.au to arrange your reader to be sent at an additional cost by express post or courier.

Recommended Readings

There are some additional recommended readings each week. You do not have to read them, but they are suggested as possible further readings should you be interested. The textbook also has recommended further reading at the end of each chapter. Please also consider reading beyond the required and recommended, readings. This is key to gaining fluency in IR theory. There are of course other textbooks you might like to consult for alternative explanations as well. These two are highly recommended:

Devetak, Richard, George, Jim and Sarah Percy (2017), An Introduction to International Relations, 3rd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Baylis, John, Smith, Steve and Patricia Owens (2020), The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 8th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Students have often said that there are too many written assessments due at the same time. To some extent this is inevitable - e.g. an essay cannot be due in week three! Therefore, I have structured the assessments so that the first essay is due after the mid-semester break with a week off to complete it, and the second major one is due after the teaching period has ended. Students in the past have often asked if they could answer their own essay question, rather than one from a limited range of questions. As this is a postgraduate unit of study, and one that is theoretically focussed, I also think that there are pedagogical reasons for allowing such flexibility in addition to it being desirable that students may focus on a specific issue or case that they are interested in. The essay questions are therefore framed in a manner that that this is possible. Some students in various units I have previously coordinated have expressed frustration that I was not presenting my views, but instead trying too hard to be neutral in the way the subject matter is presented. I now openly and quite forcefully present my opinions. Sometimes I also 'try on' opinions that I do not necessarily agree with! The aim is always to stimulate discussion and debate, and students have told me that they appreciate my honesty as opposed to pretending to be ambivalent. But my view is not necessarily more 'right' than anyone else's. Nor is there an objectively 'right' view. Opinions expressed should be challenged, and above all they should be backed with critical analysis based on logical argument supported with evidence. As multiple conclusions are possible on the basis of this, there has been much robust debate between students, as well as between students and myself, in the past! Many have changed their mind in the process. I certainly have.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Required Readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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