Introduction to International Relations

The study of international relations refers to a specific ‘knowledge’ that was progressively constituted as an ‘independent knowledge’ (independent from law and history) during the inter-war period in the UK and in the US.

In a way, this process was a consequence of World War I which led to the establishment of the League of Nations to regulate the international scene on the basis of a certain number of common principles that were supposed to ‘civilise’ relations between Member States. The first International Relations (IR) Chair which was created at the University of Wales (Aberystwyth), focused on this goal. In the US, the teaching of IR was also, at first, rooted in an approach inspired by the pacifist movement. At this point, the analysis of the causes of war and the ability of law and international institutions to regulate international relations were at the centre of the concerns of researchers and teachers.

The break with this intellectual tradition occurred mainly after World War II and with the apparition of scholars called ‘realists’ in contrasts with the ‘idealists’ of the previous period. They considered that the normative bias that characterised their predecessors’ approach had prevented them from truly grasping and understanding the events that would lead to WWII. One of the objectives of the realists was therefore to propose a method considered more scientific that would allow them to describe the international system as it is and not as it should be.

Despite the shortcomings of these two schools of thought, idealism and realism, and their many variants, remain two dominant paradigms in the study of international relations up until today. From the 1980s onwards and, in particular, after the end of the Cold War, new approaches of international relations emerged that diversified the discipline and provided conceptual frameworks to analyse new issues such as intra-state conflicts, terrorism, neo-and post-colonial relations, etc. The first part of the class will be dedicated to the understanding of International Relations theories.

The major issues that are dealt with in the discipline of International Relations concern war and peace, collective action in a variety of fields, cooperation, international institutions and security issues. They generically refer to interactionsbetween the units of the international system. All of these terms are themselves subject to controversy and are apprehended differently depending on the schools of thought which compete for the monopoly of ‘legitimate international thought’.

For example, one of the most recurrent controversies of this field of knowledge concerns the identification of the actors of the system: who are the units? Initially, nation-states were considered as the only units of the international system and sovereignty as the structuring principle. Therefore, the study of international relations used to focus on state actors and ignore or underestimate the importance of other actors such as international institutions, multinational companies, civil society actors, etc. Gradually, this stato-centrism was shaken by the transnationalist school of thought which focuses more on relations between social groups across state borders. Controversies around the drivers of international relations are also multiple. A liberal and institutionalist approach to international relations will seek to demonstrate the specific weight of international institutions in ‘global governance’; whereas a constructivist approach will give the central role to values and norms in shaping actors’ behaviour.

The aim of this course is to incorporate theoretical elements and articulate them with empirical ones. The second part of the class, in particular, will examine particular cases of policies and practices in international politics while still using theoretical elements to make sense of them. The course will show that the international system is the product of individual and collective decisions, interactions, power relations, and struggles; the international system is also legitimated and structured by specific narratives and practices which are partly constituted by the different traditions of thought in IR.

This course’s aim is to introduce students to the discipline of International Relations: the main objects of studies, concepts, and questioning, and to put these in practice through empirical examples.

More specifically, students will develop the following abilities:

• Acquire a body of conceptual and empirical knowledge to study international relations.

• Identify the main actors, trends and dynamics of international relations today

• Develop critical thinking towards the reporting of international current events.

• Develop student’s awareness of the social, historical, and geographical contingency of the international system as they know it.

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

It is important to show intellectual curiosity and to maintain a good knowledge of current events, it is therefore essential to read newspapers. This is needed to complete this course which can only provide an introductory reflection on international relations, and to engage more in depth with issues of international politics

The course will comprise 2h lectures. Prior to each lecture, one text has to be read: these readings are mandatory and must be read in a careful and reflexive way.

There will be a continuous assessment with two exams during the terms with multiple choice questions (MCQ) exams, and possibly an open question.

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

 

Informations complémentaires

 

Contacts

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Examen écrit

Examen écrit

• Examen hors-session

• Question fermée à Choix Multiple (QCM)
• Question fermée à Réponses Multiples (QRM)
• Question ouverte à développement long

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

 

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais