International Relations

Course: International Relations
Course number: 3141
ECTS credits: 6
Prerequisites: None

Description
First half of the semester will be devoted to theories of IR while the second half will apply the theory to the reality. Special attention will be given to the use of force and conflict resolution as well as to religion and terrorism as two often misunderstood
faces of international conflict. The course is intended to offer some clues for the post- Cold War scenario and the implication of the so-called process of globalization. We will review the major approaches to IR and will define concepts such as power, nationalism, imperialism, dependency, democratization, war, etc.

Learning objectives
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

- Understand the historical development of International politics, economics, society and culture
- Improve their knowledge of IR and its changing complexity
- Critically follow and interpret the main social, economical and political aspects of
International relations since 1945 to the present
- Analyze various issues and trends in the contemporary globalised world
- Debate ideas and concepts of IR
- View different geopolitical areas within a wider international and global perspective
- Recognize and analyze the contributions of national diversity to the IR
- Synthesize information from a variety of sources, including written sources,
documentaries and film.

Educational activities will be developed by means of different didactic strategies:

- Theory and Practice
- Collective and individual tutoring
- In-class presentations
- Daily assignments
- Team work assignments
- Workshops and additional training
- Extra-curricular activities

Contact Hours: 45

Methodology
The course syllabus follows the Communicative Approach methods, based on the core principles of procedure conception and constructive acquisition of knowledge. The methodology is based on the teaching-learning procedures, focused on the learner, which encourages active participation and results in the development of general and
specific competencies that provide knowledge, capacities and attitudes for their future
professional careers.

Form of Assessment
The form of assessment is based on the core principles of the educational assessment, i.e., an active and participative teaching-learning process focused on the learner. The instructor uses numerous and differentiated forms of assessment to
calculate the final grade received for this course. For the record, these are listed below. The content, criteria and specific requirements for each assessment category will be explained in greater detail in class.

The final grade consists of three parts: class participation, daily work and exams
- 33% Active in-class participation
- 33% daily work
- 34% exams

Grading Scale goes from 0 to 10.

Numerical Grade Range
Letter grade Percentage
Range
10 A+ 100%
9.5 ? 9.9 A 95 - 99%
9 ? 9.4 A- 90 - 94%
8.5 ? 8.9 B+ 85 - 89%
7.5- 8.4 B 75 - 84%
7 ? 7.4 B- 70 - 74%
6.5 ? 6.9 C+ 65 - 69%
6 ? 6.4 C 60 - 64%
5 ? 5.9 C- 5 - 59%
0 - 4.9 F 0 - 49%

The final grade will be the average of active in-class participation, daily work and exams.

Attendance Policy
Attendance is compulsory. In order to excuse any absence, students have to deliver a doctor?s note or other valid justification.
An absence is equivalent to a session. Two late arrivals of more than 15 minutes will be considered an absence.
Any unjustified absence will negatively affect the students? final grade by lowering
his/her participation grade.

The participation grade will be lowered as follows:

NÚMBER OF ABSENCES PARTICIPATION
3 unjustified absences - 30%
4 unjustified absences - 40%
5 unjustified absences - 50%

If a student has more than 5 unjustified absences, the PARTICIPATION GRADE will be zero (0).
Any student with 7 or more absences will NOT pass the course. Those students whose absences have been properly justified will get No presentado (N.P). Absences do NOT excuse the fulfillment of tasks, papers or essays.

Active Participation
The methodology used in class demands from the student a daily participation regarding the following:

- Debates about different topics;
- Questions posed in class;
- Opinions and comments;
- Documents and texts.

Criteria to evaluate participation Grade
The student very often contributes with important and original comments that encourage debate, using critical and analytical arguments clearly based on reading,
investigation, daily work, and class work.

8.5 -10
The student frequently participates voluntarily and makes valuable contributions that are generally based on reflection and daily work.
7- 8.4
The student makes eventual comments, practically only when asked, and shows no clear interest in the course. The student does not start a debate nor shows a clear understanding of the importance of class/homework and readings.

5- 6.9
The student makes no comments at all, or makes irrelevant or distracting ones during class. This is usually a result from frequent absences or lack of preparation for the
class.

0- 4.9

Readings:

Class reader will be given at the beginning of the semester to each student containing main readings.

Further readings will be provided by the teacher.

General Reference:
B. White, R. Little and M. Smith (2005), Issues in World Politics, Third Edition, London: MacMillan.
Kepel, Gilles (1994), The Revenge of God. The Resurgence of Islam, Christianity and
Judaism in the Modern World, London: Polity Press
S. Burchill and A. Linklater (1996), Theories of International Relations, NYC: St. Martin
Press.
Huntington, Samuel P. (1998), The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World
Order, London: Touchstone.
Doyle, Michael W. and Ikenberry, John G. (1997), New Thinking in International
Relations theory, Boulder: Westview Press.
Rapoport, David C. (2003), Generations and Waves: The Keys to Understanding Rebel Terror Movements, paper presented at the Ronald W. Burkle Center for International Studies.

Online Reference & Research Tools:

Public Broadcasting Society:PBS http://www.pbs.org History Net http://www.historynet.com; The History Guide http://www.historyguide.org;Bridging World History http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/worldhistory, BBC History http://www.bbc.co.uk/history; History Today http://www.historytoday.com/ The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/; National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/history; The History Channel
http://www.history.com/topics/worldhistory Annenberg Media: the Western Tradition.
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/academic/intrel/research/cstpv/ Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
http://www.cia.gov CIA and the War on Terrorism http://www.fbi.gov FBI Counter-Terrorism
http://www.fpri.org/pubs Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)-Counter
Terrorism
http://www.potomacinstitute.org/academiccen/icts/icts.htm International Center for Terrorism Studies
http://www.ict.org.il International Institute for Counter-Terrorism http://www.nctc.gov National Counter-Terrorism Center
http://www.nti.org Nuclear Threat Initiative http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/index.html Office of Homeland
Security
http://www.terrorism.com Terrorism Research Center: http://cpc.au.af.mil/index.htm US Air Force Counter-Proliferation Center http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/ US Department of State
www.ctc.usma.edu. US Military Academy Combating Terrorism Center

Virtual Campus
The university offers a virtual platform (Blackboard Collaborate) where students can revise contents, do their tasks and interact with the other members of the group.

SESSIONS, TOPIC, READINGS

Introduction
The Idea of IR
- Introduction to the course.
- Rules of the game.
- Placing things in context:
chronological overview of international events.

Please, look at a map of the World

Week 1
IR Theory
- Theories in international relations I:
realism and neorealism.
Readings: Chapter 3 in Burchill and
Linklater.

Week 2
IR Theory
- The Theories in international relations
II: realism and neorealism.
Readings: Chapter 5 in Burchill and
Linklater.

Week 3
IR Theory
- Theories in international relations III:
idealism/liberal internationalism.
Readings: Chapter 2 in Burchill and
Linklater

Week 4
IR Theory
- Theories in international relations IV: idealism/liberal internationalism. Marxism, feminism, critical school

Readings: Chapter 7 in Burchill and
Linklater.

Week 5
IR THEORY
- Putting all together. How and Why is IR Theory (if) useful for us?
- Review for Midterm

Week 6
The MIDTERM
- MIDTERM
Reading: EVERYTHING SO FAR
SPRING BREAK HOLIDAYS

Week 7
IR Conflict: Terrorism and
Global Security
- Waves of Terrorism :
- Anarchistic Terrorism
- Anti-Colonial Terrorism
- New Left Terrorism
- Religious Terrorism
Reading : Rapoport (2003)

Week 8
IR Conflict: Religion and IR
- The crisis of modernity.
- The Revenge of God
- Islam, Judaism and Christianity
Reading: Kepel, Intro and Conclusion

Week 9
Islam and IR
- Islam and IR
- The Sword and the Quoran
- The Jihad
- Iran 1979
Reading: Kepel Ch. 1

Week 10
Judaism and IR
- Zionism & Israel +1948
- The 6 days war: The redemption of Israel
- 1977: A Political Revolution
- FILM: Waltz With Bashir, by Ari Folman
(Israel 2008)
Reading: Kepel Ch. 4

Week 11
Christianity and IR ? Saving America
- The Conservative Revolution: Carter + Reagan + Thatcher + JP II + Bush Sr. (- Clinton) + Bush Jr.
- Gulf War I and II
Reading: Kepel Ch. 3

Week 12
The Arab Spring
- Egypt, Lybia, Tunisia? anymore?
- Syria and the disaster
- United Nations?
- Egypt transition: ?Sexual? Politics?
Handout by Professor

Week 13
What have we learnt?
- Are Theory and Practice related at all?
- Are we slightly smarter than a few months ago?
- Review for the final
FINAL EXAM