From war in the Middle East and weapons of mass destruction to climate change and questions of global poverty, many of the most pressing contemporary news stories are inextricably bound up in international affairs. This course takes you beyond the headlines to provide an overview of the principle theories and ongoing debates within International Relations. In doing so, it equips you with the conceptual and analytical tools for considering how these ideas speak to both the historical and contemporary issues in international politics.
Central themes of the course include the behaviour of states and their interaction with each other; the apparent endurance of conflict between states and peoples; the prospects of international cooperation and peace; the role of institutions and organisations in the global sphere; the changing face of international politics in an era of globalisation and the 'war on terror'.
This course aims to introduce students to the academic discipline of International Relations. It focuses primarily on the theoretical concepts of the discipline that help us make sense of the structure and implications of the international system in which we live. In doing so, the course traces some of the key theoretical debates that have preoccupied the discipline. As such, we consider the classic debates between the competing concepts of Realism and idealism, before exploring alternative positions such as Marxism, Constructivism and Feminism. This process will enable the opportunity to introduce students to different sub-fields of IR, such as International Security, International Political Economy and International Political Theory.
Understanding these theoretical positions and the historical, intellectual and political circumstances that fostered their development will give students a strong orientation in the disciplinary terrain of IR. In this way, this course is ideal both for students who are considering future study in IR, as well as students with a more general curiosity in international politics.While the course is primarily organised around theoretical positions, these concepts will continually be anchored in contemporary and historical issues. Consequently, the theoretical ideas explored will be considered in the context of some of the most pressing challenges facing citizens and state leaders today.
This will enable the consideration of such issues as contemporary warfare, global inequalities and climate changeThe course is taught in the format of seminars. This will give students the opportunity to develop their learning discursively through addressing the key issues in a way that encourages critical thinking and active class participation.
Period
04-07-2011 - 29-07-2011 (4 weeks)
Target group
The University of Sussex International Summer School welcomes applicants from a wide range of educational backgrounds. Although most of you will be currently enrolled at a university or college, we also welcome applicants who have been away from education for some years, as well as highly committed senior high school students - for some courses a good general education, an open mind and lots of enthusiasm are the main qualifications. For some other courses you will see that prerequisites are listed - applicants for these courses are expected to submit transcripts to demonstrate that they have taken, or are currently taking, the necessary precursors.
Course aim
This is a great opportunity for secondary school students to prepare for college and acquire college credit, which you will usually be able to transfer to a future undergraduate degree. The International Summer School provides an opportunity to meet and study with people from different countries and cultures, on a cosmopolitan campus. The large range of courses on offer allows you to get ahead with credit in core courses, or simply to experiment with something new.
Credits
9.0 ECTS creditsSummer School courses carry 18 credits and last for four weeks. Since the standard annual load for a Sussex student is 120 credits, this means that each course is equivalent to four and a half semester hours or nine ECTS credits. Students can take only one course per session, as the courses are intensive. You can expect to spend 25 to 35 hours each week on your course between attending classes, labs and workshops, as well as time spent outside class preparing the readings and assignments. You can find information about the courses offered by the International Summer School through our course directory or courses by subject pages of our website.
Course fee
GBP 1250Tuition only (one four week session).GBP 2350Tuition only (BOTH four week ISS sessions).
Course leader
Thomas Bentley
Scholarships
The University of Sussex offers a limited number of scholarships for participation in the ISS in the form of partial fee waivers to students from developing countries who have high potential for future leadership in their field of study or career.
University of Sussex
Address: University of Sussex Brighton
Postal code: BN1 9RF
City: Brighton
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/iss/
E-mail: issoffice@sussex.ac.uk
Phone: 00441273678406
Introduction to International Relations
