Theories of International Relations BS (TIR)

Sylabus

Room:

J1031  

Instructors: doc. PhDr. Běla Plechanovová, CSc.

Jinonice, Room 3088 


Phone: [phone] 



E-mail: [e-mail]

Office Hours: By appointment only  

PhDr. Ondřej Ditrych, MPhil Ph.D.

Jinonice, Room 3011

Phone:

Email: [e-mail]

Office Hours: Monday, 15.30-17.00  

Credits: 8  

Availability:

Compulsory course for International Relations and Security Studies Programmes students 


Pre-Requisites: None 


Co-Requisites: Seminar of the #116 group 
  

Annotation: 


The course introduces students into the tradition of international thought presenting its most important streams. It starts with the evolution of the discipline of IR illustrated by its great debates. Following this, ontological and epistemological problems in IR research are examined. Finally, the course addresses individual traditions and streams; realism, liberalism, postmodern and constructivist approaches to the study of IR, scientism, Marxism, feminism and green political theory in IR. 
  

Course objectives: 


The course aims to provide an advanced understanding of the development of the international thinking. All those taking the course will be expected to become familiar with a defined set of readings and issues.  

Teaching methods: 


The course consists of 12 lectures. Attendance of the weekly class is strongly recommended. Students are expected to have read and familiarized themselves with all the set readings to individual lectures. Given the considerable load of reading, systematic work through the whole semester is strongly recommended. 
  

Learning outcomes: 


After completing the course, students should be able to identify the structure of the International Relations Theory field, explain the circumstances of emergence of individual schools, traditions and approaches, distinguish the ontological and epistemological positions of theories, recognize the topics and problems addressed by these theories and evaluate the relevance of these for the progress of international thinking in particular areas/topics. 
  

Course assessment: 


This course is examined by means of a one and half-hour written examination consisting of questions covering both the lectures and readings.  

Readings are available in electronic versions to students enrolled in the course (see attached files).  

Course structure:   29 September

The discipline of international relations (BP)

Wight, Martin (1995) Why is there no IR theory? In: Der Derian, James (ed.): International Theory. Critical Investigations. New York University Press, New York, 17-34.

Hoffmann, Stanley (1995) An American Social Science: International Relations. In: Der Derian, James (ed.), International Theory: Critical Investigations. New York University Press, New York, 212-241.

Waever, Ole (1998) The Sociology of a Not So International Discipline: American and European Developments in International Relations. International Organization 52:4.   6 October

Philosophy of IR (OD)

Hollis Martin and Smith Steve (1990) Explaining and understanding international relations. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1-12.

Wight, Colin (2007) Agents, Structures and International Relations. Politics as Ontology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 62-120.

Kratochwil, Friedrich (2007) Of False Promises and Good Bets: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to Theory Building. Journal of International Relations and Development 10:1.   13 October

Realism (OD)

Morgenthau, Hans (1948/1980) Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. New York: Knopf, 3-16.

Bull Hedley, The Anarchical Society. A Study of Order in World Politics, London 1991, 51-73.

Lebow, Richard (2007) Classical Realism In: Dunne, Tim a Milja Kurki a Seve Smith, eds., International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 52-70.   20 October

Liberalism (BP)

Angell, Norman (1910) The Great Illusion. London: Heinemann, 25-43, 215-245.

Mitrany, David (1943) A Working Peace System. London: RIIA, 5-41.

Panke, Diana and Thomas Risse (2007) Liberalism. In: Dunne, Tim a Milja Kurki a Seve Smith (eds.), International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 89-108.    27 October

Behavioralist Approaches in IR Theory (BP)

Hollis Martin and Smith Steve, Explaining and understanding international relations. Oxford : Claredon P. (in Czech, Brno 2000) Ch. 6 and 8, pp. 119-142, 171-195.

Brams Steven J. (2003) Negotiation Games. Applying Game Theory to Bargaining and Arbitration. London: Routledge. Ch. 1 and 4; pp. 1-26, 101-136.

Walt Stephen M.(1999) Rigor or rigor mortis. International Security, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Fall 1999), pp. 5-48.

Bueno de Mesquita Bruce and James D. Morrow (1999) Sorting through the wealth of notions. International Security, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Fall 1999), pp. 56-73.   3 November

Neorealism (OD)

Walt, Stephen (1987) The Origins of Alliances. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 262-286.

Waltz, Kenneth N. (1979) Theory of Intenational Politics, New York, 1-17 a 79-101.

Mearsheimer, John (2007) Structural Realism In: Dunne, Tim a Milja Kurki a Seve Smith, eds., International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 71-88.   10 November

Marxism and Critical Theory (OD)

Burchill, Scott et al. (2005) Theories of International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 5 and 6; p. 110-160.

Shanon, Thomas (1996) An Introduction to the World-System Perspective. Boulder: Westview Press. Ch. 2 and 5; pp. 23-44, 127-154.

Dos Santos, Theotonio (1970) The Structure of Dependence. American Economic Review, pp. 231-236   17 November

Neoliberalism (BP)

Keohane, Robert (1984) After Hegemony. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 49-84.

Baldwin, David (1993) Neoliberalism, Neorealism, and World Politics. In: Baldwin, David (ed.), Neorealism and Neoliberalism. New York: Columbia University Press, 3-28.

Axelrod, Robert and Robert Keohane (1993) Achieving Cooperation Under Anarchy. In: Baldwin, David (ed.), Neorealism and Neoliberalism. New York: Columbia University Press, 85-115.   24 November

Constructivism (OD)

Wendt, Alexander (1999) Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 246-312.

Zehfuss, Maja (2002) Constructivism in International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1-23.

Goldstein, Judith and Keohane, Robert, eds. (1993) Ideas and Foreign Policy. New York: Cornell University Press, 3-30.   1 December

Feminism (BP)

Burchill, Scott et al. (2005) Theories of International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 9; p. 213-234.

Enloe, Cynthia (1993) The Morning After. Sexual Politics at the End of the Cold War. Berkeley: UCP. Ch. 1, 7 and 8; pp. 10-37; 201-251.

Tickner Ann J. (2005) What Is Your Research Program? Some Feminist Answers to International Relations Methodological Questions. International Studies Quarterly 49: 1-21.   8 December

Green Political Theory in IR (BP)

Burchill, Scott et al. (2005) Theories of International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 10; p. 235-255.

Eckersley, Robyn (2004) The Green State: Rethinking Democracy and Sovereignty. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Ch. 1 and 2; pp. 1-52.

Bernstein, Steven (2001) The Compromise of Liberal Environmentalism. New York: Columbia University Press. Ch. 3; pp. 70-121.   15 December

Postmodernism (OD)

Ashley, Richard (1989) Living on Border Lines: Man, Poststructuralism, and War. In: Der Derian a Shapiro, eds, International/Intertextual Relations. Postmodern Readings of World Politics. New York: Lexington Books, 259-322.

Walker, R.B.J. (1989) The Prince and The Pauper In: Der Derian a Shapiro, eds, International/Intertextual Relations. Postmodern Readings of World Politics. New York: Lexington Books, 25-48.

Campbell, David (1998) Writing Security: United States foreign policy and the politics of identity. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 53-90.  

Further reading:

Ashley, Richard (1989) Living on Border Lines: Man, Poststructuralism, and War. In: Der Derian a Shapiro, eds, International/Intertextual Relations. Postmodern Readings of World Politics. New York: Lexington Books.259-322 Brams, Steven J. (1994) Theory of Moves. Cambridge: CUP <br /

Anotace

The course introduces students into the traditions of international thought presenting its most important streams. It starts with the evolution of the discipline of IR as illustrated by its great debates. Following this, ontological and epistemological problems in IR research are examined. Finally, the course addresses individual traditions and streams: realism, liberalism, constructivist and poststructuralist approaches to the study of IR, scientism, Marxism, feminism and green political theory in IR.

For students enrolled in 2015/2016 only!