INR1000 International Relations in a Globalizing Era (FOART)

Semester 1 (ONC)Toowoomba (EXT)Toowoomba

Units 1.0 (Political Science) Band 1

Synopsis

This course, and its sequel course INR1001 Global Transitions and Human Security is offered in semester two of year one, are required courses in the International Relations Major and the International Relations Option Studies program in the Bachelor of Arts program. Both courses, first, cluster the above-mentioned views into perspectives focused on political ecology, political economy, political culture and behaviour, and the problems of humanity; and, secondly, put them into an international relations framework with a focus on Australia and its Asian context - with attention given to the pressing issues, events and concerns of humanity globally. Specifically, Course INR1000 focuses on the evolution of the international system with an emphasis on more recent processes of globalization, and the practice of diplomacy through a critical presentation of three major competing analytical perspectives and approaches, namely realism/states systems, world systems, and pluralism/Liberalism. It then explores two issue areas utilising the historical and theoretical contexts presented earlier, with students being assigned concrete cases for analytical study and, where feasible, workshop interaction so as to achieve a more grounded understanding about the utility of these approaches.