The course focuses on the emergence, evolution, and the characteristics of the international political system. During the course, the major theoretical approaches of international relations will be presented and critically analyzed. Special attention will be devoted to those approaches that understand the current international system as the product of the progressive intensification of different processes of globalization, emerged in Europe between the XV and the XVI centuries.
Compulsory readings: 1. R. Jackson e G. Sorensen (ed. Luciano Bozzo), Relazioni internazionali, Terza Edizione, Milano, Egea, 2014. 2. P. Kennedy, Ascesa e declino delle grandi potenze, Milano, Garzanti, 1999. Only for students taking the 9 CFU exam:3. S. P. Huntington, Lo scontro delle civiltà e il nuovo ordine mondiale, Milano, Garzanti, 1997.
Learning Objectives
KNOWLEDGE: the course focuses on the emergence, the evolution and the characteristics of the contemporary international political system. Particular emphasis will be put on the major theoretical approaches of international relations and on those theories that understand the current international political system as the result of a gradual intensification of processes of globalization, emerged in Europe between the XV and the XVI centuries. ABILITIES ACQUIRED AT THE END OF THE COURSE: students will acquire knowledge of the essential tools to understand main issues of international politics and will be able to critically evaluate the scholarly literature. CAPACITY TO APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE: a) ability to analyze the different aspects of contemporary international politics; b) ability to identify most relevant actors, structures and processes of international politics, in order to draw up alternative scenarios for the international system’s future.
Prerequisites
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Teaching Methods
Teaching hours: 45
Further information
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Type of Assessment
The final exam consists of:a) a written pre-selection test, which includes 13 multiple choice questions. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. The final question is worth 3 points. Students need to get a minimum score of 13 out 15 points to pass the pre-selection test. b) Students that pass this test can take the oral exam, which consists in a discussion on the required readings listed above. The oral exam will take place during the same day of the pre-selection test.
Course program
I module: the aim of this module is to analyze the emergence, the evolution and the basic features of modern system of sovereign States. A special emphasis will be put on the different conditions that have lead, thanks to the European global expansion between the XVI and the XIX centuries, to the formation of the contemporary globalized system. Issues discussed comprise: form and resources of international politics; power, national power, cultural influence; economic and technologic dimensions of power; geographic, climatic, demographic, military and cultural factors; communication, propaganda and ideology. Actors and institutions of international politics: States, empires and hegemons; nations and ethnic groups; IGOs and NGOs; transnational and subnational actors, movements and religions; fundamentalism: a clash of cultures and of civilizations? International trade, diplomacy and law: conditions for international cooperation, economic interdependence and political integration. Democracy and democratization; democracy and war. Economic inequality: globalization and fragmentation; reaction to processes of internationalization. Contemporary security: weapons of mass destruction proliferation; international terrorism. II module: the goal of this module is to introduce and discuss main analytic tools proposed by international relations literature. The following issues will be discussed: emergence and evolution of the discipline of international relations; main theoretical approaches and methods of analysis of international politics: realism, liberalism, Marxism, constructivism. The main ontological and epistemological debates in the discipline. The sociological and rational approach, levels and units of analysis. War and its causes from different perspectives: security, balance of power, weapon systems and disarmament. Space: geopolitical theories. Time: historical analysis and cyclical theories. The relations between internal, foreign and international politics. Economics and Politics: International Political Economy. Hegemonic stability. International system and society: systemic theories and grotian tradition. Foreign policy decision-making: rational, organizational and bureaucratic theories. International change: dynamic theories. Ethics and international politics: normative theories. The evolution of the discipline after the end of the Cold War. III module: using the theoretical tools discussed during previous modules, in this module an analysis of the contemporary political system will be proposed and alternative future scenarios will be presented.