YAŞAR UNIVERSITY
FACULTY of ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES AND ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course
Code
Course Title
International Relations Theories
Semester
INRL 209
Fall
Course Hour/Week
Theory
3
Practice
0
Yaşar Credit
ECTS
3
6
Course Type
1. Compulsory Courses
X
1.1. Programme Compulsory Courses
1.2. University Compulsory Courses (UFND)
1.3. YÖK (Higher Education Council) Compulsory Courses
2. Elective Courses
2.1. Program Elective Courses
2.2. University Elective Courses
3. Prerequisites Courses
3.1. Compulsory Prerequisites Courses
3.2. Elective Prerequisites Courses
Language of Instruction
English
Associate Degree (Short Cycle)
Level of Course
Undergraduate (First Cycle)
X
Graduate (Second Cycle)
Doctoral Course (Third Cycle)
Prerequisites Course(s) (compulsory)
N/A
Special Pre-Conditions of the Course
(recommended)
N/A
Course Coordinator
Ayselin Gözde YILDIZ
Mail: [email protected]
Course Web Page: ayildiz.yasar.edu.tr
Course Assistant(s)/Tutor (s)
N/A
Mail: N/A
Web: N/A
Aim(s) of the Course
The aim of this course is to provide students with the main knowledge on
theoretical positions in the discipline of international relations. The main
theoretical approaches that have shaped the discipline to date are
examined and the assumptions inherent in their operation are exposed to
students’ critical evaluation.
Upon successful completion of this course, the enrolled students will be
gaining the following knowledge, skills and competences:
1 To define the main understanding of theories in IR
Learning Outcomes of the Course
2
To discuss and compare the main theories of IR in a systemic and
analytical manner through different case studies.
3
To define and argue various critical approaches to the analysis of
international politics
4
To analyze and argue various IR cases by using different theoretical
perspectives
1
5 To use theory/practice relationship in IR
6 To develop writings in an informed manner on IR Relations Theory
Realism, Liberalism, Neorealism, neoliberalism, English school, critical
theories, social constructivism, post-modernism
Course Content
Week
Methodology and Implementation
(Theory, practice, assignment etc.)
Topics
1
Introduction- A General Overview
Lecture
2
Why Study IR? Major Debates in IR Theory
Lecture
3
Liberalism&Realism in IR
Lecture-Debate
4
Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Realism in IR
Lecture-Debate
5
International Society: The English School
Lecture-Debate
6
International Political Economy
Lecture-Debate
7
Constructivism
Lecture-Debate
8
Mid-term (The week of 7-11 November 2016)
Exact dates will be announced for each session
9
Marxism
Lecture-Debate
10
Critical Theory
Lecture-Debate
11
Post-Structuralism
Lecture-Debate
12
Feminism, Green Theory, Multi-culturalism
Lecture-Debate
13
Globalisation and IR
Lecture-Debate
14
Debates and Methods
Lecture-Debate
15
Final Exam
Date will be announced later
Jackson, R and Sorenson, G. (2010) ‘International Relations: Theories and Approaches’. Oxford,
UK: Oxford University Press (Main Course Book)
Jorgensen, E.K. (2010) ‘International Relations Theory: A New Introduction’. Palgrave Macmillan
Viotti, P.R., Kauppi, M. (2012) ‘International Relations Theory’. Longman; US
S. M. Walt, (Spring 1998) ‘International Relations: One World, Many Theories’ Foreign Policy, No.
110
E.H. Carr, “The Nature of Politics” in Viotti and Kauppi.
Pınar Bedirhanoğlu (2012) “Siyaset Bilimi ve Uluslararası İlişkiler” (Political Science and International
Relations) in Gökhan Atılgan and E.Attila Aytekin (eds.) Siyaset Bilimi: Kavramlar, İdeolojiler ve
Disiplinlerarası İlişkiler (Political Science: Concepts, Ideologies and Interdisciplinary Relations),
İstanbul, Yordam.
Course Material (s)
/Reading(s)/Text
Stephen M.Walt (2005) ‘The Relationship Between Theory and Policy in International Relations’
Book (s)
Annual Review of Political Science. 8, pp. 23–48.
Barnett, M. & Duvall, R. (2005) ‘Power in International Politics’ International Organization 59(1) pp.
39-75.
Pinar Bilgin, Berivan Elis.(2008) “Hard power, Soft Power: Toward a More Realistic Power Analysis”.
Insight Turkey. 10 (2). pp.5-20
Thomas Hobbes, “The Natural Condition of Mankind’ pp.90-93. Power, measuring power and
different forms of power
Mearsheimer, J. (2001) ‘The Causes of Great Power War’ from The Tragedy of Great Power Politics,
pp. 334-359.
Joseph Nye, “Hard and Soft Power”, in Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, pp. 109117.
2
A. A. Stein, Why Nations Cooperate: Circumstance and Choice in International Relations (Ithaca:
Cornell University Press 1990, pp. 3-20
R. Little, ‘International Regimes’ in Baylis, Smith and Owens, Globalization of World Politics, pp. 296310.
Schmidt, B. (2002) ‘Anarchy, World Politics and the Birth of a Discipline’, International Relations
16(1): 9-31.
Hobson, J. (2014) ‘Why Hierarchy and not Anarchy is the Core Concept of IR’, Millennium 42(3), pp.
557-575
Williams, M. (2004) ‘Why Ideas Matter in IR: Morgenthau, Classical Realism, and the Moral
Construction of Power Politics’, International Organization 58(4) pp. 633-665.
Andrew Moravscik, “Are Dialogue and Synthesis possible in International relations”, International
Studies Review, vol.5, no.1, 2003, pp.123-153.
Mearsheimer, J. (2004) ‘The Tragedy of Great Power Politics’ Reviewed in Brian C. Schmidt, ‘Realism
as Tragedy’, Review of International Studies, 30(3), pp. 427-441.
Waltz, K. (1993): ‘The Emerging Structure of International Politics’, International Security 18(2)
pp.44-79.
Robert Axelrod and Robert Keohane (1985) ‘Achieving Cooperation under Anarchy: Strategies and
Institutions’, World Politics 38, pp. 226-254.
Mearsheimer, J. (1994/5) “The False Promise of International Institutions” International Security 1,
pp.9 5-49.
G. John Ikenberry (2009) ‘Liberal Internationalism 3.0’ Perspectives on Politics 7(1): 71-89.
Buzan, B. (2010) ‘Culture and International Society’, International Affairs 86(1), pp.1-25.
Bull, Hedley, 1977, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics, New York: Columbia
University Press.
Buzan, Barry (2010) ‘Culture and International Society’, International Affairs 86(1): 1-25.
Buzan, Barry (2014) An Introduction to the English School of IR (Cambridge: Polity).
Alexander Wendt (1992) ‘Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power
Politics’, International Organization 46(2): 391-426
Wendt, A. ‘The Agent-Structure Problem in International Relations Theory’, International
Organization, 41(3), pp. 335-370.
Dunne, T. (1995) ‘The Social Construction of International Society’, European Journal of International
Relations 1(3), pp. 367-389.
Barnett, M. ‘Social Constructivism,’ in Baylis, Smith and Owens, Globalization of World Politics, pp.
160-73.
Linklater, A. (1986) ‘Realism, Marxism and critical international theory’, Review of International
Studies. Vol 12, pp. 301-312.
Wallerstein, I. (1995) ‘The Inter-State Structure of the Modern World System’, in: Steve Smith, Ken
Booth and Marysia Zalewski (eds.), International Theory: Positivism and Beyond Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, pp. 87-107.
Lake, David (2011) ‘Why “isms” Are Evil’, International Studies Quarterly 55(2): 465-480. Patomäki,
Heikki, and Colin Wight (2000) ‘After Postpositivism? The Promises of Critical
Realism’ International Studies Quarterly 44(2):213-237.
3
Robert Keohane (1998) ‘Beyond Dichotomy: Conversations Between International Relations and
Feminist Theory’ International Studies Quarterly 42 (1), pp. 193-210.
Carpenter, Charli (2002) ‘Gender Theory in World Politics: Contributions of a Nonfeminist
Standpoint’, International Studies Review 4(3): 152-165.
Sandler, T. Global Challenges An Approach to Environmental, Political and Economic Problems (New
York: Cambridge University Press, 1997), 23-51 and 99-129.
Moises, N. (January-February 2003). ‘The Five Wars of Globalization’ Foreign Policy, No. 134
Rodrik, D. (Winter 2000) “How Far Will International Economic Integration Go?” Journal of Economic
Perspectives, Vol. 14, no. 1
Russell L. (2002) ‘Quantitative International Politics and Their Critics’ in Frank Harvey and Michael
Brecher Evaluating Methodology in International Studies. Ann Arbour: University of Michigan Press,
pp. 116-130.
Suganami, Hidemi (1999) ‘Agents, Structures, Narratives’, European Journal of International
Relations 5(3): 365-386.
Creutzfeldt, B. (2013) ‘Theory Talk #61: Pinar Bilgin Non-Western IR, Hybridity, and the One-Toothed
Monster called Civilization’, Theory Talks, http://www.theory- talks.org/2013/12/theory-talk61.html (20-12-2013)
Sylvester, C. (2013) ‘Experiencing the End and Afterlives of International Relations Theory’ European
Journal of International Relations 19(3): 609-626.
Recommended Blogs to be followed: http://www.theory-talks.org
ASSESSMENT
Semester Activities/ Studies
NUMBER
WEIGHT in %
Mid- Term
1
90
Attendance
-
-
Paper Debate (Oral or written/Quiz)
Attendance to at least 9 discussions is required to be evaluated for 1 step up (+) for
the letter grade
14
1 step +/- of the
final grade
Assignment (s)
4 assignment submission is required to be evaluated for 1 step up (+) for the letter
grade
4
1 step +/- of the
mid-term grade
10
Project
-
-
Laboratory
-
-
Field Studies (Technical Visits)
-
-
Presentation/ Seminar
-
-
Practice (Laboratory, Virtual Court, Studio Studies etc.)
-
-
Other (Placement/Internship etc.)
-
-
TOTAL
100
Contribution of Semester Activities/Studies to the Final Grade
50
Contribution of Final Examination/Final Project/ Dissertation to the Final Grade
50
TOTAL
.
100
4
CONTRIBUTION OF LEARNING OUTCOMES TO PROGRAMME OUTCOMES
Level of
Contribution (1lowest/ 5- highest)
N
Programme Outcomes
o
1
2
3
4
. To identify and interpret the roles of the basic actors and institutions, and outcomes and
1 externalities of the relevant processes and conditions in domestic as well as foreign policy
making
5
X
2
To explain and analyze the historical developments that laid the foundations of modern interstate relations
X
3
To identify, explain and analyze the current political, social, legal and economic fundamentals of
international relations
X
4
To define, analyze and criticise the judgments about the governing normative and moral
premises of international relations
X
To use theoretical perspectives and case-oriented knowledge that facilitate analytical thinking
5 while formulating solutions about the problems with organizational, local, national, international
and global dimensions
X
6
To participate actively interdisciplinary and in-disciplinary and studies and activities that require
team work
7
To expose opinion leader characteristic with scientific scepticism, objectivity and diligence in
every sort of social environment
8
To demonstrate appropriate behaviours in all aspects of social life with the prevailed basics of
ethics and morals
X
9
To use the skills of written and oral communication in English with a competency in a second
foreign language and to employ them in all kinds of international and local working environments
X
X
X
10 To embrace the understanding and culture of life-long learning
11
To find, refine, reproduce, use and disseminate knowledge by making use of Information
Technologies (IT)
ECTS /STUDENT WORKLOAD
NUMBER
UNIT
HOUR
TOTAL
(WORKLOAD)
Course Teaching Hour (17 weeks* total course hours)
17
Week
2
51
Preliminary Preparation and finalizing of course notes,
further self- study
17
2
34
Assignment (s)
4
Number
2
8
Presentation/ Seminars
-
Number
-
-
Quiz and Preparation for the Quiz/Paper Debate
16
Number
2
32
Mid- Term(s)
1
Number
10
10
Project (s)
-
Number
-
-
Field Studies (Technical Visits, Investigate Visit etc.)
-
Number
-
-
Practice (Laboratory, Virtual Court, Studio Studies etc.)
-
Number
-
-
Final Examination/ Final Project/ Dissertation and
Preparation
1
15
15
ACTIVITIES
Other (Placement/Internship etc.)
Total Workload
Week
Number
Number
150
Total Workload/ 25
6
ECTS
6
RULES WITH REGARD TO THE COURSE


Office Hours: Every Thursday 14:00-15:00 (Room:Y 620)
Every student has to attend their own section for the course, attending to different sections will not be
5



allowed.
The topics and deadlines of assignments are announced on the course web site.
The lecturer might change this syllabus, add new reading material with prior notice.
Students are expected to follow the course website for the updates and announcements.
ASSESSMENT and EVALUATION METHODS:
All students enrolled to the course are expected:
 To come to the class with a good preparation
 To prepare and present assignments on time
 To participate class discussions actively
 Every week during one-hour courses, paper discussion (oral or written/quiz) will be held. This will have
an impact on the final grade (please see grading part)
 The teacher holds the right to do quiz in the class to give a chance to increase the grades of the
students
The exams are assessed on the basis of letter grades and achieved learning outcomes. In order to pass from this
course, the students are expected to fulfill the learning outcomes of the course. Letter grades are allocated
according to each question in the exams which are designed to assess the degree of acquired/achieved learning
outcomes of the course.
PREPARED BY
UPDATED
Ayselin Gözde YILDIZ
6