Outline

Overview

Why do states behave the way they do? Using a historical perspective, this unit explores the ways in which the different theories of international relations account for what shapes the international system - who are its main actors, what are its determining forces and structures. It examines both how these theories have vied with one another within inter-paradigm debates and how they developed in relation to specific historical events. These theories include realism, idealism, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, Marxism, the English school, constructivism, poststructuralism, feminism, post-colonial approaches. While no prior study of international relations is required, a willingness to engage with theoretical thinking and grapple with complex questions of ontology and epistemology is essential.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jingdong Yuan, jingdong.yuan@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Seminar activities & participation	15%	Ongoing	500 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay I	25%	Week 06 Due date: 13 Apr 2021 at 23:00	1,500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay II	60%	Week 13 Due date: 01 Jun 2021 at 23:00	4,000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Essays
There will be two essays (I & II). The first one, due in 6th week, would be one that critiques one of the IR theories that we have covered in the first five weeks of study. The second essay, which is due the last day of class, requires that you develop a theoretical framework to analyse one contemporary issue in international relations. Detailed information/instructions for each essay will be provided/discussed in class and posted on Canvas.
Some sample essay questions could include:

Which IR theorie(s) best explain the rise of China in the international system?
In their 1999 essay ‘The Nature and Sources of Liberal International Order’, Daniel Deudney and John Ikenberry underline that Japan and Germany ‘are not playing the traditional role of great powers’, since ‘in return for sovereign recognition they accepted a role in international relations that was self-constrained in major ways’ (p.188). Writing an essay that engages the theories of the first debate, do you expect this to change?
What are the prospects for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region today?
Russia’s return: write an essay that mobilises the theories learned so far to account for the resurgence of Russia as a key actor in the international system
IR as a discrete academic discipline? Discuss

Seminar Activities
Seminar activities will be assessed based on the quality of your contribution to the discussion. For preparation please refer to the seminar schedule and to critical reading tips at the end of this UoS guide.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard. Below 50 is a fail.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Realism and Liberal Idealism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Neorealism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Neoliberalism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	The English School	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Constructivism	Seminar (6 hr)
Week 07	Marxism and Critical Theory	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Feminism and Postcolonial Perspectives	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Post-structuralism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Security Studies & IR	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Rethinking security	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	What Have We Learned about the Nature and Value of Theory in IR?	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend at least three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction: you should expect to set aside at least 9 hours of preparation per week for this unit.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Required Readings

This course uses one core textbook. It is, in my opinion, the best of its kind as, unlike traditional textbook, it brings together some of most eminent representative of every school of IR, who each gives a synthetic overview of their respective approaches.

International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity, edited by Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki and Steve Smith, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2016 (4th edition).

The additional required readings for each week constitute the foundational texts that have shaped the discipline. Please refer to the Weekly Topic Guide at the end of this UoS guide. These readings have been available online and are accessible either via the BB site or via the course reading portal on University of Sydney library website: Search by ‘Unit of Study’ and type in the course code GOVT 6147.

Further readings and the international news

I strongly encourage you to keep nurturing your curiosity about the discipline and to immerse yourself in the different Schools of IR by reading beyond the required, and indeed the recommended, readings. This is key to gaining fluency in IR theory. To this end, a much wider sample of readings has been available online through the course reading portal on the library website (see above). These have been deliberately kept as part of the course reserve material, in order for you to be able to meander through the various theories on your own. Moreover, the library has list of IR textbooks for you to browse, including another one of my favourites:

Handbook of International Relations (2006), edited by Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse and Beth A. Simmons, London: Sage.

Staying on top of international news is part and parcel of studying of IR. Some of my personal favourite news outlets include: The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Guardian, The BBC, Al Jazeera, and Democracy Now!, Al-bab.com (specialized news on the Arab world), and, for those French and German speakers, Le Monde and Die Zeit.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate a sound basis of knowledge of the different theoretical approaches that define the field of International Relations (IR) and of their founding concepts; with a view to being able to subsequently apply these to its other issue-areas
LO2. demonstrate the ability to apprehend contemporary international issues through theoretical lenses and to understand, discuss, and explore the relations between theory and practice in the study of international relations
LO3. engage in critical analysis of the contending approaches through which international issues are understood in order to differentiate between academic and polemical writing/reporting
LO4. demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection so that the assumptions underpinning the study of IR can be effectively scrutinized.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The unit was entirely restructured this year to trial a new seminar format

Additional information

Office Hours: Tuesday 3-5pm

My office is Room 447 in the Social Science Building A02

Email & communication policy:

Emails asking for information that can simply be obtained by carefully reading the unit outline & canvas will not be answered.

Work, health and safety

See below for email and communication policy

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GOVT6147: Foundations of International Relations

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect