UNIVERSITY OF LODZ
FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL AND POLITICAL STUDIES
Course title
Code in USOS
Language
Semester
Number of hours
ECTS
Course type
Level
Instructor’s name
Instructor’s e-mail
Course objectives
Theory of International Relations
1300-D2P0014
English
Winter
30
3
Lecture
Master
Dr Dorota Golańska
dorg@uni.lodz.pl
This course charts the development of International Relations as an
academic discipline, locating the dominant theoretical perspectives
within their historical and political contexts. The course considers the
early development of the key themes of realism and liberalism, focuses
on the major debates within IR Theory and concludes with the survey
of the dominant post-Cold War approaches which throw into question
many of the core assumption of the discipline. These are among others
critical theory, historical sociology, constructivism and feminist
interpretation of world politics. Such a course structure reflects changes
in the subjects of IR theory (state, security, interests, sovereignty,
world system, globalization, power). During the lectures the milestones
of the discipline will be presented. The lectures will focus on the
historical contexts of new developments within the discipline and
sketch the most important strands within the world politics theory.
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the following
philosophical and methodological approaches within the international
relations theory: realism, liberalism, British school, contructivism,
feminism, ecologism, radicalism, emancipatory theory, critical theory,
cultural studies theories, deconstructive theories, historical sociology,
behaviorism, positivism, post-positivism, feminism.
Regarding knowledge, the student will be able to:
1) List and characterize main theoretical paradigms within the theory of
international relations
2) List and characterize main subject of international relations
3) Define such terms as: state, sovereignty, security, international
system, polarization of international system, stratification of
international system
4) Describe the evolution of the international relations theory and
situate its main turning points within the wider historical and political
context
5) Describe main methodological debates within the discipline of the
international relations theory
6) List and characterize main level of analysis in international relations
7) Describe main philosophical inspirations for the discipline and its
main theorists
Regarding competencies, the student will be able to:
1) Apply specific theoretical/methodological paradigms to an analysis
within the field of international relations
2) Interpret text concerning international relations in reference to a
specific theoretical/methodological paradigm
3) Assess adequacy of a specific methodological approach to a given
international issue
4) Interpret given international situation at all three levels of analysis
(individual, state, system)
Course description
(contents)
Textbooks
Regarding attitudes, the student will be able to:
1) Critically assess different theoretical paradigms
2) Critically asses foreign policy of a state
1. Introduction to the discipline
2. State and Non-State Participants of the IR
3. Evolution of the discipline (debates); Different Approaches to the IR
4. Philosophies of Realism and Liberalism (Rousseau, Hobbes,
Machiavelli, Kant. Bentham, Locke, etc.) / Security dilemma
5. Liberalism in Inter-War Period
6. Realism as a Reaction to Idealism
7. Methodological debates – behaviorism, positivism, post-positivist
approaches
8. Neoliberalism and Neorealism
9. British school (Liberal Realism)
10. Marxist and Radical Approaches to World Politics
11. Wallerstein’s Criticism of Global Capitalism
12. Cultural Studies Approach to IR (Foucault, Derrida)
13. Historical Sociology (Michael Mann) and Critical Theory
14. Feminist Approaches to International Politics
15. Constructivism
1. Robert Jackson, Georg Sorensen, Introduction to International
Relations, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
2. E. H. Carr, „The Harmony of Interests”, The Twenty Years Crisis
1919-1939: An Introduction to the Study of International Relations,
London: Macmillan, 1946.
3. Woodrow Wilson, “Fourteen Points”
4. Francis Fukuyama, „Do We Really Know How to Promote
Democracy?”, New York Democracy Forum, March 24, 2005.
5. John. J. Mearsheimer, „Back to the Future. Instability in Europe
After the Cold War”, International Security vol. 15. no. 1 (Summer
1990)
6. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. „Soft Power”, Bound to Lead: The Changing
Nature of American Power, New York: Basic Books 1990.
7. Alexander Wendt, “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social
Construction of Power Politics”, International Organization 46 (2),
Spring 2002.
8. Annick T. R. Wibben, „Feminist International Relations: Old
Debates and New Directions”, The Brown Journal of International
Affairs vol. 10, no. 2 (Winter/Spring 2004)
Assessment criteria Final exam – multiple-choice questions (100%)