Dr Sinja Graf

This course is compulsory on the BSc in International Relations, BSc in International Relations and Chinese, BSc in International Relations and History and BSc in Politics and International Relations. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Students who have this course as a compulsory course are guaranteed a place.

Available as an outside option to Year 1 students only.

This course offers an introduction to the study of International Relations (IR). It surveys mainstream, middle-way and critical theories to the subject. The course also places these theories into conversation with each other to highlight key concepts and debates in the study of IR. We will begin by exploring the history of the modern inter-state system and the formation of IR as an academic discipline. We will proceed with studying major theories that analyse and/or criticize the modern international order before engaging several key topics from various perspectives. Overall, this course asks whether IR has developed based on particular (Anglo-American/European) experiences and viewpoints and whether it can and should become more global in its representation of diverse histories, concepts and theories.

This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures totaling a minimum of 40 hours across Michaelmas Term, Lent Term and Summer Term. This year, some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of online lectures and in-person classes/classes delivered online.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy.

Students are required to write three essays of approximately 1,500 words.

A full course description and guide to reading will be provided. Relevant course texts include:

R Devetak, J George & S Percy (Eds) An Introduction to International Relations (Cambridge, 2017)

J Baylis, S Smith & P Owens (Eds) The Globalization of World Politics (Oxford, 2016)

Robbie Shilliam, Decolonizing Politics (Polity, 2021)

R B Persaud & A Sajed (Eds) Race, Gender, and Culture in International Relations. Postcolonial Perspectives (Routledge, 2018).

Take-home assessment (100%) in the ST.

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.