Description
This course introduces students to the study of actors in international relations. Mainstream approaches to international politics have theorized the international as a space composed essentially of states. While addressing the central question of state formation and domination in world politics, this course will give the keys to understand the complexity and diversity of the contemporary international, composed among others, of NGOs, diasporas, pirates, mercenaries, transnational hacktivist and terrorist networks. It will conclude by assessing the possibilities and limits of a cosmopolitan society.
The course also includes working groups that have the dual focus of improving students’ fluency in the theories and concepts introduced during the lectures and their ability to analyze and critically assess academic and non-academic arguments.
Course objectives
Goal 1: At the end of this course, students will possess the analytical and critical skills necessary to make sense of state and non-state actors in world politics.
Goal 2: With regards to academic skills, students will acquire the skills necessary to identify, analyse, and evaluate academic and non-academic arguments.
Goal 3: With regards to academic skills, students will practice the skills necessary to develop and present their own arguments both verbally and in writing.
Mode of instruction
Lectures and academic skills workgroups. The lectures of Dr. Ragazzi will consist of a lecture (hour 1) and participatory reading of the assigned text (hour 2).
Exchange students take this course for 5 EC and do not follow the working groups
Assessment method
60% final exam (100% Multiple Choice questions)
40% academic skills workgroup assignments and participation
Workgroup assignments and participation is worth 40% of the final course grade. The final grade for the workgroups is the weighted average of two assignments (counting for, respectively, 40% and 50% of the grade) and a participation grade (counting for 10% of the grade).
The time and location of inspection and debriefing of the exam will be announced via Brightspace no later than the publication of the grades
Reading list
Lectures:
Khagram and Levitt (2008) The Transnational Studies Reader, Routledge: New York and London
Working Groups:
Weston, A. (2018) A rulebook for arguments (5th ed.), Hackett Publishing
A complete reading list for the workgroups will be provided in the syllabus and in Brightspace.
Registration
See 'Practical Information'.
Timetable - courses and exams
See 'MyTimetable'