Admission requirements
The prerequisite for this course is a 200-level course in Global Justice, World Politics, or International Development.
Description
This course revisits the main schools of thought in international relations, such as realism, institutionalism, constructivism and “world-system” approaches. It will then explore the operation, institutional framework and role of specific international organizations in contemporary world politics (globalization, regionalism, co-operation, peace and security). Specific attention will be devoted to the study of the United Nations and the role of established and more recently formed regional organizations on different continents. The course will analyze questions such as: why do states (and other actors) create international organizations in pursuit of their interests? How do international organizations constrain or enable the behavior of states and other actors in the international arena? When are international organizations effective in achieving their goals? Are they accountable?
Course objectives
Understand the complexity of the theoretical approaches on international organizations
Understand the different roles of international organizations on peace, security and development
Distinguish between different forms of multilateral organizations
Apply disciplinary ideas on peace, security and development in a specific region
Find, evaluate and critically read relevant academic literature and other information
Report on findings orally and in writing using the appropriate formats
Timetable
Semester 2, Block 4
Mode of instruction
The course is divided into a weekly one-hour plenary lecture followed with one hour discussion on Wednesday and a two hour seminar on Friday.
The plenary lectures discuss the concept of multilateral institutions from various perspectives and disciplines and introduces the methodology to research within a given discipline. For the topic of each lecture, please see the weekly overview.
Active participation in class discussions is required. Students will come to all class meetings prepared to discuss the reading, analyze current events in light of the reading, ask interesting questions, and answer questions from the instructor or other students. Students will be asked to participate in discussions on the course Blackboard site. Three questions must be submitted online (via Blackboard) every Tuesday on the readings and/or on issues that relate to contemporary international organizations.
Each week a study group is required to give a presentation of maximum 45 minutes in which they apply all the Research Questions of the preceding Wednesday lecture. Alternatively, we encourage students to design the presentations in a form of Mini-Simulations about, for example, the Six Party Talks (North Korea, etc), Palestine’s membership in the UN, the impact of EULEX in Kosovo, the international organizations’ responsibility to intervene in Syria or reaching a solution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It would illustrate clearly the ways in which international negotiations operate simultaneously on a number of levels, as well as the complexity of reaching an international agreement. We expect the students to present their country or institutional positions (posting materials on Blackboard a day earlier) and have constructive negotiations with different country/institutional positions, possibly reaching a consensus for a press brief.
Assessment method
- Interactive engagement with course material: assessed through In-class participation and Blackboard Questions (20% of final grade):Ongoing Weeks 1 – 7
- Understanding of course content: assessed through presentation or Mini Simulation (40% of final grade): Ongoing Weeks 1 – 7
- Expression of holistic understanding of the course: assessed through take-home essay (3000 words):40%:Week 8, 1st June 12:00 am
Blackboard
This course is supported by a BlackBoard site, which includes a student manual denoting weekly readings and additional information (PowerPoint presentations, useful websites, etc…)
Reading list
Compulsory Literature: * Zweifel, International Organizations and Democracy: Accountability, Politics, and Power. Rienner, 2006.
Recommended Literature: * Models, Numbers, and Cases: Methods for Studying International Relations by Sprinz and Wolinsky-Nahmias. * Karns and Mingst, International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance. Rienner, 2004. * Diehl, Politics of Global Governance (Third Edition). Rienner, 2005.
A student manual denoting weekly readings will be posted on blackboard the week before the start of the semester.
Registration
This course is only open for LUC The Hague students.
Contact information
Course Convenor: Arlinda Rrustemi
Email Convenor: a.rrustemi@cdh.leidenuniv.nl:mailto:a.rrustemi@cdh.leidenuniv.nl
Instructor/Seminar Leaders: Prof. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Email Instructor: j.g.de.hoop.scheffer@cdh.leidenuniv.nl:mailto: j.g.de.hoop.scheffer@cdh.leidenuniv.nl
Weekly Overview
WEEK 1 Conceptual Issues in International Cooperation
WEEK 2 Impact and Functioning of IOs
WEEK 3 Global Political Economy
WEEK 4 Regional Organizations
WEEK 5 Regional Organizations cont.
WEEK 6 Africa, The Americas, Asia and The Middle East
WEEK 7 Accountability and Responsibility