02493 - International Relations

Learning outcomes

The course deals with some basic themes, concepts and thinkers in international relations. The purpose is to provide students with essential conceptual and linguistic tools for understanding the underlying structure and fundamental features of international politics, as well as its material and immaterial changing aspects. The objective is to explain the dynamics through which men and women understand international politics as well as on achieving a coherent capacity of thinking international life, both in its theoretical and practical dimension.

Course contents

The course is organized with a part of lectures taught online on MS TEAMS (30 hours) and another taught in presence (30 hours). The number of students allowed in class is determined on the basis of class capacity and by the health and safety provisions that deal with the pandemic emergency. In case more students want to attend classes in presence than permitted by the rules, a system of shifts will be organized so to allow students to participate. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

The course consists of seven topics:

I. International Relations as a Field of Western Knowledge

II. A Fundamental Theoretical Framework: Realism/Idealism

III. War and Ways of Peace

IV. Beyond Domestic Analogy. Justice and Order in World Politics

V. The International Political Space  

VI. Homogeneity, Heterogeneity and Conflict

VII. The Global Age and International Relations

Each course topic includes required readings. Texts marked by an asterisk (*) are available on line at the materiale didattico web site. To access these texts, students must subscribe the Unibo digital list titled michele.chiaruzzi.ri

Readings/Bibliography

I. International Relations as a Field of Western Knowledge

Required Readings:
1. Richard Devetak,An Introduction to International Relations, inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 1-18.
2. Jim George,International Relations Theory in an Age of Critical Diversity, in Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations,Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 22-34.
3. Martin Wight,Why is There no International Theory?, inInternational Relations,vol. 2, 1960, pp. 35-48.*
4. Raymond Aron, Qu'est-ce qu'une théorie des relations internationales?, in Revue française de science politique, n. 5, 1997, pp. 837-861. *

II. A Fundamental Theoretical Framework: Realism/Idealism

Required Readings:
1. Hans J. Morgenthau,Six Principles of Political Realism, inH.J. Morgenthau,Politics Among Nations. The Struggle for Power and Peace, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1978, pp. 4-15.*
2. Edward H. Carr,The Twenty Years's Crisis, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2001, pp. 42-88.
3. Leonard Woolf,Utopia and Reality, in «Political Quarterly», vol. 11, n. 2, 1940, pp. 167-182. *
4. James Richardson,Liberalism, inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 48-60.
5. Michele Chiaruzzi,Realism,inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 35-48.

III. War and Ways of Peace

Required readings:
1. Kenneth Waltz,Man, the State,and War,New York, Columbia University, 1959, chapters II, IV, VI, VIII.
2. Martin Wight,The Balance of Power and International Order, in A. James (ed.), The Bases of International Order, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1973, pp. 85-115.*
3. Marco Cesa,Great Powers, inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 268-79.
4. Ian Hurd, The United Nations,inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 268-79.

IV.Beyond the Domestic Analogy.Justice and Order in World Politics

Required Readings:
1. Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society, London: Macmillan, 1995.


V. The International Political Space

Required Readings:
1. Raymond Aron,On Space, inRaymond Aron,Peace and War, New Jeresy, Transaction Publisher, Chapter VII.
2. Ladis K. D. Kristof,The Origins and Evolution of Geopolitics, in«The Journal ofConflict Resolution»,vol. 4, no. 1, 1960, pp. 15-51.*


VI. Homogeneity, Heterogeneity and Conflict

Required Readings:
1.Raymond Aron,On International Systems, inRaymond Aron, Peace and War, New Jeresy, Transaction Publisher, Chapter IV.
2.Michael W. Doyle,Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs, in Philosophy & Public Affairs, vol. 12, no. 3, 1983, pp. 205-235.*
3. Cristopher Layne,Kant or Cant?, in International Security, vol. 19, no, 2, 1994, pp. 5-49.*


VII. The Global Age and International Life

Required Readings:
1. Sara E. Davies,Migration and Refugees,inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 268-79, pp. 450-461.
2. Steven Slaughter,Globalisation and Its Critics,inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 386-97.
3. James Goodman,Non-State Actors,inRichard Devetak, Anthony Burke, and Jim George (eds),An Introduction to International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 310-21.

Texts marked with an asterisk*are available on line at the materiale didatticoweb site. To access these texts students must subscribe the Unibo digital listtitled michele.chiaruzzi.ri

Other texts are available at Bologna libraries, including the Johns Hopkins University library (via Belmeloro, 10).

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures. Students must subscribe the  list called michele.chiaruzzi.ri Attendance is expected at all lectures and verified. All news on the course as well as final examination will be published  on line: please check the  sito web docente.

Assessment methods

Attending students

Written exam based on open questions. Oral exam is voluntary.
International Relations course will be concluded at the end of December. It includes a mid-term written exam in November as well as a final exam at the end of December based on lectures and a part of required readings according to the syllabus. Students are considered not attending students if they are absent for more than four lessons in each study term (September-October/November-December). The exams are based on written questions. Time availabe is 50'. The final vote will be based on the mid-term and final exam results. Then, students  can opt for an oral exam or save their written exam result. During the exam students can use their favourite languages among Italian, English, French, Spanish as well as a dictionary. If students fail to achieve a final positive evaluation, they could opt for an exam based on not attending students required readings.

Not attending students

Not attending students can opt for a written exam during standard exam sessions. They will study the following volumes:

1) Michele Chiaruzzi, Politica di potenza nell'età del Leviatano, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008.

2) Martin Wight, Teoria internazionale. Le tre tradizioni, Bologna, Il Ponte, 2016.

3) Hedley Bull, La società anarchica. L'ordine nella politica mondiale, Milano, Vita & Pensiero, 2005.

The oral exam is optional.

Teaching tools

The students will follow, for the duration of the course, the Radio 3 Mondo radio program, also available in podcast.
Each course topic includes required readings. Texts marked by an asterisk (*) are available on line at the materiale didattico web site. To access these texts and enroll in the course, students must subscribe the Unibo digital list titled michele.chiaruzzi.ri 

News and information on the course as well as examinations results will be published on line. Please always check the sito web docente.

Links to further information

https://unibo.academia.edu/MicheleChiaruzzi

Office hours

See the website of Michele Chiaruzzi