B1948 - POLITICS IN A GLOBAL WORLD

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

An introductory course to the analysis of international politics and of foreign policy, 'Politics in a Global World’ provides the students with the basic knowledge and skills to investigate contemporary international relations at both the theoretical and empirical levels. At the end of the course, students are expected to be familiar with the current debates in IR theories; to have acquired core skills to interpret key political processes at the international, supranational and transnational levels; to have developed the ability to apply such knowledge towards the understanding of selected outcomes in international politics, also in conjunction with concepts derived from other subject matters in their curricula. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with both small- group teamwork and large audience interactions

Contenuti

The course is organised into lectures and seminars, according to the flipped classroom modality.

Divided into a Core section (1) and Applied modules (2) ‘Politics in a Global World’ introduces the students to the analysis of international politics and foreign policy. Based on the conceptual lenses of the main approaches in the different IR research traditions, the course focuses on the reciprocal interactions between security dynamics, integration and dis-integration economic processes, normative and institutional evolution in the relations among the different actors on the international scene.

CORE PART (Prof.Baroncelli): Taught module on core concepts with the help of various visual tools. Duration: 30 hrs divided into 15 classes of 2 hrs each, First part of the Spring Semester.

The CORE SECTION covers the following topics

1. Introduction to the study of IR: Research traditions and evolution of the discipline

2. Classic Realism

3. Neorealism

4. Classic Liberalism

5. Contemporary Liberalism

6. English School

7. Constructivism and post-positivist approaches

8. IPE

9. Global governance

10. Foreign policy analysis

 

APPLIED MODULES: on selected policy applications, offered via small-group workshops organized around flipped classroom modality, with the help of visual tools. These seminars aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. For this section of the course, students will be divided in 4 groups. Duration of each module: 10 hrs divided into 5 classes (2 hours each) per module, once a week.

 

GUEST LECTURES by external experts may complement Part I and II, and will be scheduled throughout the duration of the Course.

 

APPLIED MODULES - PART II*

(Prof. Baroncelli - Group 1 and 2; Prof. TBA, Group 3 and 4)

Topic 1. The Transformations of Security between empirical reality and theoretical reflection

1. Williams, Paul D. and Matt McDonald (2023), ‘Introduction’, in Williams, PD and McDonald, M. (eds) Security Studies, an Introduction, 4^th Edition 2023, Routledge, 1-14.

2. Hirsch Ballin, E., Dijstelbloem, H., & de Goede, P. (2020). The Extension of the Concept of Security. In Security in an Interconnected World (pp. 13-39). Springer, Cham.

3. Donnelly, J. 2016 'The Heterarchic Structure of Twenty-First Century International Governance'. Korean Journal of International Studies 14 (1): 1 – 29.

 

Topic 2. The ‘Rise and fall of the great powers’: old and new realisms on the ‘China rise’ issue

1. Mearsheimer, J. (2014) Can China Rise Peacefully?, The National Interest, October 25 2014, https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/can-china-rise-peacefully-10204

2. Schweller, R. Opposite but Compatible Nationalisms: A Neoclassical Realist Approach to the Future of US–China Relations, The Chinese Journal of International Politics, Volume 11, Issue 1, Spring 2018, Pages 23–48, https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/poy003

3. Walt S. M. (2025) Hedging on Hegemony: The Realist Debate over How to Respond to China, International Security, 49 (4): 37–70.

Suggested:

Visual Contribution: TED Talk by Graham Allison, ‘Thucydides Trap’ (2018), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewnyUJgyA4

 

Topic 3. The future of the liberal international order: Realism, Liberalism, and beyond

1. Ikenberry, J.G. (2018), ‘The End of the liberal international order?’, in International Affairs 94 (1), 7–23; doi: 10.1093/ia/iix241

2. Mearsheimer, J. (2019) ‘Bound to Fail. The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order, International Security, 43 (4), 7-50, https://doi.org/10.1162/ISEC_a_00342

3.Michael C Williams (2025), The crisis of the conservative international order, International Affairs, 101(3): 947–965, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf011

Suggested

Visual contribution: "The Future of the Liberal International Order" with John Ikenberry and John Mearsheimer (2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHdE8z_ur6A

 

Topic 4. Unpacking climate governance from an IR theory perspective

1. Falkner, R. (2016). 'The Paris Agreement and the new logic of international climate politics'. International Affairs, 92(5), 1107-1125.

2. De Coninck, H., & Bäckstrand, K. (2011). 'An International Relations perspective on the global politics of carbon dioxide capture and storage'. Global Environmental Change, 21(2), 368-378.

3. Katharina Rietig (2025), What next for international climate politics? Learning and multilevel reinforcing dynamics in the UNFCCC, International Affairs, 101(4): 1301–1321, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf073

 

Topic 5. Knowledge, agency and cooperation in the evolving world order

1.Acharya A. After Liberal Hegemony: The Advent of a Multiplex World Order. Ethics & International Affairs. 2017;31(3):271-285. doi:10.1017/S089267941700020X

2. Barkawi T, Murray C, Zarakol A. The United Nations of IR: power, knowledge, and empire in Global IR debates. International Theory. 2023;15(3):445-461. doi:10.1017/S17529719230001673

3.Baroncelli E. & Irrera, D. (2024) The Triple Nexus and the Future of Multilateral Governance: Rethinking Coordination between Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding Efforts. The International Spectator, 59(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2379979

Suggested

Webinar Series "International System of Power" - 19th March 2021

Title: Race and Racism in Understandings of World Order’ – bits by A. Acharya and B.Buzan- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piFnOia0cdw

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*NB: Topics and readings may be adjusted – so please doublecheck before the beginning of the Course

Testi/Bibliografia

REQUIRED READINGS FOR THE CORE SECTION

-Sorensen, G., Moller, J. and Jackson, R. (2025) Introduction to International Relations, Oxford University Press, 9th Edition, ISBN: 9780198899730

-Baroncelli, E. (2024). Governing Complexity in Complex Times: The HDP Nexus and the Role of the UN, the EU and the World Bank. The International Spectator, 59(3), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2376041

REQUIRED READINGS FOR THE APPLIED MODULES are indicated above in the relevant sections.

Further instructions will be posted on this webpage.

Metodi didattici

Combination of taught classes (main instructor), flipped classroom modality lessons (main instructor and adjunct instructor) and guest lectures (external experts). More particularly, classes are divided in two modules: First module (core): taught classes, in the first part of the Spring semester; Second module: workshops organized around flipped classroom modality, in the second part of the Spring semester. The flipped classroom structure is adopted specifically to stimulate autonomous content-elaboration, critical reassessment and public speaking skills on theories and policies covered during both part 1 and 2 by the students. All classes will be held at the Forlì Campus.

Team work is encouraged, towards the autonomous creation of 'groups of experts' by the students, on targeted topics (academic debates, policy applications) on which presentations are held by the students, who also suggest debates and discussions, facilitated by the small group modality. Teamwork on selected topics and debates is encouraged via digital sharing (uploaded resources - Virtuale Repository) on targeted readings. Classes may be accompanied by Guest lectures and seminars by external experts.

For additional information please contact the Course Tutor TBA, via email at the following address: TBA

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Learning by attending students is assessed 1. Via TWO TESTS, ONE ON EACH MODULE (CORE AND CHOSEN APPLIED MODULE), aimed at evaluating their knowledge and ability to autonomously elaborate on the contents covered 2. FINAL ORAL EXAM on the full programme.

To sit the final oral exam attending students must have qualified as attendees (4 out of 5 lessons in flipped classroom modality + active participation to activities therein), AND must have passed THE TWO INTERMEDIATE TESTS WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE EQUAL TO OR HIGHER THAN 18/30. Students who do not meet such standard but want to stay in the attending track are offered the opportunity to re-sit ONE intermediate test (where they have obtained the lowest grade).

Attending students are also offered the opportunity to reject ONE among the two evaluations obtained the intermediate tests.

Make-up test of ONE partial exam is scheduled in the FIRST and SECOND EXAM DATES OFFERED IN JUNE 2026, so attending students are advised to plan ahead of time should they choose/need to avail themselves of such opportunity. Attending students who choose to reject one of the intermediate grades obtained in the written intermediate tests must notify the Tutor, cc-ing the applicable Instructor, about their choice, by [deadline to TBS].

The final grade is a weighted average of FIRST INTERMEDIATE TEST (40%), SECOND INTERMEDIATE TEST (40%), FINAL ORAL EXAM AND CLASS PARTICIPATION (20%).

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

One written exam (10 questions, short open answer, 0-3 pts max each) and one final oral exam on the full course program (Core Part and Part Two – without classwork but with readings indicated therein). In addition, non-attending students will prepare ONE of the following monographs:

a) K. Waltz, Man, the State and War, Columbia University Press (1959)

b) K. Waltz, Theory of International Politics, Addison Wesley (1979)

c) R. Gilpin, War and Change in International Politics, Cambridge University Press (1981)

d) S. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Simon & Schuster (1997)

e) A. Wendt, Social Theory of International Politics, Cambridge University Press (1999)

f) A. Hirschman, National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade, University of California Press (1945)

g) E. Baroncelli, The European Union, the World Bank and the Policymaking of Aid: Cooperation among Developers, Routledge (2019)

h) V. E. Parsi The Wrecking of the Liberal World Order. Palgrave-Macmillan (2021).

Non Attending students are kindly requested to enroll in two separate lists (1.written test non-attending students 2.oral exam) via the AlmaEsami Platform, following the procedures and regulations applicable for such System. To sit the oral exam, non-attending students must obtain a passing grade (18/30 or higher) in the written test. In order to qualify for a valid passing grade, non-attending students will have to show that they have sufficient knowledge of and control on written and oral exposition of main IR research traditions, theories and substantive issues as covered in the Course Syllabus.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Ppt, visual and interactive web and non-web based tools (EOL, Virtuale, Teams, YouTube, Netflix, Kahoot, Mentimeter, DVDs), guest lectures by external experts and seminars, teamwork, oral presentations and debates in small group workshops, inclusive teaching to enhance class participation.

All Students are required to enroll through Virtuale.

Resources and useful information will be posted in Virtuale as the Core teaching part proceeds (Class slides), along with Readings for the Second Part of the Course.

Students with a form of disability or specific learning disabilities (LDS-DSA) who are requesting academic adjustments or compensatory tools are invited to communicate their needs to the teaching staff in order to properly address them and agree on the appropriate measures with the competent Unibo offices.

Details on mock tests and Review sessions, in addition to dedicated office-hours will be posted by the Course Tutor, TBA in the Virtuale repository.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Eugenia Baroncelli

Consulta il sito web di