MVZ127 Introduction to the Study of World Politics: Basic Theories and Debates

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2006
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Gergana Císařová Dimitrova, M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Mon 14:00–15:40 P22
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! MVE141 Introduction to World Politics
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 26 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives (in Czech)
The purpose of this course is twofold. First, students are introduced to important concepts and theories in the study of world politics and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. The course covers both mainstream and non-orthodox theories of International Relations. Particular emphasis is put on identifying the underlying methodological and normative assumptions on which the different theories of International Relations rest. Second, students are encouraged to think critically about theoretical analysis in International Relations. The course demonstrates that theories are not simply used to 'objectively' analyze events in world politics but in fact influence the very interpretation of these events and the meaning attributed to them. Students will be encouraged to apply the different concepts and theories we are discussing to the analysis of current international affairs. The course has been designed so that it could be of interest to both beginners and more advanced students who want to brush upon their knowledge of the 'classics' in international relations and get acquainted with new theoretical projects such as constructivism and poststructuralism.
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Course Requirements 1. Students are expected to read the required reading(s) for each seminar. The suggested reading is only for those who have special interest in the topic and is completely optional. Please note that if there are two or three shorter required readings rather than one long, you are expected to read all of them.2. Seminar participation. Students are expected to be frequently present in the classes and to actively participate in the discussions during the seminars. 3. Five short seminar papers (each 200 - 400 words long). Students might be asked to communicate the main points of their papers to the class.Every student is expected to write five short papers for five different seminars. These papers should include a summary of the main points of the required reading(s), a critique of these readings, and possible questions for discussion.To enable me organize the in-class discussion, papers MUST have two clearly identified sections: a summary section and a critique section, entitled respectively "Summary" and "Critique". If you have questions of clarification or discussion, please include a third separate section entitled "Questions". Papers that do not have this structure and contain different points scattered throughout the text will be rejected outright.See the Short Paper Guidelines available on the course website for more details on how to write a short paper. The short papers should be submitted by email to cisarova@fss.muni.cz no later than 6 p.m. of the day before the seminar. Please paste the text into the body of the email. I will not open attachments of any kind. Do not include any other text in the email. The subject of your email should indicate the subject of the paper, e.g. "Neorealism". Papers submitted later than the specified deadline will not be accepted. Papers cannot be submitted in print. 4. Final in-class written test. The test will consist of 5 open questions based on the required readings and the discussions in class. Evaluation:Every short seminar paper submitted in time and in compliance with the requirements for writing short papers gets 2 points.Every test question gets between 0 and 6 points.Maximum points: 40.The minimal requirement for a passing grade is 24 points.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
Teacher's information
http://www.fss.muni.cz/~cisarova/
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004.
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