IR422 THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
| Course Code: | 3140422 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | International Relations |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Lecturer Dr. ONUR ERPUL |
| Offered Semester: | Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
The first part of the course deals with the basics, which includes an engagement with the foundational concepts of the IR discipline as well as the concept of “theory” itself. In the second part of the course, we discuss the major paradigms –a concept you will become familiar with in this course– of IR. Paradigms for our purposes refer to the totality of assumptions, thought patterns, theories, research questions, methods, and programs pertaining to a collectively imagined framing of the social world. Part III examines the important omissions. Many of the major paradigms proceed from a structural understanding of world politics that focus on the interactions of states. They tend not to engage with deeper issues of world politics such as its main constituent actors like the state. We need to grapple with the nexus of system and unit-level phenomena by situating the state historically and among major IR theories. Next, we assess the state of knowledge production the discipline, focusing not only on the relative neglect of non-Western approaches to IR but also by problematizing the omission of gender as a significant factor in world politics. We will end the course by discussing the future of the international order via an appraisal/critique of contemporary U.S. foreign policy. At this point, students will be well placed to excel in their final take-home exam. The final, Part IV, looks at contemporary, critical and emancipatory aspects of IR Theory by scrutinizing the constituent elements of the social world and the power dynamics therein. It asks students to think about what other kinds of hierarchies exist in the social world.
Course Content
This course offers a systematic and comprehensive survey of contending classical and contemporary, traditional and behavioral theories of international relations.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the conclusion of this challenging course, students will 1) have developed an understanding of key concepts in social science and IR; 2) be able to discuss the major tenets of the mainstream Theories of IR; 3) become conversant on alternative theoretical perspectives from the global periphery, 4) and can apply theoretical discussions to contemporary global issues.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | To establish a firm basis of academic knowledge in the discipline of International Relations. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | To draw connections among different social sciences disciplines. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | To analyze social and international phenomenon in a holistic manner. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | To communicate in oral and written ways. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | To create original ideas through academic inquiry and research. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | To have social sensitivity and moral responsibilities. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution