Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminars / Tutorials | 11 x 2 hrs |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 x Seminar Presentation | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 3,500 word essay | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | 1 X 3,000 word essay | 40% |
Learning Outcomes
1. Critically analyse the concepts of fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics, and locate them within competing theories of International Relations.
2. Demonstrate a Master’s level awareness of the key literatures on fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics, and relate these to debates about these concepts in other disciplines.
3 Apply the conceptual material studied on the module to specific empirical cases, and show how these cases help us to think about the theoretical debates.
4. Demonstrate an appreciation of the methodological and theoretical challenges that face students undertaking research work on the interplay between fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics.
Aims
This module provides the core subject specific training for students taking the Department’s contribution to the new Master’s in Food and Water Security. It is designed to provide both an advanced level of training for students who have already studied International Relations at undergraduate level as well as providing a conversion course for those who have not studied International Relations before.
Brief description
The module introduces students to the theory and practice of fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics by exploring these ideas in the context of historical change and transformation in world politics as well as competing theories of International Relations.
Content
2. The ‘existential condition of uncertainty’ as a starting point for theorising international politics
3. The relationship between fear and politics
4. Fear, uncertainty, and insecurity in the Cold War
5. Fear, Food and Water Security
6. Cooperation in an anarchic international system
7. Environmental change and resource competition as a problem of cooperation in an anarchic system
8. The nuclear non-proliferation regime and the control of the military uses of atomic energy
9. Trust at the international level
10. Trust-building between adversaries
11. Trust, security communities, and an anarchic international system
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing and how to develop their arguments to their advantage. They will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis throughout the module will be on student participation and communication. Fellow students will be encouraged to question the paper-giver to critique their approach or to suggest areas for the development of the chosen topic; in turn each will discuss the contributions and ideas of the other. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the convenor and fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. The need to conduct a seminar presentation and to meet an essay deadline will focus students’ attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as BIDS and OCLC). |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students’ verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning an essay and a presentation, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills. |
| Problem solving | Independent project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; the submission of an assessed essay and the challenge of an examination will require that the student develops independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student’s ability to work alone can be undertaken. |
| Research skills | The submission of an essay will test the independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student’s ability to work alone can be undertaken |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: Collect and understand a wide range of data relating to the module Ability to evaluate competing perspectives Demonstrate subject specific research techniques Apply a range of methodologies to complex political problems |
| Team work | Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7