POL S 203 A: Introduction to International Relations

POLS 203: Introduction to International Relations

PDF Download - Syllabus

Course Information (in brief)

Term: Winter 2024
SLN: 19436
Meeting Time: MW 10:00 - 11:20
Meeting Location: Savery Hall 260
Course Website: Canvas (https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1697921)

Instructional Team

Instructor: Robin Datta
Best Contact:  rdatta@uw.edu 
Office Hours: MW 8:45 to 9:45 and by appointment
Location: GWN 148 + Online (Zoom)

TAs: Ji Hyeon Chung <jihyeonc@uw.edu> and Ian R Callison <icalliso@uw.edu>

Course Overview

The global community is entering a challenging chapter characterized by increasing political and economic fragmentation and shifting power dynamics. Disaffection with globalization and liberal democracy, the continued fallout from various crises in the Middle East and elsewhere, and challenges to the post-1945 global political and economic order reflect and drive this fragmentation. At the same time, nation-states, the international community, and people worldwide are confronted by significant crises that transcend borders and demand cooperation. It is in the International Community's response, or non-response that politics arises, and given that there are many different (and competing) perspectives on how to solve the world's problems, a most critical question presents itself: How do International Societies manage conflict and cooperation to solve problems and issues that impact and concern the global community?

This course explores this question by introducing you to the principles and foundations of the field of International Relations and how scholars of world politics address and explain current problems in global politics. Our survey touches on a wide variety of the current concerns in IR theory: the present actors in the international system, theories of power, conflict, and cooperation, the debates surrounding military conflict, terrorism, economic development, human rights, international law, and organization, globalization, and the rise of issues, like climate change, that defy responses based solely on traditional notions of sovereignty.

Readings:

The following textbook is required and can be purchased at the UW Bookstore or directly from the publisher as an eBook:

Kaufman, Joyce P. 2022. Introduction to International Relations: Theory and Practice. 3rd ed. Rowman & Littlefield. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538158937/Introduction-to-International-Relations-Theory-and-Practice-Third-Edition.

Additional readings will be available via Canvas modules. 

Daily reading of International news is highly recommended. UW students have free access to:

• New York Times

• Wall Street Journal

The following podcasts are also recommended:

• "The World Next Week" (Foreign Affairs)

• "Why It Matters" (Foreign Affairs)

• "The Intelligence" (The Economist)