ASTK18014U Core Subject: Concepts and Methods in International Relations

This compulsory course provides a foundation in the discipline of International Relations (IR) at post-graduate level. It focuses on core concepts of international relations as well as the approaches that have been developed to study IR phenomena. Rather than relying on a traditional and in many ways outdated understanding of the discipline as a collection of theories and paradigms or series of great debates, the introduction offers a more fluid and dialogical understanding of the discipline as a collective interested in certain problems, developing concepts in response to these as well dedicated research approaches. The course conducts a survey which includes classical studies as well as contemporary ones. The focus on concepts and approaches allows for a fruitful dialogue between classics and contemporaries.

The course discusses foundational social-theoretical models, epistemological as well as methodological considerations. It does not, however, provide an introduction to research design, methods and the practicalities of designing, implementing and evaluating a small scale research project.