Year 2010-11
Contemporary International Relations (21663)
Qualification: Degree in Political and Administration Sciences
Year: 2nd
Term: 1st
Number of ECTS credits: 6 credits
Hours of student dedication: 150 hours
Teaching language: Catalan (lectures), Spanish and Catalan (seminars)
1. Introduction to the course
This course is devoted to the study of contemporary international society and the main institutions of the current international order. It builds on the concepts, theories and instruments already studied in Introduction to International Relations. It focuses on the analysis and understanding of the evolution of international society from the end of World War II to the present, including the various Cold War and post-Cold War stages. Special emphasis is placed on the political and economic institutions of world order (the United Nations, the multilateral financial institutions and the multilateral trade system). Attention is also paid to their constitutive processes and to the actors involved in the transformation of international society.
2. Competences to be achieved
The course aims to provide students with generic and specific skills.
Generic competencies: acquisition of knowledge on the ideas, events and institutions of contemporary international relations; the link between theory (political doctrines) and practice (interest, decisions-making); establishing causal relationships; analysing internal and external historical, economic, political and social variables that affect the evolution of international relations; appropriate use of concepts and theories; decision- making and problem solving; ability to argue; oral and written communication; management of information (locating sources, evaluating information, selecting information); interpersonal coordination in a group; personal initiative and group leadership.
Specific skills: acquisition of specialised knowledge on the ideas, events and institutions of international relations; understanding and critical analysis of events and ideas that make up international relations; reasoning about the best decisions to resolve specific problems in international politics; managing specialist international relations information.
3. Contents
PART I. HISTORICAL FRACTURES IN THE CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE MULTILATERAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ORDER
Topic 1. The international system of the Cold War: the East-West split.
Topic 2. Dependency and underdevelopment in the international system: the North-South divide.
Topic 3. The United Nations multilateral political order during the Cold War
Topic 4. The multilateral economic order (I): multilateral financial institutions.
Topic 5. The multilateral economic order (II): the multilateral trade system.
Part II. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
Topic 6. Contemporary globalization and its political implications.
Topic 7. From the end of the Cold War to post-Cold War.
Topic 8. The United Nations in the post-Cold War era.
Topic 9. Changes in the inter-state structures and its institutional implications.
Topic 10. New challenges to security.
4. Assessment
The course combines continuous assessment mechanisms and a final exam. The final grade will take both into account.
Continuous assessment: this will be evaluated through tests and exercises set throughout the course following a calendar set by the course teachers. The grades for this will constitute 40% of the final grade. Students will get four grades throughout the course relating to the completion of set exercises and tests. They will comprise of classroom and non classroom based exercises, some individual and some in groups. Together the four grades will make up the final continuous assessment grade.
Final exam: the final exam will cover the contents of the syllabus of the subject and will count for 60% of the final course grade. Students must obtain at least a 3 in their final exam in order for it to count towards the final grade. Students have the option of increasing their final mark by up to 10% if they complete an exercise based on readings set by the course teachers at the beginning of the term.
5. Readings and resources
5.1. Basic Bibliography
Esther Barbé, "La fractura centro-periferia", Relaciones Internacionales, Madrid: Tecnos, 3rd ed., 2007, p. 284-294.
Caterina García, "La globalización en la sociedad internacional contemporánea: dimensiones y problemas desde la perspectiva de las Relaciones Internacionales", Cursos de Derecho Internacional de Vitoria-Gasteiz 1998, Madrid: Tecnos/Universidad del País Vasco, 1999, p. 315-350.
Caterina García & Ángel J. Rodrigo (eds.), "Conclusiones: la inviabilidad del orden imperial", El imperio inviable. El orden internacional tras el conflicto de Irak, Madrid: Tecnos, 2004, p. 227-259.
Caterina García & Ángel J. Rodrigo (eds.), "La necesidad de redefinir la seguridad: seguridad humana, seguridad colectiva y derecho internacional", La seguridad comprometida. Nuevos desafíos, amenazas y conflictos armados, Madrid: Tecnos, 2008, p. 205-228.
Pedro Martínez Lillo, "El fracaso de la paz" and Juan Carlos Pereira Castañares, "La guerra fría y el sistema bipolar", in José U. Martínez Carreras et al., Historia del mundo actual, Barcelona: Marcial Pons, 1996, p. 3-30, 39-54.
Juan Carlos Ocaña, "La distensión. 1962-1975", "La nueva guerra fría. 1975-1985", Historia de las Relaciones Internacionales durante el siglo XX. La guerra fría, Centro Nacional de Información y Comunicación Educativa / Historiasiglo20.org.
Available at: http://www.historiasiglo20.org/GF/index.htm
Giuliano Procacci, "El fracaso de la perestroika", Historia general del siglo XX, Barcelona: Crítica, 2001, p. 559-576.
José Antonio Sanahuja, Altruismo, mercado y poder, Barcelona: Intermón-Oxfam, 2001, p. 23-43, 151-180, 202-227 and 279-296.
Charles Zorgbibe, "Las crisis cubanas", "El Pacto de Varsovia: la doctrina Breznev", "Washington-Moscú: la era de las negociaciones", "La política hacia el Este del canciller Brandt" and "Vietnam: la guerra americana", Historia de las Relaciones Internacionales. Vol. 2. Del Sistema de Yalta hasta nuestros días, Madrid: Alianza Universidad, 1997, p. 300-313, 336-360, 367-379, 440-448.
La ONU en síntesis, Nueva York: Departamento de Información Pública de las Naciones Unidas, 2007, 37 p. Available at: http://www.un.org
Entender la OMC, Ginebra: División de Información y Relaciones con los Medios de Comunicación de la OMC, 3rd ed., 2007. Available in the Aula Global.
5.2. Educational resources
Internet addresses, annual reports, atlas, specialized dictionaries and other reference works, specialised journals, and some audiovisual materials (documentaries and films).
6. Methodology
This course combines classroom-based and autonomous learning activities outside the classroom. There are two types of classroom based activities: lectures and seminars. Non classroom based activities refer to students' preparation of seminars, completing the required and recommended readings and an optional piece of coursework based on the readings set by the course teachers.
7. Programme of activities
Week 1: Lecture: topic 1. Programme explanation.
Week 2: Lecture: topic 2. Programme explanation.
Week 3: Lecture: topic 3. Programme explanation.
Week 4: Lecture: topic 4. Programme explanation.
Week 5: Lecture: topic 5. Programme explanation.
Week 6: Lecture: topic 6. Programme explanation.
Week 7: Lecture: topic 7. Programme explanation.
Week 8: Lecture: topic 8. Programme explanation.
Week 9: Lecture: topic 9. Programme explanation.
Week 10: Lecture: topic 10. Programme explanation.