LAB ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

The aim of the course is to provide a brief introduction to the field of International Relations Theory and of the main dynamics of globalization. The main schools of thought within the discipline will be surveyed. Furthermore, case studies will be adopted to show how theoretical concepts are applied to better understand the international political dynamics of a specific region. In so doing, the course intends to marry tools of analysis drawn judiciously from the field of International Relations theory with a serious and detailed examination of local and regional dynamics. Students are invited to apply the concepts illustrated to a specific local or regional case, preferably connected to their thesis topic.

Learning outcomes, by the end of the course students will:
a) have acquired basic knowledge and understandingl of the major theoretical schools in international relations;
b) will be in a position to trace and understand patterns of peace and conflict;
c) will have a theoretical understanding of case studies in global politics;
d) will be able to detect long term trends in world politics;
e) will have increased their autonomy of judgment by classroom discussion;
f) will have improved their communication ability in English though classroom presentations undertaken on a volunteer basis;
g) will have an analytical understanding of world politics;
h) will be equipped to go on international exchanges.

Basic analytical skills, ability to access an online teaching platform.

Introduction: The four main schools of thought in International Relations Theory.
- Realism
- Idealism
- Constructivism and other critical approaches
- Marxism and critical theories

International Issues:
- Gender Issues
- Poverty, Development and Hunger
- Environmental issues
- Nuclear Proliferation

Primary (required text):
Grieco J. and Ikenberry, J. Introduction to International Relations, London and New York, Fourth Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2026.
A full list of internet sources will also be distributed to students on Moodle.

Participation in the online fora is essential. This will sharpen your knowledge and comprehension interdisciplinary skills in line with the overall objective of the PISE program. There will be an oral exam at the end of the course but participation in the online forum and full interaction with the online material will certainly be taken into account. This mixed approach will help fulfill the learning objectives of the course. Your communication skills will be enhanced by the need to take an oral exam coupled with the need to participate in written form in the online forum. Students will be able to volunteer to make an in class presentation, individual or collective, for extra credit. In this instance extra credit is aimed at highly capable students who may benefit from an additional challenge that might not be suitable as required work for all students. Extra credit can thus promote differentiated instruction by factoring in optional work in the assessment of student performance. Extra credit can also be earned by participating in relevant external activities. As for grading, the exam will be marked on a scale ranging from 0 to 30. The minimum passing grade is 18. Honors ("lode") will be granted only for exceptional capacity of judgment and excellent knowledge of the topics under evaluation.

orale

Il/la docente ha il dovere di vigilare affinché siano rispettate le regole di autenticità e originalità delle prove d'esame. Di conseguenza, nei casi in cui vi sia il sospetto di un comportamento irregolare, l'esame può prevedere un ulteriore approfondimento, contestuale alla prova d'esame, che potrà essere realizzato anche in modalità differente rispetto alle modalità sopra riportate.

The passing grade is 18.

Grades in the range of 18-22 will be assigned to students who display a sufficient knowledge of the material.

Grades in the range 22-28 will be assigned to students who display a good knowledge of the material.

Grades in the range 28-30 will be assigned to students who display excellent knowledge of the malarial and show leadership potential.

This is a blended/online course, an innovative platform offered by Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

Questo insegnamento tratta argomenti connessi alla macroarea "Cooperazione internazionale" e concorre alla realizzazione dei relativi obiettivi ONU dell'Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile