| CODE | IRL1035 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Foreign Policy and Security Studies | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | International Relations | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | During the First Semester the focus of this unit will be on an Introduction to Foreign Policy Analysis. The study-unit will begin by introducing the concept of foreign policy and is role in contemporary international relations, together with the role of Foreign Policy Analysis and its importance in the study of contemporary international relations. In order to do so an understanding of the varying theoretical approaches to foreign policy is essential. A review of Realist, Liberalist and Constructivist approaches to foreign policy analysis will therefore be undertaken. The study-unit will then go on to analyse the factors involved in the making of foreign policy, such as the relevant actors, structures and institutions, the role played by the media and public opinion, and the impact of economic factors and security issues in the formulation and prioritisation of policy. The impact of internal as well as external factors and events in the foreign policy decision making process will also be reviewed. The implementation of foreign policies and the use of bilateral relations, multilateralism and economic instruments in the conduct of external relations will also be discussed. The geopolitics of foreign policy will be given particular attention through a number of case studies. Countries that will be studied include Malta, the United States of America, Russia, the UK, Italy, and China, Japan. During the Second Semester, the focus of this unit will be on an Introduction to Security Studies. The study-unit will begin by introducing the role of security studies within contemporary International Relations. The unit will then go on to analyse the role that multilateralism and international institutions have played in order to deal with security issues collectively. We will therefore begin by reviewing attempts at collective security such as the Congress System and the League of Nations, and move on to contemporary structures, such as the United Nations, NATO, OSCE and the ESDP. Following an assessment of the security institutions in place, the unit will go on to review the security concepts and issues that riddle contemporary international relations. These will include traditional security issues such as contemporary warfare, insurgency, terrorism and intervention, together with an analysis of new or “soft security issues, such as human security, environmental security and health security. In this way, students will be able to appreciate the changes and continuities that are taking place in the international security agenda, which ultimately have a bearing on the national security considerations of individual states. In analysing the contemporary threats and challenges to national, regional and international security, the course will go on to assess the ability of existing institutions and agencies to deal with contemporary security issues effectively. Study-unit Aims The objective of the study-unit is to introduce students to the study of foreign policy. It also aims to introduce students to Security studies, particularly to the security issues that affect the International Community, as well as to familiarise students to the International Security architecture. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: comprehend the history and role of Foreign Policy Analysis in the study of international relations; comprehend the theoretical aspects of Foreign Policy Analysis; comprehend the role of the state in contemporary international relations. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: identify and analyse the actors, structures and institutions involved in the both the making and implementation of foreign policy; analyse the threats and challenges to contemporary security, and assess the relevance and effectiveness of international security organisations to deal with contemporary security issues; discuss the evolution of security issues and analyse the developments from both a national perspective, as well as take into account the role of multilateral security institutions. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings - Steve Smith, Amelia Hadfield, Tim Dunne (ed.) Foreign Policy: Theories, Actors, Cases (Oxford University Press, 2008) - Paul D. Williams (Ed) Security Studies: An Introduction (Routledge, 2008) Supplementary readings will be assigned throughout the study-unit. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Valentina Cassar |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||