Understanding World Politics

The world seems to have become increasingly complex. Whereas before, at least theoretically, power and interest may have explained why wars occurred or why some states embarked on campaigns of territorial expansion, understanding the world nowadays requires an analysis of new actors, new ideas, and new dynamics that have merged the local with the global.

Intended audience

This subject stream is aimed at anyone with an interest in international politics, those who wish to develop a better understanding of the world today, and anyone seeking a stronger background for degrees or careers requiring a grasp of contemporary world politics. It would suit those both inside and outside the Social Sciences by broadening their conceptual understanding of world politics and providing them with new analytical tools.

Previous knowledge

No prior knowledge of either International Relations or International Politics is assumed or required for pursuing a research project which will be tailored to the background of the student.

Assessment

Dissertation (no more than 6,000 words): 100% of the total.

Research Topics

The potential research proposals you could pursue on the programme are listed below. The specific research focus of your project will be determined and confirmed with guidance from your supervisor. 

1. Rise of China and the state of liberal international order 

• Is the liberal international order in decline? 
• Is the rise of China a threat to the stability of the liberal international order? 
• Will the rise of China and other non-Western countries lead to the creation of a more egalitarian international order? 
• Will China’s rise inevitably lead to war with the United States? Discuss with reference to Realist and Liberal theories. 

2. Relationship between nuclear power, peace and stability

• What are the implications of nuclear proliferation for international peace and security? 
• Assess Waltz’s suggestion that the spread of nuclear weapons is not such a bad thing.
• What would you advise the US president to do regarding Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programmes? Ground your advice in relevant theories and empirical evidence.
• How might collective action problems like the prisoner’s dilemma explain the inability to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons? 

3. Legitimacy of international military intervention

• Can international use of force be illegal but legitimate? 
• Does military intervention have to be authorised by the United Nations Security Council in order to be legitimate? 
• Coercive democracy promotion strategies, such as interventions, benefit non-democratic countries and the world peace. Discuss drawing on at least two cases. 
• What explains UN Security Council decision-making on military intervention? Why do states resort to it? 

4. Role of states and non-state actors in international relations

• Have non-state actors become more important than states in international politics? 
• How do non-state actors affect the states and inter-state relations in the Middle East? 
• Can international organisations defend and advance the interests of the poor, weak and marginalised? As a general rule, do they? 
• Does the increasing number of inter-governmental organisations and NGOs make a world government more or less likely? 

5. Gender and international relations

• In what ways are international relations gendered?
• Are there certain aspects of international politics that can be understood without attention to gender? 
• Is it useful to consider war to be a practice of male dominance? Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach to theorising gender and war with reference to at least one armed conflict. 

6. Global inequalities and colonialism

• Are inequality and poverty international or domestic problems, and why? 
• ‘Capitalism not anarchy is the key fact of the international system.’ Discuss. 
• Does the state have a different history in the West and non-West? If so, how does that difference matter for our understanding of international politics? 
• Is the legacy of colonialism more important in terms of its impact on domestic politics or international politics? 
• How does our understanding of 9/11 change – if at all – when we view if from perspectives outside the West? 

7. Climate change and international politics

• Is disagreement about climate change an obstacle to solving it? 
• Are existing institutions of international politics adequate to dealing with the Anthropocene? 
• Does climate change ‘change everything’ when it comes to international politics? 
• If we are facing a planetary crisis today, who or what is to blame for it?

Prefer to follow a research idea of your own?

Take a look at the Open Stream.