EUT058: International Affairs: Legal and Political Aspects (MSc Econ IR Optional Module)
| School | null |
| Department Code | null |
| Module Code | EUT058 |
| External Subject Code | L200 |
| Number of Credits | 15 |
| Level | L7 |
| Language of Delivery | English |
| Module Leader | Professor Peter Sutch |
| Semester | Autumn Semester |
| Academic Year | 2013/4 |
Outline Description of Module
The module explores how law and politics structure international affairs. It explores the basic elements of public international law and the nature of politics in a partially globalized and legalized world. Central to the module is the apparent tension between law and politics in post 1945 world and this theme is explored in the context of key legal and political issues form the nature of statehood, to the use of force.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
To impart an inter-disciplinary understanding of how the two related disciplines of International Law and International Relations seek to analyse and explain the same phenomena. To compare and contrast key tools of analysis and to gauge their relative strengths and weaknesses in explaining State behaviour. To provide students with an advanced understanding of the key concepts of International Law and the key theories of International Relations. To compare and contrast key contemporary global and regional institutions and understand the law in the context of International Relations theory and vice versa.
On completion of the module a student should be able to:
- Identify and explain the key features of the international legal system;
- Identify and explain the key International Relations theories;
- Identify and explain the key weaknesses and strengths of both disciplines in analysing State behaviour;
- Seek to explain both differences and similarities by identifying elements of the cultural, political and historical contexts which have informed the development of these traditions, institutional structures and procedural rules;
- Use interdisciplinary approaches and understanding to inform a critical evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each discipline.
How the module will be delivered
Teaching will take place in Semester 1 and will consist of 10 two-hour seminars and four lectures.
How the module will be assessed
There is one piece of assessment for this. It is designed to test different core skills for academic study as detailed below.
|
Assessment |
Module Weight |
Assessment Date |
Information Source |
Purpose |
|
Essay (3000 word maximum) |
100% |
|
This module Coursekit |
To enable students to demonstrate that they understand an argument or debate in detail. They will demonstrate that they can apply skills from legal and international studies developed in the module, that they can summarise the key positions and can critically engage with ideas and concepts that are central to the module.
|
Assessment Breakdown
| Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assessment | 100 | International Affairs: Legal And Political Aspects (Msc Econ Ir Optional Module) | N/A |
Syllabus content
Seminars will normally cover the following topics:-
- Introduction to Public International Law
- Sources of Public International Law
- Introduction to International Relations
- Key thinkers and schools of International Relations theory
- The relationship between Public International Law and International Relations
- The organisation of international society – legal and political issues
- Key international organisations – legal and political issues and considerations
- The determination of foreign policy – policy and legal considerations
- The decision to resort to armed conflict – legal and political issues and considerations
- Overview and conclusion.
Essential Reading and Resource List
C. Brown, Understanding International Relations, (Basingstoke: Palgrave, Macmillan).
S. Burchill et al, Theories of International Relations, (Basingstoke: Palgrave, Macmillan).
M. Byers (ed.), The Role of Law in International Politics: Essays in International Relations and International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).
M. Evans,International Law, (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
M. Frost, Ethics in International Relations: A Constitutive Theory (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
A. Cassesse, International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
L. Henkin, How Nations Behave: Law and Foreign Policy (New York: F.A. Praeger).