This essay involves students engaging closely with central but contested concepts in IR. While concepts are necessary to analyse international politics, and many such as ‘power’ are shared by multiple theoretical traditions, there is little agreement on how to define these concepts. Indeed, IR theories approach shared concepts in different ways, with consequences for how we empirically analyse and normatively engage with the world.
1. For each concept, students will select ONE academic,peer-reviewed article from a reputable journal. The text must NOT be part of the module reading list. Students will then write a maximum of 500 words on each article, discussing how the author(s) address the concept in question. Key to this assignment is analyzing how the article contributes to our understanding of the particular concept and enrich IR theorizing. In demonstrating how the article contributes to IR theory, students will be expected to reference material from the reading list.
Format: Students include the following:
· Full bibliographic reference to the selected article dealing with
race and/or racism in international relations.
· A maximum of 500 words of critical analysis, presenting how the article discusses the concept and how it contributes to improving our understanding of the concept in the discipline.
An appendix precisely documenting how generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) have been used in the assignment. -