General information

Course type AMUPIE
Module title Understanding International Relations - history and theory
Language English
Module lecturer dr Rafał Wiśniewski
Lecturer's email wisjr@amu.edu.pl
Lecturer position Assistant Professor
Faculty Faculty of Political Science and Journalism
Semester 2026/2027 (winter)
Duration 30
ECTS 5
USOS code 14-XUIRL

Timetable

  1. The world before International Relations (1) – the emergence of European nation state system.
  2. The world before International Relations (2)- political orders of East Asia and the Islamic world.
  3. Rise of Western powers and creation of the global international system.
  4. Britain as a Global Power.
  5. United States as an emerging global power.
  6. World Wars and their impact on the international order.
  7. Cold War – origins, evolution and consequences.
  8. Liberal theories of International Relations.
  9. Domestic determinants of foreign policy.
  10. Realist school of IR theory.
  11. Measuring power in International Relations.
  12. Alternative IR theories – Marxism, Feminism.
  13. Dependency and interdependence in the International Political Economy
  14. Constructivist approach to studying IR.

Module aim (aims)

- Development of knowledge and understanding of international order’s historic evolution

- Understanding of main theoretical approaches in the discipline of International Relations  

- Developing skills of using theories of IR and knowledge of historical precedents to explain and forecast international political events and processes

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Basic knowledge of world history and principal theoretical orientations in social sciences.

Syllabus

Learning outcomes:

 

- development of  understanding of drivers, circumstances and effects of international relations’ evolution throughout different forms of international order;

- Identification of  key turning points in historical evolution of the international system and explanation of their significance for contemporary international situation

- Presenting  assumptions, concepts and explanations provided by main theoretical schools in International Relations

- Learning to use  theoretical concepts of different IR schools of thought as tools for understanding and forecasting international events and processes 

- Identifying similarities and differences between historical forms of international order and the current international situation and analyzing their effects.

 

Teaching and learning methods and activities

 

Lecture with a multimedia presentation of selected issues, Conversation lecture, Problem-based lecture, Discussion

 

Credit condition:

 

- Group project - research of a case study utilising different theoretical approaches with public presentation of outcomes.

Reading list