Introduction to International Relations

About this programme

Within the course, issues related to how states, organizations (governmental and non-governmental) and other actors act in the international system and what consequences this leads to at the national, regional, global and local levels are discussed and analyzed. Central themes for the main area of international relations are international security, international institutions and international political economy. Central questions that are studied are: How do conflicts arise and how can they be resolved, how is power and resources distributed and what is the significance of norms, institutions and national identities for international cooperation? The course addresses central theories in international relations and how these can be used to understand the type of international phenomena studied within the discipline. The course is examined through participation in mandatory seminar discussions and through written exam. Angus, Ian (2016). Facing the Anthropocene: Fossil Capitalism and the Crisis of the Earth System . (Majority of book will be used. Available as e-book through SU library) Buzan, Barry & Hansen, Lene (2009). The Evolution of International Security Studies . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Full book will be used. Available as e-book through SU library) 2023. Legitimacy Politics: Elite Communication and Public Opinion in Global Governance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Frieden, Jeffry, Lake, David, and Broz, Lawrence, Eds. (2017) International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, 6th edn. (Majority of book will be use