APU IRLS500 Full Course Latest 2019 August

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 2 Forum

Systemic
Theories: Neorealism, Neoliberalism and Constructivism

The rise of
China over the last three decades has been a significant cause of concern among
Neo-Realist students of international relations. Do you believe this concern is
justified? Why? Even if you do agree, discuss at least two theoretical
counter-arguments, at the systemic level, that offer less pessimistic conclusions
about China’s rise.

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 3 Forum

Neo-classical
Realism, Liberalism, and Culture

Do you
believe that cultural/ideational factors help explain America’s interactions
with the outside world? Explain why, or why not. Regardless of your answer,
offer a plausible hypothesis about the effects of culture on America’s foreign
policy, and discuss ways to test this hypothesis empirically.

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 4 Forum

The
Individual Level: Policymakers and their environment

Under what
conditions, if any, is the individual level of analysis more useful than the
unit-level or system-level? Why? In your
response, describe at least three specific examples in which the individual
level of analysis could provide greater insight into state actions.

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 5 Forum

Alternative
Approaches: Feminism, Post-Structuralism, (Neo) Marxism

1. Critical
theorists argue that the scientific method/positivism is an inappropriate tool
for the study of international relations. Do you agree? Why? Regardless of your
answer, offer at least two advantages of the use of Critical Theory in the study
of International Relations.

OR

2. What
does feminism as a theoretical approach add to the study of international
relations? What are the implications of
a feminist approach?

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 6 Forum

In what way
is “issue-indivisibility” related to war? Is Fearon correct in
dismissing indivisibility as a cause of war in his rationalist argument war?
Use at least two specific examples to make your argument.

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Week 7 Forum

International
Political Economy (IPE): Between conflict and cooperation

International
Relations scholars appear to disagree on the causes of economic
underdevelopment, and unequal distribution of wealth among nations. Neo-Marxist
scholars explain these inequalities through a systemic theory, focusing on a
world system that benefits some states disproportionally. Others argue that the
causes of economic underdevelopment are to be found in unit-level attributes.
Which of these two examples do you find most compelling? Why?

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Research Proposal Assignment

This is the
first installment of a two-part assignment. The second part is a literature
review. In this literature review, you
will be expected to assess the literature in regards to the relative merits of
two IR theories in explaining the outcome of a case study of your choice In
this preliminary assignment you will present a research proposal for this
research paper. The proposal will consist of:

1. A brief description of the specific case-study
that you are interested in examining, and an explanation for why this is an
important case to study (for example: the Cold War, the Israeli-Arab conflict,
the Kyoto Treaty, the Landmine Ban treaty, European integration, the rise of
China, America’s potential decline. In short, there are many different topics
that you can choose from. Just make sure that the topic that you choose is
directly related to international relations).

2. A clear
and concise research question (for example: why didn’t the Cold War escalate
into an actual war between the United States and the Soviet Union? What
explains the failure of the Kyoto Treaty? What explains the passage of the
Landmine Ban treaty? Why did the United States and the Soviet cooperate during
WWII? Why did the League of Nations fail?). Note that a good research question
is analytical in nature, and can be answered within the time and space
available. In other words, it is not merely descriptive, and should not take a
book-length manuscript to answer. A descriptive question is one that seeks to
describe an event (i.e. what happened? Example: what did Germany do in
September 1939?), an analytical question focuses on why things happened the way
they did, or why expected outcomes did not happen(see the examples above). Keep
in mind that predictive questions (or speculative questions) are also not
suitable for this assignment. We don’t know how events are going to play out in
the future (regardless of how confident we are), and the effectiveness of IR
theories cannot be tested with respect to events that have not happened.

3. A list
of six preliminary scholarly sources

Please note
that YOU WILL NOT BE WRITING AN ACTUAL RESEARCH PAPER. Rather, you will focus on a literature review
that you would have used to write a full research paper were it required. So what you will be doing is discussing the
current state of literature about your topic.
What are the main works? How can
you categorize them? Are there gaps?

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Final Assignment

Which
theoretical approach that we have examined in this course best explains the
causes of war? In answering this question, compare and contrast at least three
of the approaches we have studied, and use at least three empirical examples of
wars in the past 200 years to support your arguments.

Instructions

Your essay
should be 3-5 pages in length, not including references (there is no need for a
title page, a table of contents, or any appendices). The paper should be
submitted in Microsoft Word format, double-spaced, in 12 point font, and
1″ margins. Make sure to cite your sources
and use Turabian parenthetical citation style. For a quick guide see
here.

IRLS500 International Relations Theory

Literature Review/ Res. Paper

Your
assignment for this week is a literature review on your topic. A literature
review is a synthesis of previous research on a topic.

Most
research projects include a literature review to determine what knowledge
exists on the subject under study and to develop the theoretical framework that
will be used in the study. The
literature review sets the context for the entire research project by
explaining what others have found in researching the same or similar specific
research questions. The literature
review is written in a narrative format.

A
literature review begins with an introductory paragraph in which the writer
frames the research topic and its significance, and the puzzle that the
researcher is addressing. To do that, the writer will summarize the major
relevant arguments on the research subject, highlighting the main issues and
how schools of thought might differ. If
there are key terms to be defined, the writer should do that here. The body of the literature review tells
readers what others have found in their studies about your specific research
question (the extent of existing knowledge on your specific research question),
critiques what is right or wrong with these other studies, and discusses how
the work is distinguishable from the research
study you are proposing. Your review should organize material by theme
or method or what makes sense for the project. This literature review should
include a critical review of at least 8-10 appropriate articles, to include
scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, material from government publications and
websites, or other topic-appropriate source.
The conclusion should summarize the primary “sense of the literature”,
encapsulating for the reader where the existing literature ends and your
research will start as you seek to answer the question that still remains and
add to the body of knowledge.

This is a
new type of writing for many of you so I’m providing some resources for
you. You must watch this video before
doing the literature review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2d7y_r65HU It explains how to do a literature review as
opposed to an annotated bibliography. This resource explains the difference:
https://apus.libanswers.com/writing/faq/2372
Do NOT provide an annotated bibliography. Please also take a close look at the
attached rubric. The rubric lets you know how I will award points.

Please make
sure to watch this screencast on properly incorporating quotes in academic
writing. Seriously, watch it.

You might
also want to watch this video on how to tell the difference between scholarly
and popular sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN8S4CbzGXU