International Politics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

Admission to the Master of International Politics two-year program, postgraduate diploma in International politics, or Honours in International Studies.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This course begins by discussing three key contexts to the international politics of our day. The first context is the sacral one. The second context is the rationalist one. The third context is that of the global marginalized, that is, those pushed by the rationalist project to the margins of international politics. It then provides a comprehensive overview of the ways in which the rationalist project is articulated. In the process it provides a clear account of all the ideologies currently used by rationalists to describe, explain, and prescribe for contemporary international affairs.

• comprehend the main analytical languages that are used to describe, explain and prescribe for contemporary international politics, and their component analytical dialects; understand the assumptions that predispose these ways of talking about the world, and how they articulate the meta-ideology of rationalism; be able to see where anyone speaking about international politics is coming from, what the speaker is saying, how this relates to other ways of articulating the subject, and what the speaker is not saying; appreciate the ideologically charged nature of all international relations discourse and they will be able to demonstrate why we have the ideologies we do; recognise where these ideologies come from, and the structure of the overall analytic picture they provide, as well as explain how each is a part truth, masquerading as the whole truth.

Ten briefing papers of 500 words each, collectively worth 50% (due each week during the semester, except for the first and last weeks); and an essay of 5000 words 50% (due at the end of the semester).

A subject reader will be available from the Bookroom at the beginning of semester

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• be able to demonstrate competence in analytical, critical, and creative thinking through the writing of weekly briefing papers, through essay writing, and through seminar discussions;
• be able to demonstrate proficiency in recognizing and critically assessing the analytical languages used to articulate modernist international politics;
• be able to demonstrate an understanding of the academic protocols of research and research presentations.

This is a compulsory subject in the Master of International Politics 200-point program, the Postgraduate Diploma in Internation Politics and International Studies Honours.