A Postcolonial International Relations?

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

10

None

None

Politics and International Studies at Undergraduate level

166-543 A Postcolonial International Relations?

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject introduces major postcolonial concerns such as the ethnocentricism of the Euro-Atlantic international system, the need to elevate Third World interests and perspectives, the appropriateness of universal prescriptions such as democratisation and neoliberalism, the making and unmaking of nations, ethnicity and violence, and questions about resource distribution. In parallel, it examines disciplinary international relations to see how far such concerns are presently addressed or might be addressed without foundational change. It also raises the possibility of whether, instead of staying within the confines of international relations, we would do better to range more widely and take in other discourses about the international such as globalisation and development. On completion of the subject, students should have an imaginative understanding of the issues at stake, and be able to decide for themselves how these might best be pursued in the context of contending knowledge formations.

• be able to relate postcolonial concerns to disciplinary international relations.
• be able to evaluate the argument that international relations is fundamentally Eurocentric.
• be able to engage with grassroots approaches to the international such as Subaltern Studies.
• be able to identify potential points of connection between critical security studies and postcolonialism.
• be in a position to take postcolonialism in new and exciting directions.
• be ready to commence research for a postgraduate thesis in international politics.

A class paper of 1000 words (25%) due during the semester, and a research paper of 4000 words (75%) due during the examination period.

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to qualify to have their written work assessed.Students who fail to meet this hurdle requirement will be deemed ineligible to submit the final piece of assessment for this subject.Regular participation in class is required.

Assessment that is submitted after the due date and up to 10 working days late without an approved extension will be marked on a pass/fail basis only. Assessment that is submitted later than 10 working days will not be accepted or marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A subject reader will be available for purchase from the University Bookshop.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• be able to apply research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry.
• be able to develop persuasive arguments on a given topic.
• be able to communicate oral and written arguments and ideas effectively and articulately.