Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Jonathan Symons
Contact via jonathan.symons@mq.edu.au
Australian Hearing Hub
Tuesdays 3-4 pm or by appointment (arrange via email)
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
POL108
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to the major theories of international relations, key debates that have shaped the discipline and interconnections between theory and the actual practice of international politics. International relations was founded as a distinct discipline shortly after the First World War, with the explicit goal of identifying the causes of war and peace. While war and great power conflict remain central concerns, the discipline has grappled with new challenges as de-colonisation and globalisation have created a densely interconnected global system of sovereign states. Students will engage with key themes including power, great power rivalry, nationalism, national interest, critical approaches, justice and cooperation under anarchy.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late Submission Penalty
“Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes and the take-home exam unless prior arrangements have been made via email with the unit convenor.”
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Online Reading Quizzes | 15% | No | Sunday 11pm most weeks. |
Research Essay & Presentation | 45% | Yes | Week 8 - Friday 5pm. |
Take home examination | 30% | No | Week 13 |
Class participation | 10% | Yes | Weekly |
Due: Sunday 11pm most weeks.
Weighting: 15%
Online reading quizzes (via ilearn) will run in weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 &10. Grades will be based on your best 6 (out of 7) quiz results. These quizzes will assess comprehension of assigned weekly readings and will be based on questions set out in the weekly 'reading guide' (available in advance on ilearn). Each quiz must be completed before 11 pm on the evening before the lecture. You will have 20 minutes from the time you log into the weekly quiz in which to complete it. Each weekly quiz is worth 2.5 % of your total grade (2.5% x 6 = 15%). This means it is possible to skip one quiz without penalty. Further information and sample quiz questions will be available from ilearn.
Due: Week 8 - Friday 5pm.
Weighting: 45%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
This is a research essay of 2500 words. Essay questions and marking criteria will be provided on iLearn. All students are required to submit their essays via the turnitin link on ilearn. All students should select the essay question they will address by the end of week 4 and post their choice to ilearn (a discussion thread will be provided). Since your class presentation is based on your essay, the timing of your class presentation may be determined by your choice of essay question.
Internal students will be required to give a 5 minute presentation summarising their essay's argument during class, while external students will have the opportunity to present a short summary of their essay's argument on ilearn. These presentations should summarise your essay's central question and your argument in response. You should also raise a question for discussion by the class. Presentations will not be graded separately, but they are a hurdle requirement for completion of the course and you may be asked to discuss your presentation with your tutor after class.
All students are encouraged to submit an introductory paragraph that outlines the central argument and essay structure to the unit convenor by the end of week 6 (via email: jonathan.symons@mq.edu.au), so they can receive feedback prior to completing the essay.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%
An end-of-semester take home exam will cover content drawn from the entire unit. The exam will consist of 2 questions and the maximum word length will be 2000 words. Late submission of the exam will not be accepted.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
Internal Students Participation: 10% of internal students' final grade will be based on participation. Students will be asked to submit class participation and reflection notes for 3 weeks of in-class activities (3 x 3.33% = 10%). Students will choose which three activities to submit notes for (activities will run in weeks 3, 5, 9, 10 & 11). Students will submit their notes to ilearn (300 to 500 words) by 11.59pm on the day of their tutorial. Detailed instructions will be available on ilearn. Alternative task: Internal students who are unable to participate for a valid reason (documented ill health or special circumstances on three or more of the above dates) will have the opportunity to submit a replacement essay by consultation with their tutor.
Internal Students' Attendance: Attendance and participation in at least 6 tutorials is a hurdle requirement for completion of the unit. Alternative task: Students who fail to meet this hurdle requirement (internal or external) without a valid reason must submit a 500 word critical analysis of the weekly readings for a week in which they did not meet the participation requirement.
External Students' Participation: external students will be graded on their participation in discussion on the iLearn website. Discussion will only be graded if contributions are made within 1 week after the lecture on a given topic. Meaningful participation in class discussion on at least 6 topics is a hurdle requirement for completion of the unit.
Delivery
For lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations.
Internal students are expected to attend the following classes each week:
Lecture: Monday 11.00 am-1.00 pm - 23 Wally's Walk - T1 Theatre.
Tutorial: Monday - multiple options. Attendance and participation in 7 tutorials is a hurdle requirement for completion of the unit.
NOTE: Tutorials will begin in Week 2.
External students: The lecture is digitally recorded and can be downloaded from the iLearn website shortly after it is delivered.
External students are required to participate actively in discussion on the iLearn website (further details are given in the section on Assessment).
External students are welcome to attend weekly lectures whenever they can.
Required resources:
There is one required text for this unit which is available for purchase from the Macquarie University Coop Bookstore:
Lawson, Stephanie. (2015). Theories of International Relations: Contending Approaches to World Politics. Polity Press: Cambridge.
Access to this text will be necessary in order to complete the reading quizzes. Although the library will have a copy of this text, access through the library cannot be guaranteed. All other unit readings will all be available on ilearn or e-reserve.
Week 1 - 26 Feb
Introduction: Can Theory Help Tackle International Challenges?
Week 2 - 5 March
Realism. First week of weekly reading quizzes - available on iLearn and must be completed by 11pm Sunday before lecture.
Week 3 - 12 March
Liberalism. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture).
Graded tutorial activity #1 (internal students will be graded on a pass/fail basis on 3 out of 5 tutorial activities).
Week 4 - 19 March
Neo-Realism and Neo-Liberal Institutionalism. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture). NB: You must also nominate which research question you will address this week via the iLearn discussion forum. You are welcome to change the question you address later if you wish.
Week 5 - 26 March
Constructivism & The English School. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture).
Graded tutorial activity #2 (internal students will be graded on a pass/fail basis on 3 out of 5 tutorial activities).
Week 6 - No classes - Easter Monday holiday
Week 7 - 9 April
Marxism, World Systems Theory and Critical Theories. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture).
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MID SEMESTER BREAK: 16 to 29 April 2018
Week 8 - 30 April
Feminist IR Theory. Essay due Friday 4 May, 5pm. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture).
Week 9 - 7 May
Postcolonial and Post-structural Theories. *No reading quiz this week.* Guest lecture: Noah Bassil.
Graded tutorial activity #3 (internal students will be graded on a pass/fail basis on 3 out of 5 tutorial activities).
Week 10 - 14 May
Middle Power Theory & Foreign Policy Analysis. Weekly iLearn quiz due by 11pm Sunday (evening before lecture).
Graded tutorial activity #4 (internal students will be graded on a pass/fail basis on 3 out of 5 tutorial activities).
Week 11 - 21 May
Normative International Theory
Graded tutorial activity #5 (internal students will be graded on a pass/fail basis on 3 out of 5 tutorial activities).
Week 12 - 28 May
Conclusion: IR Theory in an Era Of Globalization
Week 13 - 4 June - Take-home exam due.
Exam released via ilearn Friday 1 June 9am; submission via learn by Monday 4 June at 9 pm.
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Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
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Date | Description |
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23/02/2018 | Corrected a typo (week of quiz should have been 8 not 9) that resulted from movement of Noah's guest lecture. |
20/02/2018 | Changes made due to change in guest lecture date. |