Students
POIR2030 – Theories of World Politics
2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor/lectuer
Jonathan Symons
Contact via Email
Room 252, Level 2, 25B Wally's Walk
Email to make appointment. Usually available Monday afternoon after lecture.
Lecturer
Noah Bassil
Contact via Email
Room B256, Level 2, 25B Wally's Walk
Email to make appointment. Usually available Monday afternoon after lecture.
Tutor
Karim Pourhamzavi
Contact via Email
Please discuss the unit with Karim in tutorials. Other consultation should be with Jon or Noah.
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above OR (10cp in POL or POIR or POIX units)
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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 practice of international politics. The first chair of international politics was established 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. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Collect information from self-selected sources to complete a prescribed research task.
- ULO2: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the specific theories used in the study of international relations.
- ULO3: Identify and analyse interconnections between international relations theory and contemporary international politics.
- ULO4: Demonstrate capacity to apply the major analytic and theoretical frameworks in several subfields of international relations.
- ULO5: Discuss theories of world politics in depth with peers.
General Assessment Information
Special Consideration & Late Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annotated weekly readings | 40% | No | Due date 1/6/2025; Submit week 2 by 2/3 for feedback. |
| Research essay and presentation | 50% | No | 28/05/2025 |
| Demonstration | 10% | No | Tuesday of selected week. Dates and details on ilearn. |
Annotated weekly readings
Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Due date 1/6/2025; Submit week 2 by 2/3 for feedback.
Weighting: 40%
Students will produce an analytical reading assignment by annotating their weekly readings.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the specific theories used in the study of international relations.
- Identify and analyse interconnections between international relations theory and contemporary international politics.
- Demonstrate capacity to apply the major analytic and theoretical frameworks in several subfields of international relations.
Research essay and presentation
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 28/05/2025
Weighting: 50%
Research essay requiring independent research. Essay questions and marking criteria will be provided on iLearn. Completion of task will require a presentation summarising essay's argument.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Collect information from self-selected sources to complete a prescribed research task.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the specific theories used in the study of international relations.
- Identify and analyse interconnections between international relations theory and contemporary international politics.
- Discuss theories of world politics in depth with peers.
Demonstration
Assessment Type 1: Demonstration
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Tuesday of selected week. Dates and details on ilearn.
Weighting: 10%
Leading class discussion (in tutorial or online forum) in response to one week's class activity (details on iLearn).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the specific theories used in the study of international relations.
- Identify and analyse interconnections between international relations theory and contemporary international politics.
- Discuss theories of world politics in depth with peers.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Delivery
Lectures: the lecture is scheduled for Monday 11-1pm in 23WW T2 Lecture Theatre (classrooms may change after publication of this unit guide, so please check the timetable). The lecture will be recorded and available for viewing later via ilearn/echo360.
Internal students are expected to attend tutorials each week commencing in Week 1. However, if you are unwell please do not attend class.
Required resources:
In addition to reading that can be accessed through Leganto there is one required text for this unit:
Lawson, Stephanie. (2015). Theories of International Relations: Contending Approaches to World Politics. Polity Press: Cambridge.
The library will have a copy of this text (including online access). However, we recommend that you either purchase a copy ahead of semester, or else make sure you complete readings a day or two ahead of class as there may be times when the textbook is not immediately accessible. All other required unit readings will all be available on leganto.
Unit Schedule
Unit Schedule
Week 1 - Monday 24 Feb - Introduction Lecturer: Jon Symons
Introduction: Can theory help us to understand world politics? Whose interests does theory serve? In what context and for what purpose was the discipline of International Relations established? What are the political implications of these origins for the work practitioners of international politics do today? How do theories of IR relate to contempoary issues such as climate change, power transition, disruption by artificial intelligence and rise of far-right ideologies? Lecturer: Jon Symons.
Tutorials commence Week 1.
Week 2 - Monday 3 March - Classical realism and its critics. Lecturer: Jon Symons
Note that you are expected to complete and submit annotations on the weeks' readings prior to the tutorial each Monday. If you would like feedback on your week 2 reading annotation you must submit your notes to ilearn prior to 11.55pm Sunday 2 March.
Week 3 - Monday 10 March - Liberal theories of world politics Lecturer: Jon Symons
NB: You should also nominate which essay question you will address this week via the iLearn discussion forum. You are welcome to switch to another question if you change your mind but we want you to start thinking about the essay questions early in the semster.
Week 4 - Monday 17 March - Structural theory: Neo-Realism, Neo-Liberal Institutionalism and Neo-classical Realism Lecturer: Jon Symons
- Graded tutorial notes and demonstration activity #1 (Students must choose to submit notes for one of the 5 'class demonstration' weeks. Students submitting notes and leading class this week must submit notes to turnitin by 11.55pm Tuesday 18th March).
Week 5 - Monday 24 March - Marxism and World Systems Theory Lecturer: Noah Bassil
- Graded tutorial activity #2 (Students submitting notes and leading class this week must submit notes to turnitin by 11.55pm Tuesday 25 March).
Week 6 - Monday 31 March - Critical Theory and Indigenous Critiques of International Relations Theory Lecturer: Noah Bassil
Week 7 - Monday 7 April - Constructivism & the role of ideas in world politics Lecturer: Jon Symons
- Graded tutorial activity #3 (Students leading class this week must submit notes to turnitin by 11.55pm Tuesday 8 April).
_______________________________
MID SEMESTER BREAK: 14 to 27 April 2025
Week 8 - Monday 28 April- Feminist theories of world politics Lecturer: Jon Symons
- Graded tutorial activity #4 (Students leading class this week must submit notes to turnitin by 11.55pm Tuesday 29 April).
Week 9 - Wed 5 May - Post-structural and Post-colonial theory Lecturer: Noah Bassil
- Graded tutorial activity #5 (Students leading class this week must submit notes to turnitin by 11.55 pm on the day following class).
Week 10 - Monday 12 May- Middle power theory; Green Theory & Essay Writing Lecturer: Jon Symons
Week 11 - Monday 19 May - Non-Western Approaches to World Politics. Lecturer: Noah Bassil
Week 12: Monday 26 May Reading week - Note no lecture or tutorials..
**Essay due 11.55pm Wednesday 28 May.**
Week 13 - Monday 2 June May. Conclusion - IR's contribution to contemporary challenges. Lecturer: Noah Bassil
Small-group presentations of your essay argument this week.
If you can’t make class you will need to present online or schedule a one-on-one presentation to your lecturer.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
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- Workshops
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The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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Unit information based on version 2025.02 of the Handbook