Course

Introduction to World Politics

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Political Science
Course Code
POLI 1103
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15
Max Class Size
35
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Course Designation
Certificate in Global Competency
Industry Designation
None
Typically Offered
Fall
Winter
Summer

Overview

Course Description
This course focuses on the interactions of nation-states, international organizations, civil society, economic actors, and individuals in global politics. While the nation-state is traditionally viewed as the fundamental unit of world politics, since the end of the Cold War that predominance has been challenged by increased globalization, as well as radical localization and rebellion. These factors together have reduced the remaining power of many nation-states and undermined the capacity of all nation-states to regulate their own affairs.

To study these developments, this course will introduce students to mainstream and critical theories of world politics and apply concepts from those theories to current and historical case studies.
Course Content

Content may vary according to the instructor’s selection from this list of topics:

1. Mainstream theories (realism, liberalism, constructivism, Marxism)

2. Critical theories (feminism, critical race theory, deconstructing the state)

3. Epochs of modern world politics (Wars of religion, European state formation, colonialism and imperialism, World Wars I and II, the Interwar Years, the Cold War, Globalization, the War on Terror, the global pandemic)

4. Global environmental issues

5. Political economy and trade

6. International institutions

7. The rise of China, India, and the "Third World"

8. Nuclear deterrence, proliferation, and arms control

9. Diplomacy

10. Non-state actors, non-governmental organizations, militant groups

11. Transnational corporations

12. Soft/cultural power

 

Additional topics may be added at the instructor’s discretion.

Learning Activities

In this course, students will engage in a variety of learning activities such as attending lectures, participation in class discussions, debates, individual and group presentations, reflections, in class reading assignments, group assignments and take-home assignments.

Means of Assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy.

There will be at least three separate assessments, which may include a combination of exams, research projects, quizzes, in-class and online written assignments, seminar presentations, group and other creative projects, and class participation.

The value of each assessment and evaluation, expressed as a percentage of the final grade, will be listed in the course outline distributed to students at the beginning of the term. Specific evaluation criteria will vary according to the instructor’s assessment of appropriate evaluation methods.

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research

Example evaluation scheme:

Quizzes                                           10%

Participation                                     10%

Mid-term exam                                 25%

Term essay                                      30%

Final exam                                       25%

                                Total:              100%

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

1. Identify and summarize major theories and models in world politics.

2. Critically assess the political influence of various political actors.

3. Describe and synthesize research on selected topics in world politics.

4. Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis of political science topics in written assignments.

5. Create materials demonstrating skills in theory-building, political analysis, historical analysis, information literacy, research, and advocacy.

Textbook Materials

A list of required textbooks and materials will be provided to students at the beginning of the semester.  Textbooks and materials will be selected based on instructor expertise and preference, and in consultation with other members of the department.  There are a range of textbooks and readers that can fulfill course objectives.  Some examples include:

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds., The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford University Press. Current edition.

Boyer, M., et al. Global Politics – Applying Theory to A Complex World. Oxford University Press. New York. Current edition.

Frieden, Jeffry A., et al. World Politics – Interests, Interactions, Institutions. W.W. Norton and Company. New York. Current edition.

Requisites

Prerequisites

No prerequisite courses.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for POLI 1103
Athabasca University (AU) AU POLI 2XX (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU POL 201 (3)
College of the Rockies (COTR) COTR POLI 1XX (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU POLI 1150 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG POLI 1140 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC POLI 221 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU POL 141 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU POLI 1210 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU POLS 211 (3)
University Canada West (UCW) UCW POLI 102 (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO POLI_O 221 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV POLI_V 260 (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC INTS 100 (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV POSC 260 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC POLI 240 (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU POLI 200 (3)

Course Offerings

Summer 2024