UQ: Conceptions of World Politics (POLS20030)

The principal purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various theoretical approaches to the study of world politics. The subject matter of international political theory – who gets what, when, where and how on a global scale – is open to a number of contrasting interpretations. The course therefore helps students critically engage with the ways in which ideas shape the practices of global politics. The course examines rival paradigms such as realism, liberalism, constructivism and feminism, as well as key concepts such as power, the international system, the state, anarchy, sovereignty, security, governance and norms.