GLOBAL POLITICS
Obiettivi formativi
1. Knowledge and understanding: Students will gain an understanding of IR theories, ranging from mainstream to critical approaches, to develop analytical tools with which to interpret international affairs and ongoing challenges. Furthermore, students will gain of the EU institutions and decision-making procedures in the area of foreign policy, the key aspects, principles, and problems of the international politics of the EU as well as an awareness of the legitimacy, effectiveness and transparency of EU’s role in an evolving multipolar world. They will be expected to demonstrate this knowledge in the context of group presentations as well as in the final exam. 2. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will learn how to critically assess the international politics of major international actors, including the US, the EU, China, and Russia. They will develop the capacity to transfer abstract concepts and theoretical frameworks to the specific analysis of particular empirical problems and practical examples of foreign policymaking. 3. Making judgements: Lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions will impact on students the need to ask critical questions and to explore different possible answers to address these. This will be examined in the final exam at the end of the course. Value will be given to open-ended questions and analysis of complex problems, rather than on description of bare facts. 4 Communications Skills: The course will be based on interactive teaching and include problem- and research-based learning elements. Students will discuss, research, and debate their responses to the key challenges facing different actors in international and foreign politics. They will receive feedback on both the substantive knowledge they present and the communication, presentation, and rhetorical skills they demonstrate.
Risultati di apprendimento attesi
Learning skills: Students will gain the skills to discuss and analyse the nature of international politics. This includes the search for, and study of, relevant literature, official documents, and media reporting on foreign policy, as well as active listening and discussion with their peers in class. They will also learn to condense their knowledge of complex issues when responding to questions, be it in through interventions in class discussion, group presentation or the final exam paper.
Contenuti Del Corso
Introduction to the Course 1. Lecture 1: Introduction to IR Theory 2. Lecture 2 : Realism 3. Lecture 3: Neorealism and Neoclassical Realism 4. Lecture 4: Liberal and Neoliberalism 5. Lecture 5: Constructivism 6. Lecture 6: Identity and Narrative 7. Lecture 7: Exclusion in IR 8. Lecture 8: Norms and Norm Contestation 9. Lecture 9: Critical IR Theory 10. Lecture 10: US Foreign Policy and Global Role - Guest Lecturer Sofia Eliodori 11. Lecture 11: Securitization 12. Lecture 12: IR Gender Theories 13. Lecture 13: Visual IR 14. Lecture 14: Conclusion, debriefing conversations 15. Lecture 15: Mid-term Exam 16. Lecture 16: Guest Lecture. (TBC) 2nd part of the course the role of the EU in Global Politics Lecture 17: TBC Lecture 18: TBC Lecture 19: TBC Lecture 20: TBC Lecture 21: TBC Lecture 22: TBC Lecture 23: TBC Lecture 24: TBC Lecture 25: TBC
Testi Di Riferimento
IR handbooks: Reus-Smit, C., & Snidal, D. (Eds.). (2008). The Oxford Handbook of International Relations. Oxford University Press. Sørensen, G., Møller, J., & Jackson, R. H. (2022). Introduction to International Relations: Theories and approaches. Oxford university press. Baylis, J. and S. Smith (eds) The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. 8th Edition. (Oxford: Oxford University Press). 2019. ISBN: 9780198825548 EU handbooks: S. Keukeleire and T.Delreux, The Foreign Policy of the European Union (London: Palgrave, 2014) C. Hill, M. Smith, and S. Vanhoonacker (eds), International Relations and the European Union (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017)
Metodologie Didattiche
The course combines a number of educational formats, specifically lectures, and classroom discussion. The emphasis is on interactive and problem-based learning. In the first half of the course, sessions will feature lectures by the instructor which will present key developments in the field and in the literature and raise issues for subsequent discussion. The remainder of the session will then be devoted to classroom discussion addressing these questions, and any other points that students may want to raise.
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
Continuous Assessment of Attending Students 1st Mid-term exam (40%) The first mid-term test constitutes 40% of the overall course grade and it will be based on the topics covered during the first part of the course (International Politics.) The mid-term exam is designed to assess students’ comprehension, analytical abilities, and writing skills based on the course material covered to date. The test is 90 minutes long and includes the following components: • 4 Multiple Choice Questions (2.5 marks each): These questions test foundational knowledge and understanding of key concepts and theories (10 marks in total) • 2 Open Answer Questions (10 marks each): The mid-term consists of three essay questions, of which students will select two to be answered. Students are required to write approximately one page per response, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely (20 marks in total) The test is structured to evaluate both breadth and depth of understanding, encouraging students to engage thoughtfully with the course content. 2nd Mid-term exam (30%) The second mid-term test constitutes 35% of the overall course grade and it will be based on the topics covered during the second part of the course (the EU in Global Politics) writing skills based on the course material covered to date. The test is 75 minutes long and includes the following components: • 2 Open Answer Questions (15 marks each): The mid-term consists of three essay questions, of which students will select two to be answered. Students are required to write approximately one page per response, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely (30 marks in total). Essays will be graded based on the quality of the analysis, the knowledge of the field and the academic writing skills that are being demonstrated.
Criteri per l’assegnazione dell’elaborato finale
Final Oral Exam (30%) At the end of year students will be assessed in groups via an oral exam taking place in person. Groups will be formed in advance of the exam date, and the composition of the groups and the schedule for the examination will be published several days before on Luiss Learn. For each group the exam session will last 40 minutes, starting with the disclosure of the exam questions which can cover any aspect of the material covered in the course. The time is then divided between 20 minutes for preparation and 20 minutes for discussion of the questions raised by the examiners (the instructors and/or the teaching assistants). In the period of preparation for the discussion of the exam questions students will not have access to the internet, and are not permitted to use any teaching materials, notes, recordings or electronic devices. Subsequently, each group will then present their answers to the questions with the examiners and respond to any follow-up questions. All group members are expected to participate equally in the discussion, and each member of the same group will receive the same grade. Assessment of Non-attending Students Only students who have been formally authorised by the Student Office are permitted not to attend classes. Authorised non-attending students will be assessed via both a written and an oral exam, each counting for 50% of the final grade. The written assignment will be a take-home exam, consisting of three essay questions, of which students will select two to be answered. The maximum length of each answer is 1,500 words, and therefore the maximum length of the complete exam paper is 3,000 words (+/- 10 per cent). This does not include the word count of references and footnotes. The papers will be due 5 days before the day of the oral exam. During the oral exam, students will need to respond to questions based on their papers and the related broader topic and will be assessed separately on their performance in this regard. Please note that the winter exam season is exclusively dedicated to attending students, thus non-attending students can sign up for an exam only the third appello onwards, which will take place during the spring exam season (May – June 2026). All essays will be checked via Turnitin for AI/plagiarism.
Settimana 1
Introduction to the Course Tuesday 9th September 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) – Thomas Christiansen, Flavia Lucenti, Sofia Eliodori Familiarisation of class and instructors, overview of the learning objectives, course content, discussion of available literature, explanation of assessment criteria. 1. Lecture 1: Introduction to IR Theory – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 11th September 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) What is International Relations (IR). What is IR theory. Historical evolution, main objectives and scholars. Recommended Readings Walt, S. M. (1998). International Relations: one world, many theories. Foreign policy, 29-46. Snyder, J. (2004). One World, Rival Theories, Foreign Policy, Nov., 52-62 Wæver, O. (1998), The Sociology of a Not So International Discipline: American and European Developments in International Relations, International Organization 52:4, 687- 727
Settimana 2
WEEK 2 2. Lecture 2: Realism – Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 16th September 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) The lesson will introduce the realist theory in international relations, focusing on its core concepts such as power politics, state sovereignty, anarchy in the international system, and the pursuit of national interest Recommended Readings Jervis, R. (1994). Hans Morgenthau, Realism, and The Scientific Study of International Politics. Social Research, 853-876. Zambernardi, L. (2011). The Impotence of Power: Morgenthau’s critique of American intervention in Vietnam. Review of International Studies, 37(3), 1335–1356. Helen M. (1991). The Assumption of Anarchy in International Relations Theory: a Critique.” Review of International Studies 17 (1): 67–85. Zachary, S. (2013). “Balancing Against or Balancing With? The Spectrum of Alignment and the Endurance of American Hegemony.” Security Studies 22 (2): 330–364. Ashworth, L. (2006). Where are the Idealists in Interwar International Relations?», Review of International Studies, XXXII, 2, 291-308. Supplementary Readings Carr, E. (1939) The Twenty Years' Crisis, 1919-1939, Macmillan, (any edition). Morgenthau, H. (1948). Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Alfred A. Knopf. 3. Lecture 3: Neorealism and Neoclassical Realism - Flavia Lucenti Thursday 18th September 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m. (Room) The lesson will introduce neorealism (or structural realism), focusing on key concepts such as anarchy in the international system, the distribution of power (polarity), security maximisation, and the structure of the international system as the main driver of state behaviour. Recommended Readings Waltz, K. (1996). International Politics Is Not Foreign Policy. Security Studies, 6(1), 54-57. Allison, G. (2015).“The Thucydides Trap: Are the US and China Headed for War?” The Atlantic, September 24, 2015. Mearsheimer, J. (2006). “China’s Unpeaceful Rise.” Current History 105 (690), 160–62 Legro, J. W., and A, Moravcsik. (1999). “Is anybody still a realist?” International Security, Vol. 24, No. 2, 5-55 Guzzini, S, (1993). Structural Power: The limits of neorealist power analysis. International Organization, 47(3), 443-478. Rose, G. (1998). “Neoclassical realism and theories of foreign policy.” World Politics 51.1, 144-172. Supplementary Readings Waltz, K. N. (1959). Man, the state, and war: A theoretical analysis (2018th, 2nd edition ed.). Columbia University Press. Jervis, R. (1999). “Realism, Neoliberalism, and Cooperation: Understanding the Debate.” International Security 24 (1): 42–63. Meibauer, G. (2020). Interests, Ideas, and The Study of State Behaviour in Neoclassical Realism. Review of International Studies, 46(1), 20-36.
Settimana 3
WEEK 3 4. Lecture 4: Liberal and Neoliberalism- Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 23rd September 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) This lesson introduces the concepts of liberalism and neoliberalism in the context of international relations, emphasising their shared foundations and key differences. Recommended Readings Oneal, J. R., and B. Russett (1999). The Kantian Peace: The Pacific Benefits of Democracy, Interdependence, and International Organizations, 1885-1992. World Politics. 52(1): 1- 37 Doyle, M. W. (1986). Liberalism and World Politics. American Political Science Review 80 (4): 1151 69. Grieco, J. M. (1988). Anarchy and the Limits of Cooperation: A Realist Critique of the Newest Liberal Institutionalism. International Organization 42 (3): 485–507 Keohane R. (2012). Twenty Years of Institutional Liberalism, International Relations, XXVI, 2, pp. 125-138. Ikenberry, G. J. (2009). Liberal Internationalism 3.0: America and the dilemmas of liberal world order. Perspectives on Politics7.1: 71-87 Ikenberry, G J. (2018). The End of Liberal International Order?”International Affairs 94 (1): 7–23. Supplementary Readings Fukuyama, F. (1992). The End of History and the Last Man. Simon and Schuster. Keohane R. (1999). After Hegemony, Princeton University Press. Moravcsik, A. (1997). Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics” International Organization 51(4): 513-553. 5. Lecture 5: Constructivism – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 25th September 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) This lesson introduces constructivism, focusing on the core idea that international politics is socially constructed and not merely shaped by material forces. Constructivism emphasises the influence of ideas, norms, identities and shared beliefs on state behaviour. Recommended Readings Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics. International Organization 46 (2): 391–425. Hopf, T. (1998). The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory. International security, 23(1): 171-200. Burai, E., and S. C. Hofmann. (2021). Constructivism and Peaceful Change. The Oxford Handbook of Peaceful Change in International Relations, 169–89. Guzzini, S. (2000). A Reconstruction of Constructivism in International Relations. European Journal of International Relations, 6(2): 147-182. Checkel, J. T. (1998). The constructive Turn in International Relations Theory. World politics 50(2), 324-348. Supplementary Readings Finnemore, M., & Wendt, A. (2024). When “Old” Constructivism Was New: Reflections on Classical Constructivism. Perspectives on Politics, 22(4), 1248–1268. Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge University Press. Guzzini, S. (2005). The Concept of Power: A constructivist analysis. Millennium 33.3: 495-521.
Settimana 4
WEEK 4 6. Lecture 6: Identity and Narrative – Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 30th September 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) In this session, we cover the concepts of state identities, collective memories, and narratives. Recommended Readings Urrestarazu, U.S. (2015). Identity in International Relations and Foreign Policy Theory. In Theorizing Foreign Policy in a Globalized World, edited by Knud Erik Jørgensen and Gunther Hellmann, Springer, 126–49. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Subotić, J. (2015). “Narrative, Ontological Security, and Foreign Policy Change.” Foreign Policy Analysis 12 (4): 610–27. Lucenti, F. (2024). The ‘China Threat’: Stereotypical representations in the US competition with China. International Politics, 1. Hagström, L., & Gustafsson, K. (2021). The limitations of Strategic Narratives: The Sino-American struggle over the meaning of COVID-19. Contemporary Security Policy, 42(4), 415–449. Supplementary Readings Greenhill, B. (2008). Recognition and Collective Identity Formation in International Politics. European Journal of International Relations 14.2: 343-368. 7. Lecture 7: Exclusion in IR – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 2nd October 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) In this lesson, we discuss the exclusion of actors that are commonly considered to be on the periphery of the international order, and how this impacts international stability and security. Recommended Readings Wishnick, E. (2016). In Search of the ‘Other’ in Asia: Russia–China Relations Revisited. The Pacific Review 30 (1): 114–32 Adler-Nissen, R., & Zarakol, A. (2021). Struggles for Recognition: The liberal international order and the merger of its discontents. International Organization, 75(2), 611-634. Adler-Nissen, R. (2014). Stigma Management in International Relations: Transgressive identities, norms, and order in international society. International Organization 68.1 (2014): 143-176 Homolar, A., & Turner, O. (2024). Narrative Alliances: The discursive foundations of international order. International Affairs, 100(1), 203–220. Supplementary Readings Zarakol, A. (2010). After Defeat. Cambridge University Press. Larson, D., & Shevchenko, A. (2010). Status Seekers: Chinese and Russian Responses to US Primacy. International Security, 34(4), 63–95.
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WEEK 5 8. Lecture 8: Norms and Norm Contestation – Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 7th October 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) In this lesson, we will cover constructivist theory on international norms. Specifically, we will focus on the main contributions of recent literature on norm contestation. Recommended Readings Finnemore, M., and K. Sikkink. 1998. “International Norm Dynamics and Political Change.” International Organization 52 (4): 887–917. Deitelhoff, N., and L. Zimmermann. 2020. “Things we lost in the fire: how different types of contestation affect the robustness of international norms.” International Studies Review 22.1 2020: 51-76 Wunderlich, C., Lucenti, F., Lantis, J. S., & Ducci, C. (2025). Contestation in Prism: An Introduction (pp. 1–21). in Lucenti, F., Ducci, C., Wunderlich, C., & Lantis, J. S. (Eds.). (2025). Contestation in Prism. Springer Nature Switzerland. Bettiza, G., & Lewis, D. (2020). Authoritarian Powers and Norm Contestation in the Liberal International Order: Theorizing the Power Politics of Ideas and Identity. Journal of Global Security Studies, 5(4), 559–577. Supplementary Readings Wiener, A. (2014). A Theory of Contestation. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55235-9 Wiener, A. (2018). Contestation and Constitution of Norms in Global International Relations. Cambridge University Press 9. Lecture 9: Critical IR Theory – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 9th October 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) In this lesson, we delve into the main critical approaches to IR theory, including race theory, gender theory, feminist theory and decolonial theory. We explore how these aspects can intersect to create social hierarchies in international politics. Recommended Readings Seth, S. (2011). Postcolonial theory and the critique of international relations. Millennium, 40(1), 167-183. Rosenberg, A. S. (2019). Measuring Racial Bias in International Migration Flows. International Studies Quarterly 63 (4): 837–845. Giancaspro, G., & Lucenti, F. (2024). Implicit hierarchies in the EU representation of refugees: a comparative text-analysis of the European Parliament’s framing of Syrian and Ukrainian diasporas. Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana Di Scienza Politica, 1–15. Tickner J. A., (1988). Hans Morgenthau’s Principles of Political Realism: A Feminist Reformulation. Millennium 17 (3): 429–440. Weber C. (1994). Good Girls, Little Girls, and Bad Girls: Male Paranoia in Robert Keohane’s Critique of Feminist International Relations. Millennium 23 (2), 337–349. Murphy, C. N. (2007). The Promise of Critical IR Partially Kept. Review of International Studies, 33(S1), 117-133. Mercer, J. (2023). Racism, Stereotypes, and War. International Security, 48(2), 7–48.
Settimana 6
WEEK 6 10. Lecture 10: US Foreign Policy and Global Role - Guest Lecturer Sofia Eliodori Tuesday 14th October 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) The lesson’s description: TBC Recommended Readings:TBC 11. Lecture 11: Securitization – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 16th October 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) This lesson focuses on the theory of securitisation. It begins by discussing the Copenhagen school’s contribution and then moves on to more recent securitisation approaches, including Visual securitization. Recommended Readings McDonald, M. (2008). Securitization and the Construction of Security. European Journal of International Relations 14.4, 563-587. Balzacq, T., and S. Guzzini. (2015). Introduction: ‘What kind of theory–if any–is securitization?’. International Relations 29.1, 97-102. Vuori, J. A. (2016). Constructivism and Securitization Studies. In M. Dunn Cavelty & T. Balzacq (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Security Studies (2nd edition, pp. 64–74). Routledge. Heck, A., & Schlag, G. (2013). Securitizing Images: The female body and the war in Afghanistan. European Journal of International Relations, 19(4), 891–913. Supplementary Readings Wæver, O. (1995). Securitization and Desecuritization. In R. Lipschutz (Ed.), On Security (pp. 46–86). Columbia University Press. Buzan, B., & Hansen, L. (2012). The Evolution of International Security Studies (pp. 187–225). Cambridge University Press. Massari, A. (2021). Visual Securitization. Springer International Publishing.
Settimana 7
WEEK 7 12. Lecture 12: IR Gender Theories – Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 21st October 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) This lesson zooms in on IR gender theories, exploring how a gender approach can also offer a fresh perspective on existing IR theories. Furthermore, it sheds light on how gender theory can reveal aspects of IR that have been overlooked by traditional approaches. Recommended Readings Hansen L. 2015. The Little Mermaid’s Silent Security Dilemma and the Absence of Gender in the Copenhagen School Weber, Cynthia. 2015. Why Is There No Queer International Theory? European Journal of International Relations, 21(1), 27-51. Sjoberg, L. (2012). Toward Trans-Gendering International Relations?. International Political Sociology, 6(4), 337-354. J. Ann Tickner. 1997. “You Just Don’t Understand: Troubled Engagements Between Feminists and IR Theorists.” International Studies Quarterly 41 (4): 611–632. Supplementary Readings Enloe, C. (2014). Bananas, Beaches and Bases. Making Feminist Sense of International Politics (2nd ed.). 13. Lecture 13: Visual IR – Flavia Lucenti Thursday 23th October 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room) This lesson introduces students to IR visual theory and the contribution of an aesthetic approach to international politics. Recommended Readings Hansen, L. (2011). Theorizing the Image for Security Studies: Visual Securitization and the Muhammad Cartoon Crisis. European Journal of International Relations, 17(1), 51–74. Adler-Nissen, R., Andersen, K. E., & Hansen, L. (2020). Images, Emotions, and International Politics: The death of Alan Kurdi. Review of International Studies, 46(1), 75–95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210519000317 Kearns, M. (2017). Gender, Visuality and Violence: Visual securitization and the 2001 war in Afghanistan. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 19(4), 491–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616742.2017.1371623 Callahan, W. A. (2015). The Visual Turn in IR: Documentary Filmmaking as a Critical Method. Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 43(3), 891–910. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305829815578767 Supplementary Readings Callahan, W. A. (2020). Sensible Politics: Visualizing international relations. Oxford University Press. Bleiker, R. (2018). Visual Global Politics. Routledge. Bleiker, R. (2001). The Aesthetic Turn in International Political Theory. Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 30(3), 509–533. Sciorati, G. (2025). Crafting “Attractive” Histories: (Visual) Narrative Contestation Along the Silk Road. In C. Zhang & G. Dadabayeva (Eds.), The Implications of Ethnic Politics in Post-Socialist States for China. Springer.
Settimana 8
WEEK 8 14. Lecture 14: Conclusion, debriefing conversations - Flavia Lucenti Tuesday 28th October 2025, 1:45-3:15 p.m. (Room) This lesson concludes the first part of the course and precedes the mid-term exam. Most of the lesson will be dedicated to clarifying any remaining doubts that students have regarding the concepts and theory discussed so far. Recommended Readings Dunne, T., Hansen, L., & Wight, C. 2013. The End of International Relations Theory?. European Journal of International Relations, 19(3), 405-425. 15. Lecture 15: Mid-term Exam Thursday 30th October 2025, 10:12-11:45 a.m (Room)
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