International Relations

This module introduces you to some of the foundational concepts and theoretical approaches that are employed in the discipline of international relations. Applying concepts and theories to the world around us is something we do all the time, but quite often we are not even aware that we're doing it. Among other things, this module will encourage you to reflect on your own use of theory and give you the tools to critically unpick and unpack the underlying assumptions of dominant approaches in the study of international relations.

This course explores key contemporary issues in the world today and the debates within international relations about how to address these global political challenges. Issues explored can include: global inequality, human rights, humanitarian intervention, the changing role of state, postcolonialism, modern warfare and terrorism.

This module explores some of the key historical events in modern history, in relation to the key debates that have dominated the study of international relations. We will explore the political implications of which historical events are deemed relevant to international relations and how this shapes the way we look at the world. The module will help students to identify significant continuities and changes in international relations over time.

Global inequality is one of the largest challenges facing our world today. Approaches to understanding the roots of inequality and how to address inequality are both varied and controversial. We’ll explore these approaches in depth and talk about movements aimed at addressing some of the greatest challenges facing our world today.

This module will introduce you to different political processes and institutions, and will review the key research methods appropriate to comparative politics. The course will help you to identify appropriate approaches to data interpretation and presentation, and provide an opportunity to develop your own case study.  

This module engages you with 'Big Question' debates confronting human society, integrating key interdisciplinary concepts and debates essential to critically understanding and exploring our world. Along with this, you will apply disciplinary specific learning approaches to examine various aspects of past, present and future global societal developments. Topics and questions examined can vary year to year.

This module engages you with 'Big Question' debates confronting human society integrating key interdisciplinary concepts and debates essential to critically understanding and exploring our world. Along with this, you will apply disciplinary specific learning approaches to examine various aspects of past, present and future global societal development. Topics and questions examined can vary year to year.

The module examines specific theoretical perspectives and practical challenges to global security, including the changing role of state, postcolonial perspective on poverty and humanitarian interventions, modern warfare and terrorism.

This module will help you to develop an understanding of research methods in politics. The module will discuss both the limitations and advantages of quantitative and qualitative analysis for political research.

This module will examine the development of international relations theory throughout the twentieth century. The module will look at the historically dominant traditions of realism, liberalism and Marxism and then explore contemporary critical theories such as feminism, postcolonialism, poststructuralism and social constructivism. The module will focus on key debates between theories and connections, to the historical development of the field of international relations.

In this module we'll explore key assumptions underlying theories and talk about the political implications of choosing one theory over another. We will explore contemporary deployments of IR theory to gain an in-depth understanding of what the various theoretical traditions are producing in the field of research now. This module will culminate with a discussion about the purpose and relevance of theory with you encouraged to develop your own theoretical position.

The module will analyse the processes and factors that shape public perception of security. In this module, we will discuss why our understanding of security and insecurity varies through time and space. The module will look at the role of media, propaganda, and ideology in the social construction of security.

After briefly covering the early Cold War, the module will account for and critique the direction of US Foreign Policy up to the present day, exploring how US policy has addressed post-Cold War conflict and 'rogue states', terrorism, the environment and increased global economic competition.

This module introduces students to the US political system and to key aspects of contemporary US politics. It combines an introduction to the main institutions and processes of the US federal government with an overview of key developments in American politics.

An innovative module that applies interdisciplinary methods, approaches and perspectives of humanities and social science disciplines to contemporary socio-economic challenges, complementing Engaging the Humanities 1. Each year the module will address a different contemporary issue or theme. The module will give you the opportunity to develop and apply your academic skills in an applied, practical setting by undertaking an individual engagement project. This can include a work placement, volunteering, social/community enterprise, RAH! Project, awareness-raising campaign, multimedia piece, blog, creative writing, poetry or artwork performance/exhibition. Each project will be supervised and mentored by one of the module tutors. Finding external partners to work with will be supported by the Engagement and Outreach team.

The module will take students through the various stages of recruitment from identifying strengths and skills, to job searching and CVs, using platforms such as LinkedIn, and interview practice. Students will build up a portfolio of tasks related to employability, for instance, CV, video interview, assessment centre and reflect on their learning across the module.

This module will analyse the threat of climate change, and critically evaluate international efforts in dealing with climate change.

This module will explore links between art and politics in a thematic way focusing on the artist as witness to, activist in or victim of, political events. It will make reference to a wide range of international art, design and cinematic movements.

The module will explore key postcolonial thinkers and perspectives. Students will gain familiarity with these thinkers and their work. They will learn to engage in reflexive writing and discussions about how these perspectives challenge other theories.

The module will engage with authors such as Fanon, Said, De Bois, Spivak, Bhabha and Hall as an introduction to postcolonial work. Students will engage with questions about identity, nations/nationalism, decolonization projects, hybridities and questions of narrative and critique. A broader range of texts, including literary works will be used to complement more theoretical work.

This module introduces the main theories of policy change and provides a systematic examination of the policy process.

This module will explore key social policy areas and discuss ways to resolve prevalent issues such as inequality, poverty, homelessness, and social care crisis.

This module evaluates the changing character of politics and society in Britain during the 1980s. It adopts a broad perspective and examines a wide variety of themes: the dynamics of issues and ideology, the transformation of the political parties, the process of government itself and aspects of foreign policy. It considers debates surrounding the role of the state, the economy, organisation of industry and defence policy.

This module will teach you how to design and propose a research project, evaluating questions of ethics, funding, impact, research relevance and methodologies. The module also has integrated placement and work experience opportunities. The module has a bespoke structure designed to incorporate tailored bracketed awards linked to politics, international relations, political communication, and public policy.

The module consists of a series of case studies informed by current research interests and findings of the politics and public policy teams. The case studies have a special focus on questions related to theory and/or methods in politics, international relations, and public policy.

This module examines the contested nature of security through a critical lens, and engages with the politics and power relations of security construction. It analyses the various theoretical approaches that challenge conventional conceptualisations of ‘security’ in what is often called ‘the critical turn’ in Security Studies, and studies their methodological implications.

This module gives you the opportunity to examine games and gaming as important ways of making sense of a range of contemporary cultural and social issues. Over the course of the module, you will use a range of interdisciplinary frameworks infused with historical, political, and philosophical concepts and perspectives to confront and tackle key questions and subjects about games and gaming.

An examination of the politics inherent in major professional sport.

The module explores the dominant paradigms in political science and is designed to equip students with the tools to study the key ways in which analysts construct understandings and explanations of political phenomena. The module combines conceptual analysis with direct application to contemporary examples.

This module focuses upon Britain's changing role and influence in world politics. It examines the major events and issues by which foreign policy has been defined. Chronology is modulated by key foreign policy concepts.

This module aims to introduce you to the politics, government and foreign policy of Russia as it has developed since 1991, in order to allow you to analyse and assess the challenges Russia faces today and its complex role in contemporary geopolitics.

Using case studies from particular moments in the history of capitalism, this module explores the evolving challenges to liberal political thought, as industrialism and post-industrialism have transformed global politics. You will develop your capacity for critical thought by exploring a series of key themes to interpret diverse forms of modernity.

This module will require that students research and produce an in-depth, research based, piece of scholarly work based on a specific topic of study relevant to their degree programme.

This module will examine the role of housing in developing sustainable communities and how social housing providers are working to improve the opportunities of tenants and residents and impact positively on individual and collective wellbeing.

This module introduces students to key issues and major thinkers in modern Italian political thought. It provides an opportunity to explore the political tradition and culture of a bellwether European nation.

The module provides an understanding of the ethical dimensions of politics through an examination of persistent moral problems and dilemmas concerning war, violence and political obligation. The course adopts an inter-disciplinary approach, combining elements of political theory, moral philosophy and twentieth century British and European political history. 

This module aims to give students a broad understanding of the welfare state, what factors determine its evolution and how we can explain the differences we observe across countries. It provides an introduction to the comparative study of welfare state regimes with a particular focus on the effect of welfare state regimes on social inequality.