Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
EU30745: Culture and religion in international relations |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Honours |
| Period: | Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| CW 10%, ES 90% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take EU10505 and take EU10616 |
| Description: | Aims: To provide an understanding of the on-going saliency of culture and religion (broadly defined here as the main world religions) in the theory of international relations as it is developing today, and in selected issue-areas - conflict, cooperation, diplomacy and statecraft, peace-making and conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and foreign aid policy; to explain the role of culture and religion or the theo-political origns of the Westphalian system of international relations after the 'wars of religion' (i.e. the Thirty Years' War); to explain why the different perspectives of social theory neglect or ignore the role of culture and religion in the theory of international relations, and the terms often associated with these perspectives, such as fundamentalism, extremism, militancy, terrorism, etc.; to describe and examine some of the key religious non-state or transnational actors in international relations - such as the Catholic Church, and the Organiation of the Islamic Conference; to explain the role of culture and religion in war and international conflict; to explain the role of culture and religion in promoting international cooperation, peace-making, and conflict resolution; t examine the nature of religion and the history and development of diplomacy and statecraft ;Foreign policy - to explain the role of culture and religion promoting demoncracy; Foreign policy - to explain the role of culture and religion in foreign aid policy. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students should be able to critically examine and evaluate debates and policies regarding: culture and religion in the theory of international relations as it is developing today, and in selected issue-areas - conflict, cooperation, diplomacy and statecraft, peace-making and conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and foreign aid policy; the origins of the modern Westphalian system of international relations; different perspectives of social theory and how they have tried to explain different events regarding culture and religion in international relations negl, and the terms often associated with these perspectives, such as fundamentalism, extremism, militancy, terrorism, etc.; key religious non-state or transnational actors in international relations - such as the Catholic Church, and the Organiation of the Islamic Conference; to explain the role of culture and religion in war and international conflict; the role of culture and religion in promoting international cooperation, peace-making, and conflict resolution; the nature of religion and the history and development of diplomacy and statecraft; foreign policy - the role of culture and religion promoting democracy; foreign policy - the role of culture and religion in foreign aid policy. Skills: Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are taught and assessed in this unit. Content: This course is about the impact of culture and religion in the theory of international relations and in key issue-aras of international relations, and it does not include the impact of culture and religion in domestic politics, which is covered in other course units, especially in my other course unit, The Politics of Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationalism EU30732). The course re-examines the existing theory of international relations in view of the growing impact of culture and religion on international affairs, and how this has been facilitated by a variety of aspects of globalization as well as state policies and foreign policies. This necessarily also involves the various types of secularism and their impact on international relations. The way culture and religion have been marginalized in the main perspectdives of international relations - realism, pluralism, and globalism, provides the basis ffor how culture and religion can be brought back into the theory of international relations, and then become part of a variety of key issue-areas in international relations - conflict, cooperation, diplomacy and statecraft, peace-making and conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and foreign aid policy. Key Texts: Scott M. Thomas, Foreword by Desmond Tutu, The Global Resurgence of Religiion and the Transformation of International Relations (Palgreave, 2005). Daniel Philpott, Revolutions of Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped Modern International Relations (Princeton, 2001). Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, The Politics of Secularism in International Relations (Princeton, 2007). Jeff Haynes, An Introduction to International Relations and Relgiion (Longman, 2007). Douglas Johnson and Cynthia Sampson, Foreword by Jimmy Carter (ed.) Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft (Oxford, 1994). Douglas Johnson, Foreword by Lee Hamilton (ed.), Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik (Oxford, 2003). |