Posted: September 13th, 2017

Globalisation

Globalisation

note that there are no set questions for the major essay assessment of this course. Rather, students will be required to formulate their own research question. The question must relate to one of the twelve topics covered in this course and should be ‘open’ or ‘critical’ in nature; i.e. it should provide scope for a critical analysis of the topic and associated issues under consideration, and the development of a cohesive and coherent argument (we will discuss critical questions in the first seminar of the course). The essay plan is designed in part to provide students with the opportunity to develop their skills in formulating research questions.

Students will be required to formulate their own research question and submit this question, along with an essay plan and annotated bibliography, on the 31st of March. Feedback will be provided in order to provide students with adequate time to revise their plans, if necessary, and prepare their essay.

The essay plan will be required to outline the following:

•    A clear statement of the course topic to which the proposed research question relates;
•    The research question itself;
•    A short paragraph outlining the main focus of  the essay and the rationale for posing the stated essay question;
•    A brief outline of the proposed essay’s  structure. This need not be too detailed and can be quite general – it      should only provide a rough guide of the main issues to be considered or  points to be made in the essay. I am looking for evidence that you have considered the question, and how best this might be approached in a way      that allows you to construct and develop a structured and coherent  argument; and
•    An annotated bibliography of sources consulted (see below).

The essay plan and the annotated bibliography will be assessed against the following criteria:
•    The ability to formulate a ‘critical’ research  question, one that provides a sound basis for a critical analysis of the   topic, and related issues, under consideration;
•    The conformity of the question with one of the  twelve topics covered in the course (questions unrelated to one of the  course topics will not be accepted);
•    The ability to establish clear research  parameters (your plan should state what the main focus of the essay will  be); and
•    The proposed structure of the essay outlined in the plan
•    The quality of the summaries and analysis of sources included as part of the annotated bibliography

Writing an annotated bibliography

The aim of this part of the exercise is to encourage you to begin thinking about the theoretical foundations of your research paper and to begin engaging with the academic literature upon which you will draw in the construction of your core arguments when you write your research paper.

For this part of the assignment, you should research and identify six academic sources that will inform your arguments in your research paper and create a bibliography of those sources. These sources should not be drawn from the ‘Required reading’ listed as in the course outline.

You should then annotate the bibliography with a few lines about why you have chosen each source, what you hope to draw from it, how it fits with the rest of the literature with which you engage and so on.

Guidance on writing an annotated bibliography can be found on the UNSW Learning Centre website athttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/annotated_bib.html.

Specifically, your annotated bibliography should:
•    Provide the full bibliographic      citation for each source discussed
•    Demonstrate the      quality and depth of reading that you have done

And for each text:
•    Indicate the content or scope
•    Outline the main argument
•    Identify any conclusions made by the author/s
•    Discuss the relevance  or usefulness of the text for your research
•    Point out in what way the text relates to themes or concepts in your course
•    State the strengths and limitations of the text
•    Present your view or  reaction to the text

Your paper must be uploaded to TurnItIn on Moodle, and a Hard copy is to be submitted to the appropriate assignment box located on the First Floor of the Morven Brown Building by 4pm Tuesday 31th March. You must include proof of submission through TurnItIn, e.g. a screen-shot showing submission is complete or the email you receive acknowledging submission. UNSW provides support for students in using TurnItIn athttps://student.unsw.edu.au/turnitin-support. This webpage includes information on how to generate and interpret originality reports in TurnItIn. Support is also available from the central TurnItIn Help Center at  http://turnitin.com/en_us/support/help-center.

(HD)

Essay Question
Question does not relate to   one or more of the course topics; is unclear or poorly phrased                             Essay Question
Question clearly relates to   one or more of the course topics; is clearly phrased, concise and ‘open’
Structure of Proposed Essay
Structure indicated is not   logical and/or does not provide a clear indication of how the question will   be addressed and/or is largely incoherent                             Structure of Proposed Essay
Structure indicated is   coherent and logical and clearly provides a sound basis for properly   addressing the question in a well-developed manner
Choice of material and sources:
Includes largely irrelevant   and/or inappropriate literature                             Choice of material and sources:
Represents an excellent   selection of relevant literature demonstrating significant independent   research.
Engagement with material:
Patchy or misguided   interpretation. Showing little or no understanding of the material.                             Engagement with material:
Shows a sound understanding   with consistent and mature insight.
Quality of analysis:
Shows limited or no effort   to relate sources to research paper. Entirely descriptive.                             Quality of analysis:
Relate sources to research   paper exceptionally well. Avoids description and explains concisely the   relevance of each source.
Style and presentation:
Significant lapses or   disregard for presentational standards and formalities of academic work.                             Style and presentation:
Of excellent or very good   standard with minor lapses at most.

These tick box sections are not weighted equally with regards to your final mark.

Reading and resources
The Reading Guide for each topic below is divided into two sections – Required Reading and Recommended Reading:
This course is based on Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012). All students must purchase this text. It is a requirement that you complete at the minimum the ‘Required Reading’ i.e. the relevant chapters in the textbook plus (where indicated) the stipulated journal article each week before the seminar. In addition to the ‘Required Reading’ a number of further sources are listed under ‘Recommended Reading’.
These readings are merely indicative of the wide range of sources available. The idea behind such a reading list is to encourage you to read beyond the compulsory sources. Ideally you will be able to read extensively on the various topics, so as to set what you read in a broader perspective. The included required and recommended readings provide useful material that students can use in preparing for their assignments. However, in preparing for the seminar discussions and in writing essays you are free to use sources from outside the Reading List.
In addition to the “Required Reading” there are a number of texts that provide coverage of most of the topics analysed in the course. Useful introductory texts include:
Art, Robert J. and Robert Jervis (eds.) (2009) International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues 9th edition (New York: Pearson Longman).
Baylis, John, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens (eds.) (2008) The Globalization of World Politics 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake and Kenneth A. Schultz (2010) World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company).
Jackson, Robert and Georg Sørensen (2007) Introduction to International Relations 3rd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Useful introductions to International Relations theory include:
Burchill, Scott et al (2009) Theories of International Relations 4th edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan).
Dunne, Tim, Milja Kurki and Steve Smith (eds.) (2007) International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Smith, S., K. Booth and M. Zalewski (eds) (1996) International Theory: Positivism and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
9
Walker, R.B.J. (1993) Inside/outside: International Relations as Political Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Students may also find the following websites and journals useful:
The library runs the ELISE tutorial on-line, which familiarizes students with academic writing, research and using information responsibly. It can be located at http://elise.library.unsw.edu.au/home/welcome.html.
You will benefit from becoming familiar with GoogleScholar (http://scholar.google.com) as a key search engine for academic publications and reports. You can set up the preferences to link to the UNSW Library even when you are not on campus.
Go to Google Scholar> settings> library links, and enter ‘University of New South Wales’ in the box for “Library”:
You can sign up for Table of Contents (TOC) Alerts from the homepages of relevant journals, to receive an email whenever new articles are published in that journal. Journal websites will often carry information on the most viewed and most cited articles; these are likely to be interesting and often influential contributions. Google Scholar will also point you to articles that have cited a particular article and hence will be related to the topic.
Websites
Journals
Amnesty International – www.amnesty.org
European Journal of International Relations
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade global issues website – www.dfat.gov.au/globalissues
Review of International Studies
Foreign Affairs
United Nations – www.un.org
International Studies Quarterly
The Brookings Institute – www.brookings.edu
International Relations
Council on Foreign Relations – www.cfr.org
International Politics
Global Policy Forum – www.globalpolicy.org
Global Governance
Human Rights Watch – www.hrw.org
Australian Journal of International Affairs
Lowy Institute for International Policy – www.lowyinstitute.org
WEEK-BY-WEEK TOPIC AND READING GUIDE
Part 1: Theory and History
Week 1 (2 March): Understanding Global Politics 1: ‘Traditional’ IR Theory
The discipline of International Relations emerged as a university subject after the end of the First World War. In this seminar we will examine different theoretical traditions in International Relations theory, and explore different approaches to understanding International Relations. We focus on realist, liberal and constructivist approaches. These contending perspectives on global politics provide different explanations of continuity and change in international relations.
Seminar Questions:
a). Why do we need theory in order to understand global politics?
b). Why are questions of ontology and epistemology important to the IR theory debate?
c). How would you characterise the state of IR theory today?
d). What are the main differences between the classical and ‘neo’ versions of realism and liberalism?
e). What are the main precepts of constructivism?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) (2012) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): Introduction and Chapter 1 (pp.1-34)
***Dunne, Tim, Hansen, Lene and Wight, Colin (2013) ‘The End of International Relations Theory’, European Journal of International Relations 19(3): 405-25
Recommended Reading:
Theories of World Politics:
Burchill, Scott (2009) “Introduction” in Theories of International Relations 4th Edition (Hampshire: Palgrave)
Holsti, K.J. (1989) “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Which Are the Fairest Theories of All?” International Studies Quarterly 33(3): 255-61
Lapid, Yosef (1989) “The Third Debate: On the Prospects of International Theory in a Post-Positivist Era” International Studies Quarterly 33(3): 235-54
Tickner, J. Ann and Andrei P. Tsygankov (2008) “Responsible Scholarship in International Relations: A Symposium” International Studies Review 10(4): 661-66
Realism:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) (2012) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): Chapter 2 (pp.35-47)
11
Forde, Steven (1995) “International Realism and the Science of Politics: Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Neorealism” International Studies Quarterly 39(2): 141-60
Jervis, Robert (1999) “Realism in the Study of World Politics” International Organization 52(4): 971–91
Lebow, Richard Ned (1994) “The Long Peace, the End of the Cold War, and the Failure of Realism” International Organization 48(2): 249-77
Legro, Jeffrey W. and Andrew Moravcsik (1999) “Is Anybody Still Realist?” International Security 24(2): 5-55
Neo-realism (structural realism):
Glaser, Charles (2003) “Structural Realism in a More Complex World” Review of International Studies 29(3): 403-14
Goddard, Stacie E. and Daniel H. Nexon (2005) “Paradigm Lost? Reassessing Theory of International Politics” European Journal of International Relations 11(1): 9-61
Mearsheimer, John (1990) “Back to the Future: Instability in Europe After the Cold War” International Security 15(1): 5-56
Waltz, Kenneth N. (2000) Theory of International Politics (New York: Random House)
Waltz, Kenneth N. (2000) “Structural Realism after the Cold War” International Security 25(1): 5-41
Liberalism:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds) (2012) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): Chapter 3 (pp.48-61)
Doyle, Michael (1986) “Liberalism and World Politics” American Political Science Review 80(4): 1151-69
Macmillan, John (2004) “Whose Democracy, Which Peace? Contextualizing the Democratic Peace” International Politics 41(4): 472-93
Moravcsik, Andrew (1997) “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics” International Organization 51(4): 513-53
Richardson, James (1997) “Contending Liberalisms: Past and Present”, European Journal of International Relations 3(1): 5-33
Neo-Liberalism:
Goldstein, Judith et al. (2000) “Introduction: Legalization and World Politics” International Organization 54(3): 385-99
12
Jervis, Robert (1999) “Realism, Neoliberalism and Cooperation: Understanding the Debate” International Security 24(1): 42-63
Keohane, Robert O. and Lisa L. Martin (1995) “The Promise of Institutionalist Theory” International Security 20(1): 39-51
Nye, Joseph S. (1988) “Neorealism and Neoliberalism” World Politics 40(2): 235-51
Constructivism:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) (2012) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): Chapter 7 (pp.103-118)
Adler, Emmanuel (1997) “Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics” European Journal of International Relations 3(3): 319-63
Finnemore, Martha and Kathryn Sikkink (1998) “International Norm Dynamics and Political Change” International Organization 52(4): 887-917
Hopf, Ted (1998) “The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory” International Security 23(1): 171-200
Wendt, Alexander (1992) “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics” International Organization 46(2): 391-425
Wendt, Alexander (1995) “Constructing International Politics” International Security 20(1): 71-81
Week 2 (9 March): Understanding Global Politics 2: Critical Perspectives on Global Politics
Last week we explored traditional theories of International Relations and the challenge presented to them by the so-called ‘critical theories’ that emerged during the Third Great Debate. In this seminar, we explore these critical theories in more detail. In particular, we will explore Marxism and Critical Theory, Feminism and Post-Structuralism. All three share an inherent post-positivism in their basic epistemological assumptions, but they differ markedly in their focus, their prescriptions and their challenge to the traditional IR theories.
Seminar Questions:
a). How do critical scholars of IR understand the concepts of ‘power’ and ‘representation’ and how do these understandings differ from more traditional interpretations?
b). What are the basic challenges that critical approaches to IR pose to traditional approaches?
c). What are the basic tenets of post-structuralism?
d). Why is the study of gender important in international relations? What does it add to our understanding of IR?
13
e). Why was IR resistant to feminist theories for so long?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapters 4, 5 and 6 (pp.62-102)
***Hansen, Lene (1997) ‘A Case for Seduction? Evaluating the Poststructuralist Conceptualization of Security’, Cooperation and Conflict 32(4): pp.369-97
Recommended Reading:
Feminism:
Elshtain, Jean Bethke (2009) “Woman, the State, and War” International Relations 23(2): pp.289–303
Hooper, Charlotte (2001) Manly States: Masculities, International Relations and Gender Politics (New York: Columbia University Press)
Peterson, V. Spike, (1999) ‘Sexing Political Identities/Nationalism as Heterosexism’, International Feminist Journal of Politics 1(1): pp.34-65
Shepherd, Laura J. (2006) ‘Veiled References: Constructions of Gender in the Bush Administration Discourse on the Attacks on Afghanistan Post-9/11’ International Feminist Journal of Politics 8(1): pp.19-41
Shepherd, Laura J. (2010) “Sex or Gender? Bodies in World Politics and Why Gender Matters”, in Gender Matters in Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to International Relations (London: Routledge): pp.3-16
Steans, Jill (2006) Gender and International Relations: Issues, Debates and Future Directions 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Polity Press)
Youngs, Gillian (2004) “Feminist International Relations: a Contradiction in Terms? Or: How Women and Gender are Essential to Understanding the World ‘We’ Live In” International Affairs 80(1): pp.75-87
Zalewski, Marysia (1995) ‘What is the Feminist Perspective on Bosnia?’, International Affairs 71(2): pp.339-56
Marxist and Critical Approaches:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) (2012) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): Chapter 4 (pp.62-75)
Cox, Robert (1981) “Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond International Relations Theory” Millennium 10(2): 126-55
14
Price, Richard and Christian Reus-Smit (1998) “Dangerous Liaisons? Critical International Theory and Constructivism” European Journal of International Relations 4(3): 259-94
Rupert, Mark (2003) “Globalising Common Sense: A Marxian-Gramscian (re-)vision of the politics of governance/resistance” Review of International Studies 29 (special issue): 181-98
Rengger, Nicholas and Ben Thirkell-White (2007) “Still Critical After All These Years? The Past, Present and Future of Critical Theory in International Relations” Review of International Studies 33 (special issue): 3–24
Post-Structuralism
Der Derian, James and Shapiro, Michael (eds) (1989) International/Intertextual Relations: Postmodern Readings of World Politics (Lexington: Lexington Books)
Der Derian, James (1990) ‘The (S)pace of International Relations: Simulation, Surveillance and Speed’, International Studies Quarterly 34(3): 295-310
Epstein, Charlotte (2013) ‘Constructivism or the Eternal Return of Universals in International Relations. Why Returning to Language is Vital to Prolonging the Owl’s Flight’, European Journal of International Relations 19(3): pp.499-519
Hansen, Lene (2011) ‘The Politics of Securitization and the Muhammad Cartoon Crisis: A post-Structuralist Perspective’, Security Dialogue 42 (4-5): 357-69
Walker, R.B.J. (1993) Inside/Outside: International Relations as Political Theory (Cambridge: Cambridge University)
Week 3 (16 March): The Evolution of the Global System
Key features of contemporary global politics are the result of historical forces shaping the modern world. In this seminar we will explore the historical context that has shaped key structures and processes in the contemporary global system. We will examine the historical emergence of the state and the concept of sovereignty. The aim is to provide both an introduction to the evolution of world politics and also an understanding of the relationship between empirical and theoretical development.
Seminar Questions:
a). Of what significance was the 1648 Peace of Westphalia in the emergence of the modern state?
b). What makes a state sovereign?
c). How should we understand state sovereignty? Is it a concept with a fixed meaning? Does sovereignty today mean the same thing as did 300 years ago?
Required Reading:
15
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 9 (pp.135-147).
***Osiander, Andreas (2001) “Sovereignty, International Relations and the Westphalian Myth” International Organization 55(2): 251-288
Recommended Reading:
The Evolution of the Inter-State System:
Armstrong, David (2008) “The Evolution of International Society” in John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 36-52.
Buzan, Barry, and Richard Little (2000) International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of International Relations (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Jackson, Robert (1999) “Sovereignty in World Politics: A Glance at the Conceptual and Historical Landscape” Political Studies 47(3): 431-56.
Sofer, Sasson (2009) “The Prominence of Historical Demarcations: Westphalia and the New World Order” Diplomacy & Statecraft 20(1): 1–19.
Suzuki, Shogo (2005) “Japan’s Socialisation into Janus-Faced European International Society” European Journal of International Relations 11(1): 137-16.
Watson, Adam (1992) The Evolution of International Society (London: Routledge): 135-277.
Sovereignty and the State:
Biersteker, Thomas J. and Cynthia Weber (eds.) (1996) State Sovereignty as Social Construct (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Krasner, Stephen D. (1999) Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
Lake, David (2003) “The New Sovereignty in International Relations” International Studies Review 5(3): 303-324.
Stirk, P. (2012) ‘The Westphalian Model and Sovereign Equality’, Review of International Studies 38(3): 641-60.
Thomson, Janice (1995) “State Sovereignty in International Relations: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Empirical Research” International Studies Quarterly 39(2): 213- 233.
Zacher, Mark (2001) “The Territorial Integrity Norm” International Organization 55(2): 215-250.
16
Week 4 (23 March): Decolonisation and the Emergence of the Global South
Decolonisation is a historical event that had a major, albeit somewhat under-recognised, role in shaping contemporary international society. The existence today of an international society that spans the globe is in large part the product of European colonialism and subsequent processes of decolonisation in which the colonies gained their independence and became sovereign states. The granting of independence to the colonies subsequently led to the emergence of the ‘Third World’ or the ‘Global South’. Many of the effects of colonialism and decolonisation are therefore still felt today in the context of issues relating to international development, economic inequalities between states and the phenomena of so-called failed states. In exploring this topic, we will also consider both the English School concept of an ‘international society’ and post-colonial approaches to global politics and their claim that the discipline of IR, like international society itself, retains an inherent Eurocentrism.
Seminar Questions:
a). What is an international society? Does it actually exist?
b). Was the ‘Standard of Civilisation’ a legitimate method of creating an international society comprised of states with uniform domestic political systems and shared values?
c). How significant was decolonisation in the evolution of international society?
d). What is the legacy of European colonialism? Is it still significant for international society today?
e). Is the discipline of International Relations still ‘Eurocentric’ today? Why/why not?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 17 (pp.243-255).
***Seth, Sanjay (2011) “Postcolonial Theory and the Critique of International Relations”, Millennium, 40(1): 167-83.
Recommended Readings:
Anghie, Antony (2006) “The Evolution of International Law: Colonial and Postcolonial Realities” Third World Quarterly 27(5): 739-53
Bain, William (2003) Between Anarchy and Society: Trusteeship and the Obligations of Power (Oxford: Oxford University Press) – ebook available from the UNSW library website.
Bowden, Brett (2005) “The Colonial Origins of International Law: European Expansion and the Classical Standard of Civilization”, Journal of the History of International Law 7(1): 1-23
Brooks, Rosa Ehrenreich (2005) “Failed States, or the State as Failure?” The University of Chicago Law Review 72(4): 1159-96
17
Bull, Hedley (1977) The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics (New York: Columbia University Press)
Bull, Hedley and Adam Watson (eds) (1984) The Expansion of International Society (Oxford: Clarendon Press)
Gong, Gerrit W. (1984) The ‘Standard of ‘Civilization’ in International Society (Oxford: Clarendon Press)
Jackson, Robert (1990) Quasi-States: Sovereignty, International Relations and the Third World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Keal, Paul (2003) European Conquest and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: The Moral Backwardness of International Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Keene, Edward (2002) Beyond the Anarchical Society: Grotius, Colonialism and Order in World Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Paris, Roland (2003) “Peacekeeping and the Constraints of Global Culture” European Journal of International Relations 9(3): 441-73
Philpott, Daniel (2001) Revolutions in Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped the Modern World (Princeton: Princeton University Press): chapter 8
Philpott, Daniel (2001) “Liberalism, Power, and Authority in International Relations: On the Origins of Colonial Independence and Internationally Sanctioned Intervention” Security Studies 11(2): 117-63
Week 5 (30 March): The Cold War
In this seminar we explore the development of international relations since 1945. We will examine the principal developments in world politics through the lens of the Cold War. The Cold War dominated international politics between 1945 and 1990 and its end has also ushered in major structural change. Indeed, several scholars have suggested that the end of the Cold War has ushered in the ‘End of History or a ‘New World Order’. These claims will be assessed in the seminar.
Seminar Questions:
a). Was the Cold War inevitable?
b). Does the Cold War confirm or refute the view that conflict is inevitable in the international system?
c). Is it persuasive to claim that the Cold War was a ‘long peace’?
d). Are the claims of an ‘End of History’ or the emergence of a ‘New World Order’ persuasive today, 25 years after the end of the Cold War?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012):
18
Chapter 20 (pp.281-293).
***Fukuyama, Francis (1992) The End of History and the Last Man (New York: Penguin) pp.xi-xxiii (available via Moodle and the Library Website)
Recommended Reading:
The Cold War:
Clark, Ian (2001) The Post-Cold War Order: The Spoils of Peace (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
Cox, Michael (2008) “From the Cold War to the War on Terror” in John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 70-87
Kegley, Charles W. (1993) “The Neoidealist Moment in International Studies? Realist Myths and the New International Realities” International Studies Quarterly 37(2): 131-46
Keylor, William (2006) The Twentieth Century World and Beyond 5th edition (New York: Oxford University Press): 233-61
Woods, Ngaire (ed.) (1996) Explaining International Relations since 1945 (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 81-196
The End of the Cold War:
Freedman, Lawrence (1991/92) ‘Order and Disorder in the New World’ Foreign Affairs, 71(1): 21-37
Fukuyama, Francis (1992) The End of History and the Last Man (New York: Penguin)
Roberts, Adam (1991) “A New Age in International Relations?” International Affairs 67(3): 509-25
Sorensen, Georg (1998) “IR theory after the Cold War” Review of International Studies 24(5): 83-100
No Seminar in Week 6
Part 2: Key Issues in Contemporary Global Politics
Week 7 (20 April): Globalisation
Perhaps no term is more widely used in discussions of contemporary international relations than the term, ‘globalisation’. It is thus vital that attention is given to the debates concerning the meaning and impact of globalisation. In this seminar we will critically evaluate debates on globalisation, including those regarding its significance and impacts. We will attempt to assess the competing arguments
19
through attention to the impact of globalisation on the actors in the global system, and the structures of the system.
Seminar Questions:
a). Is globalisation a ‘real’ phenomenon? Or is it merely a form of internationalisation or greater economic interdependence between a select group of states?
b). Do you think the hyperglobalists, sceptics or transformationalists provide the most persuasive account of globalisation?
c). Why has globalisation stimulated so much resistance? Is this resistance justified?
d). Does globalisation entail the diminishment or end of the sovereign state? Are we in a ‘post-Westphalian’ era?
e). How can we explain the differential impact of globalisation on different states?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 28 (pp.386-397)
***Mann, Michael (1997) “Has Globalization Ended the Rise and Rise of the Nation-State?” Review of International Political Economy 4(3): 472–496
Recommended Reading:
Clapham, Christopher (2002) “The Challenge to the State in a Globalised World” Development and Change 33(5): 775-795
Clark, Ian (2008) “Globalization and the Post-Cold War Order” in John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 560-75
Hay, Colin (2008) “Globalization’s Impact on States” in John Ravenhill (ed.) Global Political Economy, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): pp.314-45
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perron (1999) Global Transformations (Cambridge: Polity Press).
Held, David and Anthony McGrew (2002) Governing Globalization: Power, Authority and Global Governance (Malden, Mass.: Polity Press).
Kumar, Vidya S. A. (2003) “A Critical Methodology of Globalization: Politics of the 21st Century?” Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 10(2): 87-111.
Rupert, Mark (2005) “Reflections on Some Lessons Learned from a Decade of Globalisation Studies” New Political Economy 10(4): 457-478.
Scholte, Jan Aart (2005) Globalization: A Critical Introduction 2nd edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan).
20
Strange, Susan (1995) “The Defective State” Daedalus 124(2): 55-74.
Weiss, Linda (1997) “Globalization and the Myth of the Powerless State” New Left Review 225: 3-27.
Week 8 (27 April): Law, International Order and Global Governance
The term ‘governance’ has recently been used to describe the ways in which states and other actors manage political, social and economic processes. We will explore the concept of governance and the theoretical debate over the meaning of global governance and international order. We will also discuss the role of formal international organizations, and non-governmental organizations in global governance.
Seminar Questions:
a). In what ways, if any, does global governance contribute to the maintenance of international order?
b). Does global governance signify a transition towards a world government?
c). Does the UN still provide an effective contribution to global governance? Is it in need of reform?
d). Do NGOs and other non-state actors make a significant contribution to global governance?
e). How can we explain the rise in the number and influence of non-state actors over the last 20-30 years?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapters 21 and 22 (pp.296-321).
***Held, David (2006) “Reframing Global Governance: Apocalypse Soon or Reform!” New Political Economy 11(2): 157-176.
Recommended Reading:
Perspectives on Global Governance:
Dingwerth, Klaus and Phillip Pattberg (2006) “Global Governance as a Perspective on World Politics” Global Governance 12(2): 185-203.
Forman, Shephard and Derek Segaar (2006) “New Coalitions for Global Governance: The Changing Dynamics of Multilateralism” Global Governance 12(2): 205-225.
Halabi, Yakub (2004) “The Expansion of Global Governance into the Third World: Altruism, Realism or Constructivism?” International Studies Review 6(1): 21-48.
– “Emergent Epoch” International Studies Perspectives 3(2): 105-127
21
Murphy, Craig N. (2000) “Global Governance: Poorly Done and Poorly Understood” International Affairs 76(4): 789-804
Weiss, Thomas G. (2000) “Governance, Good Governance and Global Governance: Conceptual and Actual Challenges” Third World Quarterly 21(5): 795-814
Global Governance in Action:
Barnett, M. and M. Finnemore (2005) ‘The power of liberal international organisations’, pp.161-184 in M. Barnett and R. Duvall (eds) Power in Global Governance, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Bull, Benedicte, Morten Bøås and Desmond McNeill (2004) “Private Sector Influence in the Multilateral System: A Changing Structure of World Governance?” Global Governance 10(4): 481-498
Deere-Birkbeck ,Carolyn (2009) “Global Governance in the Context of Climate Change: The Challenges of Increasingly Complex Risk Parameters” International Affairs 85(6): 1173–1194
Hurd, Ian (2011) International Organisations: Politics, Law, Practice (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Murphy, C. N. (2002) ‘The historical processes of establishing institutions of global governance and the nature of global polity’, pp.169-188 in M. Ougaard and R. Higgot (eds) Towards a Global Polity, London: Routledge
Porter, Tony (2009) ‘Why International Institutions Matter in the Global Credit Crisis’, Global Governance 15(2): 185-203
Thakur, Ramesh and Thomas. G Weiss (2009) “United Nations ‘Policy’: An Argument with Three Illustrations” International Studies Perspectives 10(1): 18-35
Week 9 (4 May): The Global Economy
Within contemporary international life economic issues are central. The aim of this seminar is to identify the principal features of the global economy, different theoretical approaches within the discipline of International Political Economy, and the contending approaches to understanding the relationship between international politics and international economics.
Seminar Questions:
a). To what extent are global economic institutions indispensable pieces of global governance?
b). ‘No single theoretical approach can provide a satisfactory explanation of the dynamics of the global political economy.’ Discuss.
c). To what extent does the efficient functioning of the global economy depend on stable political conditions?
d). How is international trade affected by domestic politics?
22
e). What do you make of the liberal argument that all participants in a capitalist free market benefit absolutely, despite the inequalities inherent in the free market?
f). Why is the global financial system prone to crisis?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapters 24-26 (pp.336-370)
***Hveem, Helge (2009) “Pluralist IPE: A View from Outside the ‘Schools’” New Political Economy 14(3): 367-376
Recommended Reading:
Approaches to IPE:
Cohen, Benjamin J. (2007) ‘The Transatlantic Divide: Why are American and British IPE so Different?’ Review of International Political Economy 14(2): 197-219
Higgott, Richard and Matthew Watson (2008) ‘All at Sea in a Barbed Wire Canoe: Professor Cohen’s Transatlantic Voyage in IPE’ Review of International Political Economy 15(1): 1-17
Hobson, John M. (2013) ‘Part 1 – Revealing the Eurocentric Foundations of IPE: A Critical Historiography of the Discipline from the Classical to the Modern Era’, Review of International Political Economy 20(5): 1024-54
Hobson, John M. (2013) ‘Part 2 – Reconstructing the Non-Eurocentric Foundations of IPE: From Eurocentric ‘Open Economy Politics’ to Inter-Civilizational Political Economy’, Review of International Political Economy 20(5): 1055-81
Krasner, Stephen D (1994) ‘International Political Economy: Abiding Discord’ Review of International Political Economy 1(1): 13-19.
Ravenhill, John (2008) “The Study of Global Political Economy” in John Ravenhill (ed.) Global Political Economy 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): pp.3-26.
Strange, Susan (1995) ‘Political Economy and International Relations’, pp.154-174 in K. Booth and S. Smith (eds) International Relations Theory Today (Cambridge: Polity)
Underhill, Geoffrey (2000) “State, Market and Global Political Economy: Genealogy of an (Inter-?) Discipline” International Affairs 76(4): 805-824.
Watson, Matthew (2008) “Theoretical Traditions in Global Political Economy” in John Ravenhill (ed.) Global Political Economy 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 27-66.
The Political Foundations of the Global Economy:
23
Beeson, Mark and Stephen Bell (2009) “The G-20 and International Economic Governance: Hegemony, Collectivism, or Both?” Global Governance 15(1): 67-86
Germain, Randall (2010) Global Politics and Financial Governance (New York: Palgrave)
Gilpin, Robert (2001) Global Political Economy: Understanding the International Economic Order (Princeton: Princeton University Press)
Jones, B. G. (2013) ‘Slavery, finance and international political economy: Postcolonial reflections’, pp.49-69 in S. Seth (ed) Postcolonial Theory and International Relations (London: Routledge)
Ruggie, John Gerard (1982) “International Regimes, Transactions, and Change: Embedded Liberalism in the Postwar Economic Order” International Organization 36(2): 379-415
Segal, Aaron (1990) “Managing the World Economy” International Political Science Review 11(3): 361-369
Subacchi, Paola (2008) “New Power Centres and New Power Brokers: Are They Shaping A New Economic Order?” International Affairs 84(3): 485–498
www.imf.org
www.worldbank.org
www.wto.org
Week 10 [No Seminar- Alternative Learning] (11 May): Anarchy and the Causes of War
The traditional focus of the discipline of International Relations has been on the questions of war and peace and the security of states. Within the traditional formulation, International Relations is about war and peace. Traditional approaches such as realism conclude that conflict and war are the inevitable products of a system of independent political communities each concerned with its own security. In an anarchical environment, the key issue for states is self-preservation through armed force. While there is widespread agreement that anarchy is the defining feature of the international system, the various theoretical perspectives in International Relations differ on the meaning and consequences of anarchy. In this seminar we explore realist, liberal and constructivist understandings of anarchy and the different causes of war.
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITY
Note: there are no seminars scheduled for this topic. Instead of attending a seminar, you are expected to engage in ‘virtual’ seminar discussions relating to the questions below on the Moodle discussion boards. A discussion forum will be set up for each seminar question. You must post a response of no less than 300 words and no more than 500 words in response to at least one question by midnight on
24
Wednesday 13 May 2015. Once you have posted a response to a question, you need to read and engage with the responses posted by other people. You must post a reply to someone else’s post/engage in discussion by midnight on Friday 15 May 2015. Failure to post your own response to a question and post a reply to someone else’s response to a question by the dates specified will result in you being marked ‘absent’ for this week.
Seminar Questions:
a). What is anarchy? Why is it so significant for many International Relations theorists?
b). Are realists correct to argue that anarchy inevitably leads to security dilemmas and conflict between states? Or do liberals or constructivists provide a more persuasive account of anarchy and its consequences?
c). Why do wars occur? Is there a relationship between sovereignty, anarchy and war?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 13 (pp.189-198)
***Wendt, Alexander (1992) “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics” International Organization, 46(2): 391-425
Recommended Reading:
Anarchy and the International System:
Donnelly, Jack (2006) “Sovereign Inequalities and Hierarchy in Anarchy: American Power and International Society” European Journal of International Relations 12(2): 139-70
Glaser, Charles (1997) “The Security Dilemma Revisited” World Politics 50(1): 171-201
Jervis, Robert (1978) “Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma” World Politics 30(2): 167-214
Wendt, Alexander (1995) “Constructing International Politics” International Security 20(1): 71-81
Causes of War:
Barnett, Michael and Raymond Duvall (2005) “Power in International Politics” International Organization 59(1): 39-75
Clarke, Michael (2001) “War in the New International Order” International Affairs 77(3): 663-671
Eilstrup-Sangiovani, Mette and Daniel Verdier (2005) “European Integration as a Solution to War” European Journal of International Relations 11(1): 99-135
25
Fearon, James D. (1995) “Rationalist Explanations for War” International Organization 49(3): 379-414
Jervis, Robert (2002) “Theories of War in an Era of Leading-Power Peace” American Political Science Review 96(1): 1-14
Nye, Joseph (2008) “Public Diplomacy and Soft Power” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 616(1): 94-109
Suganami, Hidemi (1996) On the Causes of War (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
Week 11 (18 May): Security and the Changing Nature of War and Conflict
In the previous week, we explored anarchy and the causes of war. It was discussed that states are taken by many theorists to be primarily concerned with their security. But what is security? How is it measured and how is it achieved? In this seminar we explore the concept of security and also examine international security in the post-Cold War era. Recently, international security has been marked by two key phenomena: technological innovation and the changing face of warfare, and the emergence of a range of what might be termed ‘non-traditional’ security issues that have increasingly captured the attention of both policymakers and academics.
Seminar Questions:
a). Is Clausewitz’s theory of war still relevant today? How have thinkers argued it has changed and are there arguments persuasive?
b). To what extent has technology changed war?
c). In your view, has technological innovation in warfare enhanced or diminished international security?
d). Why is the concept of security contested?
e). What is ‘critical’ about critical security approaches? Are they practical?
f). What are the main threats to security in the contemporary global order? Why are these threats more serious than others?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapters 11 and 14 (pp.160-170; 199-216).
***High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (2004) A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility (New York: United Nations Department of Public Information): pp.1-19, available at http://www.un.org/secureworld/report 2.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Beeson, Mark and Alex J. Bellamy (2003) “Globalisation, Security and International Order after 11 September” Australian Journal of Politics and History 49(3): 339-354
Burke, Anthony (2004) “Just War or Ethical Peace? Moral Discourses of Strategic Violence after 9/11” International Affairs 80(2): 329-353
26
Buzan, Barry, Ole Waever and Jaap de Wilde (1998) Security: A New Framework for Analysis (Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner)
Davies, Sara (2008) “Securitizing Infectious Disease” International Affairs 84(2): 295- 313
Heng, Yee-Kuang (2006) “The ‘Transformation of War’ Debate: Through the Looking Glass of Ulrich Beck’s World Risk Society” International Relations 20(1): 69-91
Kolodziej, Edward A. (1992) “Renaissance in Security Studies? Caveat Lector!” International Studies Quarterly 36(4): 421-38
Krause, Keith (1998) “Critical Theory and Security Studies: The Research Programme of Critical Security Studies” Cooperation and Conflict 33(3): 298-333
Matthew, Richard and George Shambaugh (2005) “The Limits of Terrorism: A Network Perspective” International Studies Review 7(4): 617-627
Srinivasan, Krishnan (2009) “International Conflict and Cooperation in the 21st Century” The Round Table 98(400): 37-47
The National Security Strategy of the United States – September 2002 (Washington D.C.: The White House), available at http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/ ns c/nss/2002/ nss.pdf
Walt, Stephen M. (1991) “The Renaissance of Security Studies” International Studies Quarterly 35(2): 211-39
Week 12 (25 May): Human Rights and Human Security
The individual as a subject of international relations has until relatively recently received limited attention from scholars. The state-centric paradigm relegates individuals to the periphery of international politics. Attention to human rights and normative issues in world politics has not only brought increased attention to the importance of the individual it has also challenged some of the assumptions of traditional scholarship. The end of the Cold War also ushered in a debate on the meaning of security. Perspectives emphasizing an expanded security agenda challenged the conventional understanding of security as national security. In this seminar we will examine human rights and human security, two concepts that shift the focus from the state to the individual and protection against economic, social, environmental harms.
Seminar Questions:
a). Are human rights universal or do they contain a Western prejudice?
b). Why have human rights become an issue of greater concern and importance in recent decades?
c). Is the current international human rights regime effective?
d). Is human security important in the ‘real world’, or is it just ‘hot air’?
27
e).Is human security complementary to state security? If not, which should take precedence?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 32 (pp.440-449).
***Paris, Roland (2001) “Human Security: Paradigm Shift or Hot Air?” International Security 26(2): 87-102.
Recommended Reading:
Axworthy, Lloyd (2001) “Human Security and Global Governance: Putting People First” Global Governance 7(1): 19-25.
Bajpai, Kanti (2000) Human Security: Concept and Measurement (Kroc Institute Occasional Paper 19) available at http://kroc.nd.edu/ocpapers/19_op_1.pdf
Commission on Human Security (2003) Human Security Now (New York: Commission on Human Security) available at http://www.humansecurity-chs.org/finalreport/English /FinalReport.pdf
Dunne, Tim and Wheeler, N. (eds) (1999) Human Rights in Global Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Forsythe, D. (2000) Human Rights in International Relations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Newman, Edward (2001) “Human Security and Constructivism” International Studies Perspectives 2(3): 239-251
Oberleitner, Gerd (2005) “Human Security: A Challenge to International Law?” Global Governance 11(2): 185–203
Suhrke, Astri (1999) “Human Security and the Interests of States” Security Dialogue 30(3): 265-276
Tadjbakhsh, Shahrbanou and Anurradha M. Chenoy (2007) Human Security: Concepts and Implications (London: Taylor and Routledge)
Thomas, Caroline (2001) “Global Governance, Development and Human Security: Exploring the Links” Third World Quarterly 22 (2): 159–175
Week 13 (1 June): Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect
The increased importance of human rights and their protection over the last 20-30 years has raised questions about how international society should react in the face of gross violations of human rights. Do other states and international organisations have a right and a duty to intervene when a state fails to protect the human rights of
28
its citizens? If so, in what circumstances are humanitarian interventions legitimate? In this seminar, we consider the issue of humanitarian intervention, the related concept of a Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the relationship of both to state sovereignty.
Seminar Questions:
a). Should we intervene militarily in the domestic affairs of other countries in order to remedy human rights abuses?
b). Is there a norm of humanitarian intervention or a responsibility to protect in international society?
c). Can we reconcile humanitarian intervention with the norms of sovereign equality and non-intervention?
d). Is R2P merely an instrument for further Western Imperialism?
Required Reading:
Devetak, Richard, Anthony Burke and Jim George (eds.) An Introduction to International Relations, 2nd Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012): Chapter 31 (pp.426-439)
***Bellamy, Alex J. (2008) “The Responsibility to Protect and the Problem of Military Intervention” International Affairs 84(4): 615-635
Recommended Reading:
Bellamy, Alex J. (2003) ‘Humanitarian responsibilities and interventionist claims in international society’, Review of International Studies 29(3), pp.321-40
Bellamy. Alex J. and Paul Williams (2011) ‘The New Politics of Protection? Côte d’Ivoire, Libya and the Responsibility to Protect’, International Affairs 87, 825-850.
Bellamy, Alex J. (2013) ‘Making RtoP a Reality: Reflections on the 2012 General Assembly Dialogue on Timely and Decisive Response’, Global Responsibility to Protect 5(1): pp.109-25
Evans, Gareth (2008) ‘The Responsibility to Protect: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and… Gone?’ International Relations 22(3): 283-298
Friberg-Fernros, Henrik and Brommesson, Douglas (2013) ‘The Responsibility to Protect: An Incoherent Doctrine?’, International Politics 50(4): 600-22
McFarlane, S. Neil, Carolin J. Thielking and Thomas G. Weiss (2004) “The Responsibility to Protect: Is Anyone Interested in Humanitarian Intervention?” Third World Quarterly 25(5): 977-992
Weiss, Thomas G. (2004) The Sunset of Humanitarian Intervention? The Responsibility to Protect in a Unipolar Era, Security Dialogue 35(2): 135-53
Weiss, Thomas G. (2007) Humanitarian Intervention: Ideas in Action (Cambridge: Polity Press)
29
Wheeler, Nicholas (2000) Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
2. Essay plan and annotated bibliography: 1300 words
Please note that there are no set questions for the major essay assessment of this course. Rather, students will be required to formulate their own research question. The question must relate to one of the twelve topics covered in this course and should be ‘open’ or ‘critical’ in nature; i.e. it should provide scope for a critical analysis of the topic and associated issues under consideration, and the development of a cohesive and coherent argument (we will discuss critical questions in the first seminar of the course). The essay plan is designed in part to provide students with the opportunity to develop their skills in formulating research questions.
Students will be required to formulate their own research question and submit this question, along with an essay plan and annotated bibliography, on the 31st of March. Feedback will be provided in order to provide students with adequate time to revise their plans, if necessary, and prepare their essay.
The essay plan will be required to outline the following:
• A clear statement of the course topic to which the proposed research question relates;
• The research question itself;
• A short paragraph outlining the main focus of the essay and the rationale for posing the stated essay question;
• A brief outline of the proposed essay’s structure. This need not be too detailed and can be quite general – it should only provide a rough guide of the main issues to be considered or points to be made in the essay. I am looking for evidence that you have considered the question, and how best this might be approached in a way that allows you to construct and develop a structured and coherent argument; and
• An annotated bibliography of sources consulted (see below).
The essay plan and the annotated bibliography will be assessed against the following criteria:
• The ability to formulate a ‘critical’ research question, one that provides a sound basis for a critical analysis of the topic, and related issues, under consideration;
• The conformity of the question with one of the twelve topics covered in the course (questions unrelated to one of the course topics will not be accepted);
• The ability to establish clear research parameters (your plan should state what the main focus of the essay will be); and
32
• The proposed structure of the essay outlined in the plan
• The quality of the summaries and analysis of sources included as part of the annotated bibliography
Writing an annotated bibliography
The aim of this part of the exercise is to encourage you to begin thinking about the theoretical foundations of your research paper and to begin engaging with the academic literature upon which you will draw in the construction of your core arguments when you write your research paper.
For this part of the assignment, you should research and identify six academic sources that will inform your arguments in your research paper and create a bibliography of those sources. These sources should not be drawn from the ‘Required reading’ listed as in the course outline.
You should then annotate the bibliography with a few lines about why you have chosen each source, what you hope to draw from it, how it fits with the rest of the literature with which you engage and so on.
Guidance on writing an annotated bibliography can be found on the UNSW Learning Centre website at http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/annotated_bib.html.
Specifically, your annotated bibliography should:
• Provide the full bibliographic citation for each source discussed
• Demonstrate the quality and depth of reading that you have done
And for each text:
• Indicate the content or scope
• Outline the main argument
• Identify any conclusions made by the author/s
• Discuss the relevance or usefulness of the text for your research
• Point out in what way the text relates to themes or concepts in your course
• State the strengths and limitations of the text
• Present your view or reaction to the text

DETAILS OF ASSIGNMENT

Assignment task

For the purposes of this assignment outline and detail an online marketing plan for an organisation based on one of the scenarios below.

You are required to select one of the scenarios below and then undertake the following tasks:

•    Clearly define the marketing environment for the organisation.

•    Using an environmental framework Identify in depth areas of opportunity and weakness and use these to formulate the objectives of your marketing plan.

•    Detail your strategy and how you intend to implement it. You will need to consider your niche and target market strategy alongside your positioning and differentiation strategy. In addition identify your domain name with costs.

•    You will be expected to implement your ideas and therefore you will be required to develop a fully functioning website prototype or a Mobile Application which includes as a minimum 5 pages/screens. You will need to include a wire frame and a navigational outline to show that the necessary information and planning process has taken place.

•     As part of this implementation processes detail your social media and SEO awareness strategy if you have one.

•    Identify what are the key metrics you will use to help you identify your success rate in meeting your objectives. You will need to develop a measurement strategy based on defined online metrics and analytical criteria.

•    Reflect on the information and process developments. Carefully consider, style, layout and appropriate e-marketing activities that were integral during the implementation phase.

Reflect on the decisions you have made and the ideas you propose and give full justification.

This is an individual written assignment. 3000 words maximum.

Assignment Scenario 1 – Insurance Company

You are a Digital Marketing consultant who has been approached by a small insurance company known as “Outwordly Insurance Ltd”. They are a small organisation whose primary business goals revolve around providing car and home insurance in the town of Huddersfield. Over the last few years Outworldly insurance has struggled in the very competitive insurance market. They have identified that they need to diversify their market and product range but they have no idea on how to accomplish this. They sell the following products:

•    Car insurance
•    Contents insurance
•    Buildings insurance
Currently they do not have an online presence and no mechanism to engage with their current or past customers. They want you to help remedy this; they envisage that their online presence should be used for retention.

Therefore your job is to develop an online marketing presence which allows “Outworldly insurance” to compete within the online environment. You will need to write a report and create an online presence that allows Outworldly insurance to:

•    Increase engagement with their users
•    Develop relationships across multiple channels.

You must remember that Outworldly insurance has zero experience of the online environment with their skillset primarily anchored in the offline environment.

Assignment Scenario 2 – Travel Agents

You are a Digital Marketing consultant who has been approached by a small family run travel agent business known as “We take you there Travel”. They are a small organisation whose primary business revolves around providing package holidays and UK weekend breaks. Over the last few years “We take you there Travel” has struggled in a very competitive market. They have identified that they need to diversify their market and product range but they have no idea on how to accomplish this.

Currently they do not have an online presence and no mechanism to engage with their current or past customers. They want you to help remedy this; they envisage that their online presence should be used for acquiring new customers.

Therefore your job is to develop an online marketing presence which allows “We take you there Travel” to compete within the online environment. You will need to write a report and create an online presence that allows “We take you there Travel” to:

•    Increase Brand awareness
•    Develop a sustainable online product range across multiple channels not just your website.

You must remember that “We take you there Travel” has zero experience of the online environment.

Guidance Notes:

You should support your work throughout with evidence from good quality academic (journal articles, textbooks, conference proceedings, etc) and business sources. All material you reference should be cited fully using the standard referencing style, both within the main body of your report and in a clearly marked References section at the end.

You should ensure that you adhere to the current student regulations regarding assessment (presented in the student handbook), with particular reference to ethical considerations and issues of plagiarism. You will need to hand in your work through TurnitinUK at 23:59pm on the day stated above. It is important that your published URL is pasted on the cover sheet of your work. There is no need for a manual hand in.

 PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET AN AMAZING DISCOUNT 🙂

Expert paper writers are just a few clicks away

Place an order in 3 easy steps. Takes less than 5 mins.

Calculate the price of your order

You will get a personal manager and a discount.
We'll send you the first draft for approval by at
Total price:
$0.00
Live Chat+1-631-333-0101EmailWhatsApp