World Orders: Past, Present, and Future
| Module title | World Orders: Past, Present, and Future |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3282 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Gregorio Bettiza (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
What kind of international system do we inhabit today? What is its history and what does its future look like? This module invites students to reflect on these ‘big’ questions about international relations through the conceptual lens of world order(s). We will explore the multiple perspectives, theories, and histories suggesting that the world order we have come to inhabit is chiefly defined, among others, either by states and great powers, by the spread of liberal norms and governance arrangements, by the deep structures of capitalism and powerful multinational corporations, by complex and multi-scalar globalising processes, by longstanding colonial and racial hierarchies, or by cultural and civilizational diversity. We will interrogate how new technologies, ideologies, economic forces, actors, and environmental changes may be transforming the international system in which we live and bring about new kinds of world orders in the future. Through a world orders perspective, students will be invited to think and reflect systemically, analytically, and critically about the ways that humanity organises itself at the international level in multiple distinct ways across time and space.
There are no pre-requisite or co-requisite modules required to take this module. Some previous knowledge of IR theory is, however, desirable.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide students with the analytical tools to critically examine the past, present and future of world order(s). The module will be divided into three parts. The first part addresses the importance of thinking in terms of grand theories and grand narratives about international relations. We will furthermore explore a number of key concepts such as world order, power, and time.
In the second part we will address multiple perspectives on the histories and present characteristics of world orders. We will reflect on how different perspectives are profoundly shaped, among others, by distinct theoretical assumptions about what constitutes order and progress, who are the main actors and social forces in the international system, what constitute key forms of power, and what are the main sources of international change and stability.
In the third part of the module we will interrogate, in critical as well as imaginative ways, the future. We will start by reflecting on how to think about ‘the future’, also through an engagement with ideas of utopia/dystopia and methodologies like scenario planning. Students will carry out case studies and present their visions and scenarios of future world orders to the rest of the class.
This is a highly theoretical module. However, we will not simply approach theory for theory’s sake, but always relate it to the empirical reality around us. The purpose is to unpack how different conceptual and normative assumptions lead to distinct interpretations of world order and what our own place and agency within it is. The starting point is that if we are to “make the world a better place”, as so many aspire to do, we first need to make sense of what this very world we inhabit and are constituted by looks like.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of key concepts and different perspectives on world order
- 2. Critically assess and evaluate distinct histories and theories of world order
- 3. Apply the acquired conceptual tools and theoretical frameworks to interpret and explain world ordering dynamics and changes taking place in the international system
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Critically reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of thinking in systemic ways about international relations and world politics
- 5. Analyse and place contemporary issues in the context of larger theoretical frameworks and historical trends
- 6. Evaluate and problematise conventional narratives and assumptions about international relations
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Communicate effectively by articulating a clear point of view whether in written format, group presentations, or seminar discussions
- 8. Work independently and as part of a team
- 9. Understand, summarise, and evaluate complex arguments and events
Syllabus plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
Part I: Key Concepts
- Grand Theories and Narratives
- World Order
- Power
- Time and Progress
Part II: World Orders: Past and Present
- Pre-Modern Orders
- Rise of ‘the West’ and the Making of the Modern World
- Westphalian States-System
- Liberal World Order
- Capitalist World System
- Globalisation and Neo-Medievalism
- Empire, Colonialism, and Race
- Regions and Civilizations
Pat III: World Orders: Future
- Thinking about the Future
- Utopias and Dystopias
- Case Studies: Scenarios of Future World Orders
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule Learning and Teaching Activity | 44 | 22 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 256 | Weekly preparation for class, preparing for group presentation, essay research drafting and writing. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay Plan | 500 words | 1-9 | Written and Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0 | 20 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 30 | 2,000 words | 1, 4, 6-9 | Written |
| Essay 2 | 50 | 3,000 words | 1-3, 4-5, 7-9 | Written |
| Group Presentation | 20 | 15 min presentation (equivalent to 1,500 words) | 1,3, 4-5, 6-7 | Written and oral |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 2,000 words | 1, 4, 6-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay 2 | 3,000 words | 1-3, 4, 5, 7-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Group Presentation | Essay 1,500 words | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Acharya, Amitav (2018), The End of American World Order (2nd edn.; Cambridge: Polity).
Bull, Hedley (2012), The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics (4th edn.; London: Macmillan).
Buzan, Barry and Lawson, George (2015), The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Making of International Relations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Cooley, Alexander and Nexon, Daniel (2020), Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order (New York: Oxford University Press).
Dalby, Simon (2020), Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability (University of Ottawa Press).
Deudney, Daniel (2020), Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Getachew, Adom (2019), Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press).
Huntington, Samuel P. (1996), The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York: Simon and Schuster).
Ikenberry, G. John (2011), Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press)
Mearsheimer, John J. (2014), The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (Updated edn.; New York: WW Norton & Company).
Phillips, Andrew and Reus-Smit, Christian (2020), Culture and Order in World Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Sassen, Saskia (2008), Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages (Updated edn.; Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press).
Spruyt, Hendrik (2020), The World Imagined: Collective Beliefs and Political Order in the Sinocentric, Islamic and Southeast Asian International Societies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Tickner, Arlene B. and Smith, Karen (eds.) (2020), International Relations from the Global South: Worlds of Difference (London: Routledge).
Wallerstein, Immanuel (2004), World-systems Analysis: An Introduction (Durham, NC: Duke University Press).
Zarakol, Ay��e (2022), Before the West: The Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 28/01/2022 |
| Last revision date | 01/03/2023 |
