Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course will not be organised in 2017-2018.
This course covers the literature, research topics, and current issues in the area of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), an identifiable subfield within the study of International Relations in Political Science.
The course will be in two parts.
The first part will examine the theories and methods of FPA, by studying the historical and the theoretical perspectives that have contributed to the conceptualization of this research field. The students should already be able to develop critical examination and some methodological aspects required within the framework of FPA, through concrete case studies.
Then, the second part will be aimed at making the links between the conceptual tools and the practice, through presentations allowing the students to both critically evaluate the theoretical literature on foreign policy and to conduct their own case study research. One or several guest speaker(s) will share their experiences of foreign policy.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Have a balanced and comprehensive appreciation of the study of foreign policy
- Have a theoretical foundation with which to understand and explain the substance and process of foreign policy making across many states and in comparative perspective
- Have an in-depth understanding of the major epistemological and methodological issues in the study of foreign policy
- Have an appreciation of the relationship between foreign policy analysis and the study of international relations and politics more generally.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students who wish to take this course need to have some empirical and theoretical knowledge in international relations. Active knowledge of English is required.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is Ex Cathedra one, with external interventions if the opportunity arises, and with classroom presentations which require preparation and active participation of the students.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
The presence of the students is needed.
Recommended or required readings
Recommended reading
- Alden Chris and Aran Amnon, Foreign Policy Analysis. New Approaches, New York, Routledge, 2011.
- Allison Grahamn and Zelikow Philip, Essence of decision making: Explaining the cuban missile crisis, New York, Addison Wesley Longman, 1999.
- Brummer Klaus and Hudson Valerie M. (Eds.), Foreign Policy Analysis Beyond North America, Boulder, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2015.
- Charillon Frédéric (Eds.), Politique étrangère. Nouveaux regards, Paris, Presses de Sciences Po, coll. « Références inédites », 2002.
- Hill Christopher, The Changing Politics of Foreign Policy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
- Holsti Ole R., Making American Foreign Policy, New York, Routledge, 2006.
- Hudson Valerie M., Foreign Policy Analysis. Classic and Contemporary Theory, Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007.
- Morin Jean-Frédéric, La Politique étrangère. Théorie, Méthodes et Références, Paris, Armand Colin, coll. « U », 2013.
- Smith Steve, Hadfield Amelia and Dunne Tim (Eds.), Foreign Policy. Theories, Actors, Cases, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2012.
Assessment methods and criteria
A preparation and an active participation are needed to achieve the pedagogical goals of the course. Thus, the students' evaluation will take into account classroom presentation (50% of the final mark) and a written work submitted at the end of the course (50% of the final mark).
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
The slides concerning the course will be available to students on My ULg. This course is held every odd year (2017-2018, 2019-2020,...). However, it will not be organised in 2017-2018.
Contacts
Sophie Wintgens: sophie.wintgens@ulg.ac.be