Introduction to International Relations

This course is an introduction to the concepts and issues that structure our understanding of international politics in the contemporary world. The aim of the course is to develop in students an appreciation of the dynamics of international politics; an understanding of basic concepts and approaches used in the analysis of international affairs (as a precursor to more advanced study of international relations theory and practice); the ability to review and critique professional analyses of foreign affairs; and the ability to recognize unarticulated assumptions underlying specific policies.