Type of course

Theoretical.

This is considered an optional course, which can contribute towards a Bachelor degree in Political Science as one of the options required at the 2000 level. It can also be taken as an elective course for other Bachelor programmes within the Social Sciences, Law, Fisheries or Humanities.

Previous knowledge at the 1000-level in social science theory and, in particular, international relations theory, is recommended.

Course content

Objectives of the course

Students who have successfully completed the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge and comprehension:

• The course should provide an overview of:
  Various perspectives on international political economy
• Economic relations between countries and how these are regulated internationally
• The relationship between trade, environment and regionalisation, with
  emphasis on North-South issues

Skills:

The course should prepare the student to:

• Make use of scholarly knowledge to work independently on relevant problems and questions
• Apply theoretical concepts and ideas to new areas
• Give an account of international political economic theories and their how they might contribute to our more general understanding of society

Competence:

The student should be able independently to develop their own competence and expertise in the field of international political economy Moreover, he or she should be able to discuss central questions, analyses and conclusions pertaining to international political economy, in both a scholarly and a more general setting.

Language of instruction and examination

English

Note, however, that all exam-work can be submitted in either English or Norwegian.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods

The course consists of 9 x 2 hours of lectures (18 hours in total).

Quality assurance of the course

This course is evaluated once per year, with a teaching evaluation and a final evaluation. The teaching evaluation consists of a discussion with the primary lecturer. The final evaluation will be conducted in either oral or written form.

Assessment

- One take-home exam: The student is required to write a paper of no more than 2,000 words on a given theme within the time-frame of one week. Two students may write together (the word-limit is then extended to 3,000 words).

- A 3-hour school-exam.

The final grade is based on a joint evaluation of the take-home exam and the school-exam. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed. A re-examination is offered in the event of an F-grade.

Recommended reading/syllabus

Required readings, Spring 2012 (total: 839 pp.)

Christiansen, Thomas (2001), ¿European and Regional Integration¿, in Steve Smith and John Baylis, eds, The Globalization of World Politics, Second Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 494-518. (24 pp.)

Goss, Jon (1993), ¿The "Magic of the Mall": An Analysis of Form, Function, and Meaning in the Contemporary Retail Built Environment¿, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83:1, pp. 18-47. (30 pp.)

Mandel, Robert (2001), ¿The Privatization of Security¿, Armed Forces and Society 28:1, pp. 129-151. (23 pp.)

Oatley, Thomas (2011), International Political Economy: Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, Fifth International Edition (New York: Pearson Longman), Chapters 1-5, 8-11 and 14-16. (approx. 280 pp.)

O¿Brien, Robert and Marc Williams (2010), Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics, Third Edition (Hampshire and New York: Palgrave McMillan). (461 pp.)

Rowe, John Carlos (2004), ¿Culture, US Imperialism, and Globalization¿, American Literary History, 16:4, pp. 575-595. (21 pp.)