法学部Faculty of Law

In our era of globalization, what happens on the other side of the world affects our lives. The COVID-19 outbreak in a Chinese city in 2019 evolved into a worldwide pandemic that still lingers. Russia’s months-long war in Ukraine has accelerated a global energy and cost-of-living crisis and caused an economic slowdown in many countries. Understanding the problems that seem far away from home has become ever more important in this global era as we cannot afford to ignore them. But how can we interpret and tackle the key issues and challenges facing our world today? This introductory course in international politics and global affairs is designed to provide students with the analytical skills to explore and explain solutions to real-world issues.

The course consists of three segments. To start, we will look at the historical background of today’s international system, focusing on the evolution from the end of the bipolarity of the Cold War to the emerging global order increasingly led by rising powers. The second segment will cover the main concepts and major strands of theory in the discipline of international relations (IR). These conceptual tools help us analyze global problems and are necessary knowledge for students who wish to continue their studies of international politics after the conclusion of this course. In the final segment, we will investigate contemporary issues that are likely to affect our world for years to come.

Students of all disciplines who are interested in international relations or political science are welcome to enroll. No prerequisites or previous knowledge of international relations is required, but it would be an advantage.

At the end of this course, students should be able to:
• Describe the historical development of the international system from the end of the Cold War to the present
• Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the major IR theories and concepts and apply them to historical cases and current events
• Analyze and consider solutions to global challenges in the contemporary world
• Develop research, communication, and writing skills useful for future career paths in the field

英語 / English

The course will meet once a week. The structure of the course will be a mix of lectures, student presentations, and group discussions. Lectures, which give background information on each week’s topic, will be followed by students’ presentations on the weekly required reading of selected seminal texts, case studies, or other materials designed to expand the student’s knowledge of the theme. Students will have a chance to interact with each other in small groups to review what has been introduced in class and respond to discussion questions before participating in a whole-class discussion. During the last few sessions of the class, students will share a proposal of their intended research with the class.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[対面/face to face]：Introduction I

Introduction to the course

2[対面/face to face]：Introduction I

What are international politics? Why study international politics?

3[対面/face to face]：The Historical Context I: Post-Cold War International Relations

Contending paradigms of the post-Cold War order

4[対面/face to face]：The Historical Context II

China’s rise: U.S.-China competition and the emerging global order

5[対面/face to face]：The Historical Context III

The liberal world order challenged? Democracy vs. authoritarianism

6[対面/face to face]：Theoretical Approaches I: How Can We Explain State Behavior?

An analytical tool: Levels of analysis

7[対面/face to face]：Theoretical Approaches II

Theories of state behavior I: Realism

8[対面/face to face]：Theoretical Approaches III

Theories of state behavior II: Liberalism

9[対面/face to face]：Theoretical Approaches IV

Theories of state behavior III: Constructivism

10[対面/face to face]：Contemporary Issues in Contemporary International Politics I

The contested war memory and the “history problem” in East Asia
(Case study: Should the Japanese prime minister visit the Yasukuni Shrine?)

11[対面/face to face]：Contemporary Issues in Contemporary International Politics II

Global health (Case study: Is COVID-19 reshaping the world order?)

12[対面/face to face]：Contemporary Issues in Contemporary International Politics III

Human rights (Case study: Whether, and to what extent should a country take actions to respond to others’ human rights violations?)

13[対面/face to face]：Conclusion I

Research proposal presentations

14[対面/face to face]：Conclusion II

Research proposal presentations/Course Wrap-up

Outside of formal classes, students are expected to:
• Read the weekly required materials and submit relevant questions to clarify and confirm their understanding or questions they wish to discuss in class
• Summarize and critically assess one or two required readings and prepare their analysis to share with the class
• Conduct an individual research project on a current event or issue of interest in global affairs and produce results via presentations and writing

Students are encouraged to do the following to contribute meaningfully to the class discussion:
• Explore recommended readings or materials provided on the list
• Keep abreast of current events by reading major news stories relating to international politics

All required course materials will be made available via hyperlinks in the syllabus or through the Learning Management System (LMS). No purchases are necessary.

The optional reference readings below are on reserve in the library. They provide helpful background information, particularly for the IR theoretical foundations.

• Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens. 2020. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Brown, Chris. 2019. Understanding International Relations. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
• Pevehouse, Jon C., and Joshua S. Goldstein. 2019. International Relations. London: Pearson.
• Drezner, Daniel W. 2015. Theories of International Politics and Zombies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

• Class Participation (30%): This requirement includes class attendance and active participation in class discussions (15%) and a weekly submission of one to two discussion/clarification questions to the LMS before class (15%).

• Presentation on Required Reading (30%): Students will present on one to two articles from the entire required reading list during the semester.

• Individual Research Project (40%): Students will select a current event or policy issue of interest in global affairs as a research project. The requirement includes a proposal presentation of their intended research (20%) and a submission of a 1000–1500-word final research paper (20%).

本年度授業担当者変更によりフィードバックできません。

The instructor will use the Learning Management System to manage the course.

Because this is an introductory course in international politics, the class can only cover a broad range of material in a limited time. If students wish to discuss certain topics in detail on an individual basis, they should feel free to reach out after class or make an appointment with the instructor via email. Students are also welcome to discuss their performance in class with the instructor at any time during the semester.