About this course

This course introduces students to critical and feminist approaches to international relations, highlighting how these approaches address key issues of security, power, and justice in a changing global order. The first part provides an overview of core concepts and methodologies shaped by these approaches after the Cold War, including human-centered micro-analysis and ethnographic methods, as well as macro-perspectives and structural analysis. The second part applies these approaches to core themes in international relations. We will look at topics such as security, war and violent conflict; feminist foreign policy; and the women, peace and security agenda. Throughout the course we investigate power relations and how agency is shaped in global politics, especially as struggles for social justice confront new obstacles from anti-gender and authoritarian forces.

Learning outcome

Knowledge and competence:

  • Student can explain key contributions of feminist and critical approaches to the pluralist theoretical landscape of international relations after the Cold War.
  • Students demonstrate knowledge of methodological debates in international relations, including whose voices are included, and questions of objectivity and validity.
  • Students can explain the development of the Women, Peace and Security-agenda since the 2000s and critically assess this development; can explain critical perspective on security.
  • Student are able to communicate with peers about international relations from a people-centred perspective, linking micro- and macro-developments.

Writing skills, oral presentations and researching techniques:

  • Students participate in teamwork and prepare presentations on contemporary developments in international relations.
  • Students can discuss the contribution of feminist and critical International Relations perspectives in context of contemporary changes in global order.
  • Students use peer-to-peer methods to give and receive feedback, applying this process to improve their own work.
  • Students conduct independent searchre for literature and other sources, learning to assess their quality and use them in independent analysis.

  • Learning activities

    The learning activities in this course include lectures, seminars, group-work, report-writing, presentation (oral, podcast, etc.), individual essay, self-study and active participation.

  • Teaching support

    At the start of the semester, the course plan and the organised teaching activities are presented. The course responsible/teacher is available for supervision upon appointment.

  • Syllabus

    The readings for this course consists of a textbook and selected articles. Information about the articles for the various learning activities will be made available in the digital learning platform Canvas at least two week before the course begins.

  • Prerequisites

    General knowledge of international relations and/or undergraduate courses in relevant social sciences.

  • Recommended prerequisites

    This course is designed for master's students in international relations and is open to other relevant master programs in global politics and economics, global development studies, international environmental studies, and other relevant programs.

  • Assessment method

    Combined assessment where the term paper counts for 50% of the grade and the final written exam counts for 50%. One final grade on A-F scale.

    Term paper Karakterregel: Letter grades Written exam Karakterregel: Letter grades Hjelpemiddelkode: A2 No calculator, other aids as specified

  • About use of AI

    Using artificial intelligence requires that you follow the university's guidelines as explained here, the NMBU guidelines for Use of Artificial Intelligence.(K3)

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Examiner scheme

    External examiner grades a selection of the individual term papers and the final exam.

  • Mandatory activity

    Oral presentation in seminar, individual or in pairs. Graded pass/fail.

  • Teaching hours

    The learning activities are lectures and seminars, comprising 4 hours per week, approximately 45 hours class-time during the term.

  • Preferential right

    M-IR students; M-GDS students; M-Global Economic and Politics (NMBU Business school)

  • Admission requirements

    General knowledge of international relations theory, and/or undergraduate courses in relevant social sciences.