Introduction to International Relations
Second Assessment: A 2,000/2500-word essay that provides a critical analysis of one of the main IR theories. Choose one IR theory (e.g. realism, liberalism, marxism, English school, feminism, green theory, constructivism, post-colonial, World-Systems Theory, etc.) and conduct a critical review. Your review must identify and discuss the most relevant points of interest within the theoretical debates. Consult with academic sources to gather all the notions. You should avoid a merely descriptive approach. You should be able to evaluate the key identified points in relation to other sources and contemporary debates (What is the theory useful for?, What not?).
Referencing: You should use APA system for your references. For more information, please refer to an online style-guide:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
Choose a theory you want to discuss
Gather literature (journal articles, handbooks)
Look into the reading list for this course.
There are now also several handbooks available.
See who other authors are citing
Write a literature review (75% of the work)
For guidelines: https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/
Critically assess the usefulness of the theory (25% of the work)
What cases can it explain well (you could consult studies here)?
Which cases does it not explain?
Any shortcomings?