Module Information
Module Identifier
IPM2220
Module Title
Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Reading List
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Review Essay Students will write a review essay critically comparing two books from the list of provided titles. 3000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Research essay Students will identify and analyse a case study of trust-building or a trusting relationship in international politics 3000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Review Essay Students will write a review essay critically comparing two books from the list of provided titles. 3000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Research essay Students will identify and analyse a case study of trust-building or a trusting relationship in international politics 3000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Critically analyse the concepts of fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics, and locate them within competing theories of International Relations.
Demonstrate a Masters level understanding of the key literatures on fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics, and relate these to debates about these concepts in other disciplines.
Apply the conceptual material studied on the module to specific empirical cases, and show how these cases help us to think about the theoretical debates.
Demonstrate an appreciation of the methodological and theoretical challenges that face students undertaking research work on the interplay between fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics.
Brief description
The module introduces students to the theory and practice of fear, cooperation, and trust in world politics by exploring these ideas in the context of historical change and transformation in world politics as well as compteing theories of International Relations.
Aims
This module provides subject specific education for students taking either of the Department's two MA pathways. It is designed to provide an advanced level of training in International Relations.
Content
Seminar 1 - Introduction - trust, international politics, and the security dilemma
Seminar 2 - Uncertainty as a starting point for theorising international politics
Seminar 3 - The relationship between fear and politics
Seminar 4 - Fear, uncertainty, and insecurity in the Cold War
Seminar 5 - Fear, uncertainty, and the future of the U.S.-Chinese relationship
Seminar 6 - Cooperation in an anarchic international system
Seminar 7 - Cooperation and the prevention of nuclear war
Seminar 8 - Cooperation and space exploration
Seminar 9 - Trust at the international level
Seminar 10 - Trust-building between adversaries
Seminar 11 - Trust, security communities, and international society
Seminar 2 - Uncertainty as a starting point for theorising international politics
Seminar 3 - The relationship between fear and politics
Seminar 4 - Fear, uncertainty, and insecurity in the Cold War
Seminar 5 - Fear, uncertainty, and the future of the U.S.-Chinese relationship
Seminar 6 - Cooperation in an anarchic international system
Seminar 7 - Cooperation and the prevention of nuclear war
Seminar 8 - Cooperation and space exploration
Seminar 9 - Trust at the international level
Seminar 10 - Trust-building between adversaries
Seminar 11 - Trust, security communities, and international society
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing and how to assert themselves to advantage. They will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis throughout the module will be on student participation and communication. Fellow students will be encouraged to question the paper-giver to critique their approach or to suggest areas for the development of the chosen topic; in turn each will discuss the contributions and ideas of the other. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the convener and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. The need to conduct a seminar presentation and to meet an essay deadline will focus students¿ attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as BIDS and OCLC). |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students¿ verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning an essay and a presentation, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills |
| Problem solving | Independent project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; both the essay and the exam will require that the student develops problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. |
| Research skills | The submission of the essays will reflect the independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: Collect and understand a wide range of data relating to the module Ability to evaluate competing perspectives Demonstrate subject specific research techniques Apply a range of methodologies to complex political problems |
| Team work | Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7