Presentation

"International relations are "social facts". International "events" are societal facts. (...) International relations include, but are not limited to, intergovernmental relations. They also include relations between nations, per se, between peoples (...) are not only political relations, but also economic, commercial, cultural relations (...)", Jean-Pierre Vernant, "Vers une sociologie des relations internationales", Politique étrangère, 17 (4), pp. 229-230, 1952.

The objective of this method conference is, therefore, to enable students to acquire the analytical tools that will enable them to explain the behavior of actors (state, inter-state, non-state), events (rivalry, crises, conflicts, cooperation) and phenomena (transnational, migration for example) that occur on the world stage, but also internally, by highlighting their interactions with the global arena and international relations (revolutions).

Recommended Prerequisite(s)

Students must have received training in social sciences (political science, sociology, economics, history). A good knowledge of the history of international relations is also required.

Bibliography

• Allès D., Malejacq R. et Paquin S. (dir), Un Monde fragmenté. Autour de la sociologie des Relations internationales de Bertrand Badie, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 282 p., 2018.
• Battistella D. (coord.), Relations internationales. Bilan et perspectives, Paris, Ellipses, 572 p., 2013 avec Cornut J., Baranes E., Théories des relations internationales, Paris, Presses de Sciences Po, 6^e éd., 800 p., 2019.
• Baylis J. & Smith S. (ed.), The Globalization of World Politics, Oxford University Press, 7^e édition ou édition antérieure, 640 p., 2016.
• Carlsnaes W., Risse T. & Simmons B., Handbook of International Relations, London, Sage, 2^e édition, 877 p., 2013.
• Devin G., Sociologie des Relations internationales, Paris, La Découverte, collection « Repères », 4^e édition, 127 p., 2018.

Educational formula

The first three sessions focus on methodology and on distributing presentation subjects. In the other sessions: the teacher presents the theme for the session; one student conducts a 20-min presentation; the teacher then provides an oral assessment of the presentation; students are given the floor (to ask questions about the presentation, participate in a debate). Note that the other students will have prepared the session beforehand,  by reading and summarizing in writing a text given the week before; 10 to 15 minutes are dedicated to talking about the following week's presentation: The student concerned should explain briefly how he/she will approach the topic, what question(s) he/she will raise and what plan(s) he/she has in mind.