Global Perspectives in Higher Education
Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations This document presents the findings of research into how the ‘global dimension’ is manifest in the discipline of Politics and International Relations within UK Higher Education. It was compiled as part of the DFID-funded Global Perspectives in Higher Education project at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in 2004/5. The analysis covers: evidence of the global dimension in the QAA subject benchmark statement; an overview of undergraduate programmes available in 2005; the perspective of Heads of Departments on the level of internationalisation within their departments and the global content of their undergraduate programmes; and an examination of the standard content and structure of undergraduate programmes. The report concludes that the picture for Politics and International Relations is very encouraging: there is an inherent global dimension to the discipline and its graduates develop strong global perspectives.
Jenny Lunn Research and Higher Education Division Royal Geographical Society with IBG 1 Kensington Gore London SW7 2AR E
[email protected] W www.rgs.org/globalperspectives
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Contents Page Notes
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Introduction
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Definition and scope
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QAA subject benchmark statement Analysis Evaluation Response
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Overview of undergraduate programmes in 2005 Programmes Departments Awards Combinations Duration Student numbers Outlook
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Heads of Department survey Levels of internationalisation Trends in global content of degree programmes Global content of taught programmes Developing global skills, values and attitudes
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Analysis of standard practice Politics Programmes sampled Subject knowledge and understanding Skills Out of classroom learning Approach Conclusions International Relations Programmes sampled Subject knowledge and understanding Skills Out of classroom learning Approach Conclusions
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Summary
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Recommendations
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References
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Notes Terminology Aware of the range of terms used within Higher Education, this document uses the following vocabulary for consistency: • Institution refers to a university or college within the UK Higher Education system. • Programme is used as a comprehensive term to describe an undergraduate degree course and its component parts (which includes taught elements, independent work expected of students, fieldtrips, work-based learning and so on). • Module or unit refers to a component of the overall programme. • Award is the type of degree given on completion of a programme, such as BA or BSc. Scottish system A four-year undergraduate degree in a Scottish university is equivalent to a standard threeyear undergraduate degree in England and Wales because of the different structure of the education systems. Thus the MA (Hons) Scottish degree is comparable to an English BA (Hons), rather than an English MA (Hons). Acronyms HESA JACS NATFHE PSA QAA UCAS
Higher Education Statistics Agency Joint Academic Coding System National Association for Teachers in Further and Higher Education (now known as NATFHE – The University & College Lecturers' Union) Political Studies Association Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Introduction This report presents the findings of research into how the ‘global dimension’ is manifest in the subject of Politics and International Relations within UK Higher Education. It is one of a series of subject analyses which were compiled as part of the DFID-funded Global Perspectives in Higher Education project at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in 2004/5. The analysis and opinions expressed are wholly based on the work of the author and neither represent the official view of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) nor of the Department for International Development towards the subject area of Politics and International Relations. Politics and International Relations was one of ten subject areas selected for the Global Perspectives in Higher Education project along with: Anthropology, Area Studies, Business, Development Studies, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Economics, Environmental Studies and Environmental Management, Geography, and Tourism and Hospitality. For each of the ten subjects, the goal was to review the extent to which undergraduate programmes of study incorporate global perspectives and what forms this takes. The methodology undertaken for each subject, and the structure of the following report, is described below. •
Definition and scope – The extent of each subject area was explored using definitions from an authoritative source and made visual through a concentric rings diagram showing the core aspects of the discipline, the main sub-disciplines, and relationships with other disciplines.
•
Subject benchmark statements – The QAA benchmark statements relating to each discipline were examined for evidence of references to global perspectives. This revealed how different subjects are recommended to incorporate a global dimension into programmes of study. The analysis was sent to the Chairs of the relevant subject benchmarking groups for comment.
•
Overview of undergraduate programmes – Using UCAS listings, as well as information from subject associations and institution websites, an inventory was made of all the undergraduate programmes available in 2005 relating to each of the ten disciplines. This snapshot shows the number of programmes and institutions where students are potentially being exposed to global perspectives through taught courses and other opportunities such as exchange programmes, sandwich years and language study.
•
Survey of Heads of Departments – An online survey of Heads of Departments was designed to provide an overview of the current state of global perspectives in academic departments of the ten subjects. Where enough responses for the subject were received to establish a valid representative response, they were incorporated into the overview of programmes.
•
Analysis of standard practice – A small sample (five to ten according to availability of information) of undergraduate programmes from each discipline was selected for course content analysis. The individual modules on offer in each of the sampled programmes were tabulated according to the year of study and whether compulsory or optional. This was designed to identify the presence of globally-oriented modules, the balance between such modules and non-global ones and the progression routes between global modules in different years. The out-of-classroom learning opportunities such as fieldtrips, overseas exchanges and overseas work placements were also noted. Overall, this analysis gave a picture of how global perspectives tend to be incorporated into undergraduate programmes. 4
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Definition and scope Political Studies is a diverse subject area and therefore quite difficult to define. Some of the topics it covers are: • Different political doctrines such as liberalism and fascism. • Systems of government such as democracy or autocracy. • The structure and function of particular systems of government, for example the UK government or the European Union. • International Relations, which is the interaction between members of the international community, and may include sub-fields such as War and Peace Studies. • The study of policies implemented by local and central governments. A promotional leaflet produced by the Political Studies Association entices prospective students by describing the contemporary nature of Political Studies and the variety of scales of study: “Switch on the news and Politics is frequently the main focus. But it’s not just about politicians. It’s also about bigger issues like the environment, world trade, globalisation, human rights and military action. And it’s about small-scale issues like local facilities. Politics affects everyone’s lives, and with a degree in Politics you will understand how it functions on all levels – from politicians to pressure groups, from large corporations to individuals like you and me.” (PSA, 2003) Some universities offer Politics and International Relations as a single degree programme; in others they are offered separately. The concentric rings model below indicates the core aspects of Politics and International Relations in the centre, the specialised branches in the inner ring, and some of the related disciplines around the periphery.
Citizenship
Community Studies
Languages
Housing Studies Social Policy Health Studies
Sociology
Public Policy
International Studies
Intercultural Studies
Peace/Conflict Studies
Policy Studies Politics
Parliamentary Studies
Human Rights
International Relations Political History
International Politics
Governance
History
Area Studies Globalisation Studies
Political Thought Political Economy
Philosophy
Geography
Economics
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Development Studies
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
QAA subject benchmark statement The benchmark statements are produced by representatives of each academic community along with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). They set out a framework for the design of programmes of study and are also used in subject and institutional quality reviews. The following analysis of the global content of the benchmark statement for Politics and International Relations was undertaken by the author in November 2004. Analysis In essence, Politics is concerned with understanding government and society whilst International Relations looks at the same issues but focuses on regional and global scales. For a student of International Relations, the international dimension will be an inherent part of the programme of study and they will hopefully develop strong global perspectives. Whether a student of Politics develops a global perspective will vary according to which scales(s) the programme includes – local, sectoral, national, global or a combination. For example, a course on UK Politics may take a historical approach or use an international comparative approach. According to the statement, students are likely to experience the curriculum through three major approaches, of which the first and third are highly likely to incorporate a global dimension: • Normative political theory/political philosophy, which looks at the political values of society and the international order, which include Marxism, liberalism, feminism, human rights, postmodernism, conservatism, classical realism and environmentalism. • Positive political theory/Explanatory political theory, which is the study of the mechanisms and forces that steer the behaviour of individuals and institutions as they interact at different scales to allocate resources, for example game theory, social choice theory, critical theory, pluralism. • Political science/Political analysis, which uses theoretical perspectives to understand historical events, political behaviour, the workings of political institutions and actors, political processes and policy outputs and would include international organisations, public administration, political communication, conflict analysis, peace research, human rights, foreign policy analysis, international economic relations. The lists of subject-specific knowledge in the statement cover four broad points, with no subdivision or elaboration. The wording is almost identical for both Politics and International Relations other than the mention of geographical scale as shown by the different font styles used below (common text, Politics only, International Relations only): • Understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity / global activity. • Apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of politics / international relations to the analysis of political ideas, institutions, practices and issues in the global arena. • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different political systems, the nature and distribution of power in them; the social, economic, historical and cultural contexts within which they operate, and the relationships between them / the origins and evolution of the international political system, including contemporary changes underway. • Evaluate different interpretations of world political issues and events. None of the intellectual or personal skills listed link explicitly to developing global perspectives, though one can assume that a course of study in Politics or International Relations will create graduates conscious of their place in society, of their potential to contribute to politics through voting and other activities, and informed about current issues and questions of public concern. 6
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Evaluation Overall, the statement makes clear that a global perspective is a requirement in all aspects of International Relations. A global perspective is not explicitly mentioned for Politics, which does not mean that it is necessarily excluded; rather it is left open and flexible for institutions to decide the approach and emphasis of their programmes. Were the statement to be revised, it could perhaps emphasise the links between learning about the global dimension of the discipline and the transferable skills and values for living and working in a global world. Response The short analysis above was sent to the Chair of the subject benchmarking group. They were asked to: • Comment on the summary of the statement and analysis. • Recall the extent to which global perspectives were part of the original discussion and their likely place in discussions during forthcoming benchmark reviews and revisions. • Give their personal interpretation of global perspectives and the place of global perspectives in their discipline.
Comments from Prof Elizabeth Meehan, Director of the Institute of Governance at Queen's University Belfast and QAA Subject Benchmarking Chair for Politics and International Relations Global perspectives permeated the whole of the deliberations that led to the formation of the benchmark statement because they are inherent to the discipline. Global perspectives are the very stuff of International Relations whilst in Politics degrees the global perspective comes through the inherently comparative nature of the subject and its methods, or through options or streams in International Relations. The university system as a whole provides a highly developed set of global perspectives for Politics and International Relations students. Global perspectives are likely to have equal prominence as the statement is revised and updated because they are part of the nature of the discipline, although the substantive content of modules is likely to vary according to political affairs or events in the world. These contemporary issues include: conflict, political violence, the politics of identity and inter-group relations in the aftermath of September 11th; the Iraq war and trends in Islamic politics and the impact on relations between different religious/ethnic communities in Europe and elsewhere; and the effect of world events on the politics of international or multi-national organisations such as the UN and the EU.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Overview of undergraduate programmes in 2005 The following overview of undergraduate programmes in, or closely related to, Politics and International Relations is a snapshot of the situation in the UK in 2005. Data were gathered from PSA, UCAS, HESA and individual institution websites (see References section for further details). Programmes There were 320 undergraduate degree courses in Politics and International Relations available at 94 institutions in the UK, as described in the following table. Programme type Politics International Relations International Studies Politics and International Relations/Studies War Studies Government/Parliamentary Studies Policy Studies Other subjects related to Politics and International Relations PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) TOTAL Total number of institutions
No. Programmes 125 36 15 29 14 5 72 12 12 320
No. Institutions 84 35 14 29 10 4 56 11 12 94
Just over one third of programmes specified some international content: 97 programmes had ‘international’ or ‘global’ in their title; 19 related to Europe and one concerned America. This represented 68 per cent of the institutions offering Politics and International Relations programmes having at least one programme with an international title. Departments One third of the programmes available were run by Departments or Schools relating to Politics. 52 (16 per cent) were found in Departments of Politics; 39 (12 per cent) in Departments of Politics and International Relations; 24 (7.5 per cent) in Departments of Politics and International Studies; and others in Departments of International Politics, Governance or Politics combined with another subject such as Philosophy, History, Sociology or Social Studies. Awards 223 of the programmes on offer awarded a BA Honours degree (MA Honours in Scotland); 40 awarded another Bachelors qualification (BSc, BScEcon, BSocSci, LLB) and a further 57 awarded either a BA/MA or BSc/BScEcon/BSocSci depending on the options chosen. Combinations 87 courses were offered only as single honours programmes; 126 only as joint or combined honours programmes; and a further 107 were available either as single honours or joint/combined honours. The ten most common subjects for Politics and International Relations to be combined with (in descending order of frequency) were: History; Sociology; Economics; French; Law/Legal Studies; Philosophy; Area Studies; German; Spanish; Criminology. Duration 244 programmes were straight degrees, either one or two-year top-ups, three years or four years long, with an extra year in Scotland. A further 40 courses required an optional extra year if languages were studied and seven courses had the option of an unspecified extra 8
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
year. Just 25 courses offered the option of a sandwich year. Given the international subject matter of this discipline, the number of overseas opportunities seemed surprisingly low. Student numbers HESA’s statistics of the number of students in each discipline are arranged according to the JACS classifications. Of relevance to this study are the classifications L200 – Politics (which includes Political Theories, Political Systems, UK Government /Parliamentary Studies, International Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics) and L400 – Social Policy (which includes UK and International Social Policy and Public Policy. Combining the most recently available figures for these categories, there were 17,250 undergraduate students of Politics and 6,420 undergraduate students of Social Policy, a combined total of 25,980 (HESA, 2005). There were some changes to the data categories from 2002/3 onwards which altered the category Social Policy and Administration to Administration. The Politics category remained unchanged; the figures show a recent growth in the number of Politics undergraduates from 10,900 in 1999/2000 to 19,560 in 2003/4 (ibid). Outlook The recent spate of university cutbacks and departmental closures that have affected some of the traditional disciplines do not seem to have impacted too much on Politics and International Relations, although Staffordshire University’s Department of International Relations and Politics no longer offers undergraduate programmes (NATFHE, 2004) and the Department of Politics at Durham University only narrowly escaped closure during recent institutional restructuring (Durham 21, 2003). Aside from these two cases, the diversity of contemporary international political issues ranging from climate change and China to terrorism and trade is likely to ensure the continuing popularity of Politics and International Relations in UK Higher Education.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Heads of Department survey There were only ten returns to the Heads of Department survey from Politics and International Relations departments. This is not a high enough percentage response rate to make generalisations about trends in this subject area, but the results do show some clear patterns that may highlight the current status of global perspectives in the discipline. Levels of internationalisation The first question aimed to assess the level of internationalisation in Politics and International Relations departments. Respondents were asked to rate as low to high (on a scale of 1 to 4 respectively) the perceived importance and relevance of nine different aspects of internationalisation as well as the actual level of activity. For Politics and International Relations undergraduate students: • Participating in international fieldtrips was perceived by eight of the ten respondents as of low or fairly low importance with nine respondents rating the actual levels of activity as low or fairly low. • Participating in international research was perceived by nine respondents as being of low or fairly low importance with corresponding low levels of actual activity. • Participating in international exchanges received a balanced spread of perceived importance but most of the responses for actual levels of activity were low or fairly low. • Participating in language-learning was perceived by six of the ten respondents as of high or fairly high importance, but only two respondents felt that the actual level of activity was high or fairly high. For Politics and International Relations departments: • Having partnerships or collaborative programmes with overseas universities was perceived by six of the ten respondents as of high or fairly high importance, but only two respondents felt that the actual level of activity was high or fairly high. • Having international students on UK undergraduate courses was perceived as fairly or very important by seven respondents and six respondents also felt that the actual level activity was fairly high or high. • Home teaching staff undertaking overseas research and field trips was perceived by seven respondents as very important and two as fairly important; the responses were more spread in terms of actual activity. • Home teaching staff participating in overseas teaching exchange was perceived as of low or fairly low importance by eight respondents and reported as low or fairly low in reality by all nine respondents. • Having visiting lecturers from universities outside the UK received a balanced spread of perceived importance but most respondents reported generally low levels of activity in this area. In general for most of these international activities, the perceived importance was higher than the actual levels of activity, possibly indicating some deficiency in opportunities or provision and dissatisfaction amongst Heads of Departments. Respondents were also asked to name the main countries of involvement for each of the nine aspects of internationalised activity. Unsurprisingly, Western European countries (particularly, France, Germany and Spain) and the USA dominated the responses, but every continent was represented in the range of partnerships, visits, and exchanges of staff and students. Several respondents listed the same group of countries in each category which indicates that institutions and departments tend to have multiple linkages with certain partner countries.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Trends in global content of degree programmes Secondly, respondents were asked about the trends in the global content of the suite of undergraduate programmes on offer by the department over the last five years, both in terms of the supply by departments and demand from students. Respondents were asked whether the global content of 11 aspects of global perspectives had increased, stayed the same or reduced. The ten responses from Politics and International Relations departments are shown in the table below. Change in the global content of Politics and International Relations degree programmes Change Increased Stayed Reduced n=10 the same Supply Total number of degree programmes on offer 7 3 0 Global content of degree programmes 8 2 0 Number of compulsory modules/units covering global issues 7 3 0 Number of optional modules/units covering global issues 5 4 0 Number of compulsory modules/units focusing on non-EU 3 7 0 countries or regions Number of optional modules/units focusing on non-EU 3 6 1 countries or regions Provision of compulsory non-EU fieldtrips 1 8 0 Provision of optional non-EU fieldtrips 2 8 0 Demand Enrolment on degree programmes in general 8 2 0 Enrolment on optional modules/units covering global issues 8 2 0 Enrolment on optional modules/units focusing on non-EU 6 3 1 countries or regions
It is encouraging to see from these responses that the provision of degree programmes in Politics and International Relations has increased as has the number of students enrolling on them. Furthermore, the global content of these degree programmes has grown, particularly in terms of compulsory and optional modules covering global issues, but there seems to be slightly less increase in modules focussing on non-EU countries and regions of the world. Global content of taught programmes This question aimed to understand the global content of degree programmes in terms of the balance between different components. Respondents were asked to rate as high, medium or low (or not relevant) the teaching content in terms of three broad areas: 1. Global processes – social, economic, political, physical, environmental 2. Global locations – parts of the world other than the EU 3. Global cultures and societies – people, communities, identity, values, behaviour, meaning The respondents were asked to answer with reference to one specific single honours undergraduate degree programme on offer in their department. Two of the respondents answered regarding their International Development programme, so their responses are considered in the Development Studies analysis. The remaining eight responses related to the following programmes: a. Politics/Government (2) b. International Relations (1) c. Politics and International Relations (3) d. Politics and International Studies (1) e. European and International Studies (1) The table overleaf shows the spread of results from the respondents.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Global content of Politics and International Relations degree programmes Programme content n=8 High Medium Low Not relevant 4 4 0 0 Processes 2 4 2 0 Locations 2 4 1 1 Cultures & Societies
Of the aspects of the discipline that do have a global dimension, the study of processes on an international or global scale clearly takes an important role. There is a moderate to high consideration of Politics and International Relations in different locations around the world as well as its impacts on individuals, cultures and societies. Developing global skills, values and attitudes The final question moved away from the content of the teaching curriculum to the interpersonal skills, values, and qualities of mind developed through programmes of study. Respondents were asked whether undergraduates on their suite of degree programmes have a high, medium or low level of engagement with five aspects of global perspectives. The results for the ten Politics and International Relations respondents are shown in the table below. Level of engagement in developing global skills, attitudes and values n=10 Recognition that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations Respecting the perspectives and views of others Awareness of cultural assumptions and cultural bias Understanding of the ethical/moral issues related to the discipline Reflecting on the implications of these ethical issues on own life and behaviour
Number of responses High Medium Low 10 0 0 10 0 0 9 1 0 9 1 0 8
2
0
These results suggest that most Politics and International Relations programmes incorporate respecting other views and perspectives and recognising the ethical dimension of the discipline. This should mean that Politics and International Relations students complete their studies having engaged with these issues and had some opportunity to develop the values and attitudes of a global citizen.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Analysis of standard practice The overview of Politics and International Relations programmes in 2005 identified 320 undergraduate programmes in, or relating to, Politics and International Relations on offer at 94 institutions in the UK. Of these, 98 were BA/BSc programmes called Politics, Political Science or Political Studies and 36 were straight BA/BSc programmes in International Relations. Using random stratified sampling (but giving preference to single honours programmes), ten programmes for both Politics and International Relations were selected for course content analysis. Information on the structure and content of the programmes was gathered from university websites. Modules in each of the ten selected programmes were tabulated to indicate whether they were compulsory or optional and in which year of study they occurred. Of particular interest were globally or internationally-oriented modules and other opportunities which enable the development of global perspectives, such as international fieldtrips, overseas exchange and language learning. Due to time restrictions, the assessment of module content was based almost entirely on the title of the module without reference to detailed programme materials. Consequently there may be some inaccuracies in the interpretation of module content and the resulting analysis which are entirely the author’s responsibility. The following analysis describes the findings from the sample and reveals how the global dimension is manifest within ‘standard’ undergraduate Politics programmes and International Relations programmes. For each subject the findings are divided into four sections: • subject knowledge and understanding • skills, both subject-specific and generic • out-of-classroom learning opportunities • approach by the department to teaching the discipline
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Politics Programmes sampled Institution University of Birmingham University of Bristol Brunel University Goldsmiths College, London Keele University Lincoln University London Metropolitan University University of Newcastle Queen’s University, Belfast University of York
Award BA (Hons) BSc (Hons) BSc (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons)
Programme Title Political Science Politics Politics Politics Politics Politics Politics Politics Politics Politics
Duration 3 years 3 years 3 or 4 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 or 4 years 3 years 3 years
Subject knowledge and understanding The content of undergraduate Politics programmes can be divided into three major thematic groups, all of which have moderate or strong likelihood to incorporate global perspectives. 1. Political philosophy covers political theory in the past and present, great political thinkers and texts, and different political systems and approaches such as liberalism, socialism and utopianism. Whilst largely theoretical, the study of these different aspects is likely to make reference to real case studies. For example, a study of the theory of communism is likely to look at examples of communist states in different eras and parts of the world. So whilst not usually explicit in module titles, the presence of an international dimension can be assumed in many cases as the theory is applied to different settings around the world. 2. Political studies by country or region look at the political history, political structures and contemporary politics of single countries or regions. It is also common to study two or more countries in a comparative perspective. The table below shows the geographical spread of such modules as found in the sample. n=10 Britain Europe W Europe E Europe Russia Middle East Asia Africa USA Latin America Comparative
Institutions 9 9 6 2 3 4 5 4 6 1 7
Modules Compulsory Optional 8 15 7 23 0 12 0 5 0 4 0 6 0 6 0 4 3 12 0 1 6 6
Clearly, British, European and American politics dominate, all of these having compulsory modules in the sample of institutions as well as a wide range of optional modules. Modules on the politics of other countries and regions are on offer at fewer institutions and are always optional. Institutions in different regions of the UK often provide modules relating to their own national politics, for example Queen’s University in Belfast has three options on Irish Politics, Political Thought and Political Identity. The titles of some modules – for example Regime Change in Eastern Europe (Keele), Contemporary US Foreign and Security Policy (Birmingham) and Politics, Religion and 14
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Terrorism in Asia (London Metropolitan) – indicate that the choice of modules is often adjusted in line with contemporary political issues, making this a dynamic discipline. In a few cases, rather than stand-alone modules about the politics of an individual region, there are possible progression routes from year to year. For example at Brunel University there are three compulsory first year modules on American History and Politics and three optional modules which can be taken in either the second or third years which look more in-depth at American Politics (contemporary issues, foreign policy and the media in politics). 3. International Politics includes the study of international governance and institutions; the international political economy and the impact of globalisation; international relations and foreign policy; and global political issues such as the environment, human rights, conflict and conflict-resolution. Obviously an international approach is fundamental to the study of these topics and so it can be assumed that students will develop global perspectives. Of the ten institutions sampled, six have compulsory first year modules either entitled International/Global/World Politics or International Relations; this subject is on offer as a first or second year option at a further two institutions but does not feature at all in the programme specification for the other two institutions. Only three institutions offer modules (two second year options and one third year option) about the international politics relating specifically to international development. Within the sample of ten programmes were a small number of modules which cover other aspects of political science, such as governance, political sociology and political analysis. Whilst many of the subjects within these categories have the potential to be studied from an international or global perspective, it is more likely that these modules are quite general and any study relating to specific countries or regions would be included in the geographical category (as above), for example units on The American Presidency could be categorised under ‘governance’ but any such courses were classified by geographical area for the purposes of this analysis. Skills Half of the sample had a compulsory first or second year module in methods in Political Science and one had an optional module. In terms of generic skills, of the ten institutions, there was one module on offer concerning study skills, one on IT skills and three on research skills and techniques. Language learning was not mentioned as an option for any of the Politics courses sampled. This perhaps indicates that subject-specific skills and generic skills tend to be developed through the main subject-based modules in Politics rather than being separated out. Out of classroom learning Despite the strong international subject content of Politics programmes, the sample shows that there is a strong classroom-based emphasis. There are few opportunities for overseas experience built into programmes. Of the sample of ten, only two institutions offered the option of overseas study experience and three offered the option of work experience during the programme (which is most likely to be in the UK and local to the university rather than overseas). Approach The introductory information for the programmes sampled found on departmental websites was examined to understand the approach of the department to the discipline and the teaching of it. In the introductory statements to the programmes, three institutions specifically stated that they seek to emphasise the international dimension of power and politics.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Half of the institutions sampled specifically encourage their students to develop connections with related disciplines in order to better address and understand political issues. This is usually done by making it compulsory to obtain credits from modules offered by other departments, particularly International Relations, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology and Economics. Such multi-disciplinary approaches make Politics graduates attractive in the job market. Conclusions Overall the samples seem to show that there are plenty of opportunities for Politics students to develop an understanding of political theory and concepts through international examples, and to develop their knowledge of the discipline in a global context. It seems that many Politics students are introduced to international politics and political issues during compulsory first year modules which may hopefully encourage and inspire them to select internationallyoriented units in subsequent years. In all cases students are entirely free to pick a selection from the modules on offer, which means that according to personal interest some students may tend more towards the theoretical side of politics whilst others may pursue more geographical and historical political studies.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
International Relations Programmes sampled Institution University of Aberystwyth University of Edinburgh University of Leeds University of Leicester London School of Economics Loughborough University University of Plymouth University of St Andrews University of Sussex University of the West of England
Award BScEcon (Hons) MA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons) BSc (Hons) BA (Hons) BSc (Hons) MA (Hons) BA (Hons) BA (Hons)
Programme Title International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations International Relations
Duration 3 years 4 years (Scotland) 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 4 years (Scotland) 3 years 3 years
Subject knowledge and understanding International Relations has some common features with Politics programmes, particularly the core concepts within Political Philosophy, Theory and Analysis. As noted in the analysis for the sample of Politics programmes, these subjects cover political theory in the past and present, great political thinkers and texts, different political systems, and structures such as political parties and elections. Whilst it is partly theoretical, the study of these different aspects is likely to make reference to real case studies around the world. Aside from these foundations, the content of International Relations programmes can be divided into five main themes: 1. International History – covering events such as wars, and periods such as colonialism and de-colonisation. 2. International Politics – looking not only at the theory but also at the practical out-workings in terms of institutions, governance, legal structures and ethics on an international scale. 3. International Political Economy – addresses the major features of the international economic system, such as globalisation. 4. International Relations – concerns the relationships between different states in both theory and practice. 5. International Security – considers conflict (the strategy and ethics of war, international terrorism, ethnic conflict) and conflict resolution (diplomacy, disarmament, peacekeeping, humanitarian intervention). The subjects above tend to be studied from one of three angles: historical period, for example The International History of the Cold War, 1945-1975 (LSE); theme, for example Organised Crime in Europe (Leeds), Refugee Studies (Plymouth), Religion and World Politics (St Andrews), Politics and the Environment (Leicester); or country/region. The following table shows the geographical distribution of this third group of modules as found in the sample. n=10 Britain Europe W Europe E Europe
Institutions 6 10 7 4 17
Modules Compulsory Optional 0 18 4 32 0 23 0 6
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Russia Middle East Asia Africa USA Latin America Other Comparative studies
6 6 2 4 6 3 2 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
7 9 5 7 13 5 2 1
It is clear that modules concerning Britain, the European Union, individual Western European countries and the United States dominate the choices, although only six modules out of 134 are compulsory. The wide range of optional modules approach study from four main angles, as shown with examples in the following list: • The region in a global context – Central Asia in Global Politics (St Andrews), Europe in the World Arena (Loughborough). • Historical periods and events – De Gaulle’s France, 1919-1970 (Aberystwyth), The Spanish Civil War: its causes, course and consequences (LSE). • Contemporary political issues and events – Extreme Right Parties in Contemporary Western Europe (Leeds). • Policy studies – European Environmental Policy (West of England), South African Foreign Policy (Leicester). Institutions in different regions of the UK often provide modules relating to their own national politics, for example the University of Wales, Aberystwyth offers a second or third year option on Wales and Devolution. Students are free to choose modules based on their personal interest in different topics, which means that some students may tend towards more issues-based study of International Relations whilst others may pursue more geographical or historical studies. Skills Only one of the programmes sampled had a module in methods in Political Science, whilst three had modules in research methods. This perhaps indicates that skills, both subjectspecific and generic, tend to be developed through the main subject-based modules in International Relations rather than being separated out. Language learning was an option in four of the programmes sampled. Out of classroom learning Despite the strong international subject content of International Relations programmes, the sample shows that there is a strong classroom-based emphasis. There are few opportunities for overseas experience built into programmes. Of the sample of ten, only three institutions offered the option of overseas study experience and one of these also offered the option of overseas work experience. In total, there were opportunities on offer in seven different European countries, two in North America, two in Asia and one in Australia. Approach In only one of the ten institutions sampled is there a structure to control the balance between students’ choices: in the first and second years at Leeds, students must choose one option from each of two pathways which are ‘Alternative Approaches to International Relations’ and ‘Global and Regional Practice’. Conclusions Other than a theoretical background in Political Science, the international perspective is the orientation throughout International Relations programmes. Students are therefore likely to develop strong global perspectives. The titles of some modules, for example International
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Society after 9/11 (Sussex), indicate that the choice of modules is often adjusted in line with contemporary political issues, making this a dynamic discipline. The study of International Relations has tended to be a sub-discipline of Politics but everincreasing interest in the globalised world means that International Relations has been growing as a subject in its own right. Indeed, three of the ten programmes sampled are new programmes; this indicates increasing demand from students and increasing numbers of academics engaged in the field. The subject matter of International Relations is one which covers political, economic and social issues is strongly multi-disciplinary, particularly drawing on disciplines such as Politics, History, Philosophy and Economics. The ability of such students to understand crossdisciplinary issues is a key strength.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Summary
This report has presented information about Politics and International Relations gathered as part of the Global Perspectives in Higher Education project. The study was a scoping exercise which aimed to assess the current status of the global dimension at undergraduate level by taking a snapshot of the situation in 2005. Below is a summary of the findings and analysis relating to Politics and International Relations. •
Politics and International Relations cover topics of relevance to every person through the study of governments and societies, systems and structures. They consider a variety of scales from the local to the global, as well as the connections between these scales.
•
Most UK institutions offer at least one undergraduate degree course relating to Politics and International Relations. Around one third of programmes include the word ‘international’, ‘global’ or reference to a particular country/region in the title.
•
The provision of degree programmes in Politics and International Relations has increased over recent years, as has the number of students enrolling on them. The study of International Relations has tended to be a sub-discipline of Politics but ever-increasing interest by students and academics in international political issues means that International Relations has grown into a field in its own right.
•
Degree programmes in Politics and International Relations are often combined with History, Sociology, Economics, Law/Legal Studies, Modern Languages and Area Studies. All of these subjects complement Political Studies and graduates with such interdisciplinary understanding are attractive in the job market.
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International Relations programmes have an inherent global dimension through their interest in International History, International Politics, International Political Economy, International Relations and International Security in the past and present, and on different geographical scales. The global dimension in Politics degrees comes through the inherently comparative nature of the subject and its methods, as well as through specific modules in International Politics and International Relations.
•
Politics and International Relations programmes have varying components relating to global/international perspectives. The most significant component is the study of processes and systems (social, economic, political, physical, environmental). There is a moderate to high level of content relating to the study of locations, and cultures and societies (people, communities, identity, values, behaviour, meaning).
•
Compulsory first year modules ensure that students are introduced to the key issues of the discipline, including the international aspects. These hopefully encourage and inspire them to select internationally-oriented units available in subsequent years.
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The global content of degree programmes has grown, particularly in terms of compulsory and optional modules covering global issues, but there seems to be slightly less increase in modules focussing on non-EU countries and regions of the world.
•
British, European and American politics dominate the available taught modules relating to particular countries or regions and many of these are compulsory. Fewer institutions offer modules on the politics of other countries and regions of the world and these are always optional.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
•
An ethical dimension is usually incorporated into Politics and International Relations programmes, as is some appreciation of other views and perspectives.
•
Political Studies are dynamic, responding to changing agendas and contemporary issues. This includes many critical global issues such as trade, the environment, human rights, conflict and conflict-resolution. The diversity of current international political issues is likely to ensure that Politics and International Relations continue to thrive in UK Higher Education.
•
One can assume that by studying Politics or International Relations a student will be more aware of their place in society, of their potential to contribute to politics through voting and other activities, and informed about current issues and questions of public concern. However, this potential link between academic study and personal development as a global citizen are not made explicit in the benchmark statement.
•
Despite the international subject matter of Politics and International Relations programmes, there is a strong classroom-based emphasis. Participating in fieldtrips, research and exchanges overseas are not seen to be of high importance.
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International students are fairly well-represented on undergraduate courses. The presence of international students brings global perspectives into the classroom and enhances learning and teaching for students and staff alike.
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There is often a gap between the perceived importance of internationalised activities in a department and the actual activities carried out, for example, partnerships or collaboration with overseas universities and hosting international visiting teaching staff. The same is true at a discipline level where the main professional bodies/subject associations feel that they would benefit from greater interaction with political scientists and their academic associations in the Global South.
•
Learning and teaching in academic departments takes place in the wider context of the increasing internationalisation of institutions, which includes recruiting students from overseas, providing degree programmes on overseas campuses or through distance learning, and working in partnership with overseas institutions.
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Unfortunately, in many institutions, global perspectives are intimately associated with international student recruitment rather than being seen as a wider process which includes internationalisation of the curriculum. Senior Management without a holistic, strategic vision for global perspectives, together with a lack of ‘critical mass’ of staff enthusiastic about developing global perspectives, are hindering the progress of this agenda in some departments and institutions.
Overall, the global dimension is a strong and integral part of Politics and International Relations. Students are likely to have a highly developed set of global perspectives through their subject knowledge. The subject matter which covers political, economic and social issues is strongly multi-disciplinary, particularly drawing on other disciplines such as History, Philosophy, Economics and Sociology. The ability of students to understand crossdisciplinary issues is a key strength. The discipline is dynamic, often adjusting the choice of modules in line with contemporary political issues. Politics and International Relations is an ideal vehicle for embedding global perspectives in Higher Education. The existing strengths at discipline and department levels should complement other activities at institutional level in order to produce graduates who are global citizens.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
Recommendations
Politics and International Relations are concerned with the governments and societies of the world, considering how they interact in the past and present: a global dimension is inherent. Students are well-informed about the world and can use their subject knowledge to interpret contemporary global issues. Political Science has connections with many other disciplines that can be used to understand complex cross-cutting processes. The combination of knowledge and skills makes Politics and International Relations graduates highly employable. Confident of this, the discipline is well placed to respond to the increasingly important agenda of global perspectives in Higher Education. As departments work towards strengthening and embedding global perspectives into Politics and International Relations, they should consider the following four recommendations: • Appreciate the contemporary salience of global perspectives to individual students, each academic discipline, Higher Education institutions, and the nation. • Recognise the range of elements comprising and contributing to global perspectives, and their interconnectedness. • Develop globally-oriented activities and ensure they are integrated into the wider internationalisation activities of the institution. • Look for opportunities to lead by example as proponents of global perspectives and to assist other departments and disciplines in the practical delivery of the global dimension.
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Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Subject analysis: Politics and International Relations
References Durham 21 (June 2003) Departments to close as University releases proposals for academic restructuring http://www.durham21.co.uk/archive/archive.asp?ID=1663 Higher Education Statistics Agency (2005) Online statistics: Table 2e – All HE students by level of study, subject of study, domicile and gender 2003/04 http://www.hesa.ac.uk/holisdocs/pubinfo/student/subject0304.htm NATFHE (June 2004) Lecturers to fight to halt ‘threat to existence’ of Staffordshire University http://www.natfhe.org.uk/?id=693 Political Studies Association (2003) Study Politics and Universities in the UK http://www.psa.ac.uk/publications/studypolitics03.pdf Political Studies Association; Website – Departments of Politics in the UK and Ireland http://www.psa.ac.uk/www/departments/UKDepts.asp Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2000) Subject benchmark statement: Politics and International Relations QAA: Gloucester http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/politics.pdf Universities and Colleges Admissions Service; Website – Course search for undergraduate degree courses starting in 2005 including the words and phrases: politics, government, war, conflict, peace, international relations, international studies, citizenship, policy
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For further details please refer to the project website where there are: • Project Summary Reports • 9 Subject Reports • Full results of Heads of Department survey • Full analysis of Consultation • Over 50 Case Studies • Background documents • Links to related organisations and projects
www.rgs.org/globalperspectives
Global Perspectives in Higher Education project Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers February 2006
