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The Open University

Undergraduate

A world of whose making?

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Course code
DU301
Credit points
60
OU Level
3
SCQF level
10
QAA level
6
6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-course assessment No residential school

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This course is available for study in the countries shown.


Start End Fee* Register
Feb 2011 Oct 2011 Not yet available Click to register

Registration closes 15/12/10
This course is expected to run until February 2013.

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Summary

How can we best understand and analyse international developments such as the role of the World Trade Organisation, the power of the USA, the rise of China and India, or contests over religion, culture and rights? What are the main features of international order, how are they changing, and what can we expect in the future? This interdisciplinary course, newly revised and updated, provides the tools of political and economic analysis needed to answer such questions. You will also review and debate the power politics of dominant states; struggles for rights and justice; economic and technological developments; and how world order is changing.

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Course content

The course is divided in two halves, drawing throughout on a wide range of voices from different parts of the world. The first half aims to provide a thorough understanding of the basic concepts and theories of politics and economics that bear on international affairs. This involves a serious engagement with the theories, formal models and at times, simple numerical examples used by economists and political scientists to understand international economics and politics. It also encompasses an appreciation of the range of different standpoints from which knowledge of the international system is produced and evaluated. Indeed, with this latter aspect in mind, scholars from outside the English-speaking North Atlantic arena have written much of the first half. The teaching is set in context by a series of substantive investigations of different aspects of international affairs.

The first half begins with a consideration of the role of the World Trade Organisation, especially in relation to developing countries, and looks critically at the arguments for freer trade and the relationship between rules and power in ordering international relations. The course then asks how political and economic changes within countries serve to define their interests and position within the international system and does this from the vantage point of economic growth and liberalisation in India. It then looks at the spectacular economic growth in both India and China and the debates about what stimulates growth. Next, the course examines issues of inequality, bargaining and power between countries, by looking at relations between Mexico and the United States. Questions of economic and political dependence and sovereignty are studied through the case of aid and conditionality, in relation to African states. Finally, the scope for collective action among states is investigated by considering the successes and failures of international action in relation to a number of problems including global climate change.

The second half begins with an analysis of the political dimensions of the international system, focusing on the role of states and the workings of the states-system. In particular it looks at the role of the USA in international order and the challenges facing the USA since the election of President Obama. The course then scrutinizes questions of cultural difference and conflict, and universal ideas of rights and justice. It then considers international inequality and technological change, and the role of technology in shaping international interactions. The latter focuses on the rise of networks in international politics including terrorist and campaigning networks. It concludes with a critical examination of contemporary theories of international order.

Throughout the second half, the course is concerned with examining three major questions. Is it possible to analyse the international system as a whole? How can we best characterise, understand and explain the processes of international interaction and the kinds of order and disorder with which they are associated? Is the international system changing and, if so, by whose agency? These themes and questions are addressed by looking at a range of contemporary issues such as the changing character of the international political order, and the role of the major powers like the United States; the contested role of culture, rights and justice in international relations; Islam and the West; and ideas of a ‘global’ cosmopolitan culture; the inequalities of income and technological development across the world and the possibility that network forms of organisation are bringing about a new kind of international order.

The course concludes with an examination of mainstream models of international order and critical perspectives on the changing character of the international system as a whole.

Vocational relevance

This course provides a sophisticated understanding of the processes and players that shape the contemporary international system, and a knowledge of key aspects of international affairs. It offers an interdisciplinary view of the international order, drawing widely from the social sciences. As such, it is an invaluable guide to those interested in making sense of contemporary international developments and wishing to analyse and evaluate questions of public policy and action in this increasingly important sphere. This makes the course especially valuable if you work in any organisation, public or private, that operates internationally or seeks to influence public policy and debate on international matters.

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Entry

DU301 is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

As this is a Level 3 course, we expect that you will already have studied one or more Level 2 courses at The Open University and will therefore have the necessary skills to study this course. If you have not already studied at Level 2, then you should consult the Faculty of Social Sciences for information about the level of competence expected on entry to Level 3 courses. A useful prior course, especially if you are seeking the BA/BSc (Honours) International Studies (B11) degree, is International development: challenges for a world in transition (U213).

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Qualifications

DU301 is a compulsory course in our

DU301 is an optional course in our

It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content.  To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.

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If you have a disability or additional requirement

This course includes economics diagrams, graphs, charts and tables of data. The set work will ask you to produce diagrams, graphs and some data analysis. Some of the computing elements are in the form of animated tutorials that have a high visual content. You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. The written course material is available in comb-bound format. The course units and supplementary material are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The text is provided and, where available, a real voice recording. You will need your usual interface to access the material, e.g. a screen reader with synthetic speech output, screen enlargement software or Braille facilities. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

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Course materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, audio CDs, course website and CD-ROMs containing software which you will need to install on your computer.

You will need

Audio CD player.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.

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Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.

Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score’. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

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Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2011. We expect it to be available at the same time once a year.

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How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.

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About this page

An undergraduate course in Environment, Development and International Studies and Social Sciences.

Study explained

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Study explained
- all you need to know about studying with the OU.

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