Institutions of Global Governance

Course goals

Learning outcomes: after completing the course, you will have attained the following learning outcomes:

• in-depth knowledge and understanding of historical developments related to the course topic;
• in-depth knowledge of the historiography within the course topic;
• in-depth knowledge of the theoretical discourse about this topic;
• knowledge of a relevant historical case pertaining to the specialised topic.

Learning objectives and skills: after completing the course, you will be able to:  

• critically reflect and actively participate in classroom discussions about the topic;
• apply concepts, historiography and theories connected with the course topic;
• collaborate in reading groups (tutor groups);
• devise and develop a research question on the basis of an in-depth case study of their choice;
• apply their newly acquired knowledge of the theoretical discourse and historiography to a case study of their choice;
• conduct independent research focusing (mainly) on in-depth secondary literature.

Content

This is the second course of Specialisation 6: Globalisation and World Order
(Track International Relations)

In 2002 Ian Manners in his famous essay ‘Normative Power Europe: A Contradiction in Terms’ defined The European Union as a non-military, civil power using its economic and diplomatic strength to maintain peace and security, based on the principles of democracy, rule of law, social justice and respect for human rights.
But the EU was not the only, let alone the first, normative power international organization in the world. When the Allied Powers after WWII established the United Nations to preserve international peace and promote human rights, the UN Charter was emphatically clear about how the world organization’s main bodies were supposed to do this: through peaceful efforts and by respecting the national sovereignty of all UN member states.

During this course we will discuss the functioning of the EU and the UN as normative power international organizations. To what extent have they been successful as keepers of international peace and international norms like human rights? Do not expect a clear “yes” or “no”, but come to learn what the limits and opportunities of normative powers in the field of international politics are and even more important: come to learn how to start your own research on normative powers by using both secondary and primary sources, including the necessary theoretical toolkit on how to interpret them.    
 

Additional information

Early Exit option for international exchange students (5 ECTS)
Exchange students who are required to return to their home university before January, are allowed to choose an Early Exit option for this course. The Early Exit option means that students can finish the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course. Students must make arrangements with the course coordinator at the start of the course.