This session will introduce you to the module organization, structure and assignments. You will explore the time commitments you will need to make and the skills you will develop through the duration of the module. Reading: Zarefsky, D. (2014) Rhetorical Perspectives on Argumentation, chapter 1

The session will explore the concept of postmodernity (and postmodernism). We will discuss its philosophical and cultural origins as well as its various manifestations and the variety of meanings it has been given. Reading: - Harvey, D. The Condition of Postmodernity (excerpts) - Jameson, F. "Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism"

Current international problems, such as environmental and population threats as well as broad class identities, transnational civil society, social movements for peace or human rights reforms may make the nation-states look passé and insufficient. At the same time the notion of the welfare state and many aspects of the social life are still regulated at the state level. So, is globalization bringing politics to a new level, with nation-states becoming obsolete as city-states did in the past? Or are nation-states getting their role redefined? Reading: - Slobodian, Q. Introduction to Globalists.

The session will look into the complexity and multidimensionality of globalization processes. It will look at globalization from the perspective of global economy and worldwide cultural standardization, but also study the process, may appear the to be globalization’s antonym – the localism, i.e. “Think globally, act locally”. The second part of the session will look at what globalization means in structural terms: transnational, international, macro-regional and national. - Beck, U. Introduction to What is Globalization?

Societies are rarely ethnically homogeneous, and with increased mobility in the 21st century even less so. Are different ethnic and social groups ready to coexist and cooperate without having to surrender their particular identities? "All different, all equal". The session will focus on multiculturalism and different notions within it, such as: equal respect, politics of equal dignity and cultural diversity. Reading: Taylor, C. "The Politics of Recognition"

The session will be dedicated to the problem of global warming and environmental degradation from a number of perspectives: international law and the prevalence of the trade law over climate agreements at the international level; international governance from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris agreement; civil society divided between environmental groups and the fossil fuel industry. Reading: - Carter, N. "Climate Change and the Politics of the Global Environment"

The session will focus on the transformation of soft power as a tool of foreign policy. The term was coined in the late 1980s, but its meaning and relevance has undergone changes. Reading: - Nye, J. "Soft Power: the Evolution of a Concept" (2021) - Rana, K. "India and China: Soft power in an Asian context"

The session will be dedicated to discussing international interventions in conflict areas, considering the principles of humanitarian intervention enshrined in the Chapter VII of the UN Charter as well as interventions undertaken by NATO or unilaterally by states. We will also see the difference between peacekeeping and peace enforcement with a focus on some case studies. Readings: - Duffield, M. Introduction to Global Governance and the New Wars (2001) - Balas, A., Owsiak, A. and Diehl, P. "Demanding Peace: The Impact of Prevailing Conflict on the Shift from Peacekeeping to Peacebuilding" (2012)

This session is to examine the effect of online social media on how we come to learn, understand and engage in politics. The on-going complexity of modern communication and the growing ability of social networking sites (SNSs) to generate votes in political campaigns. Is it true that candidates can win or lose elections by their command of digital technologies? How effective is social media in shaping or altering citizens’ perceptions of political campaigns? What comes first, the power or the tweet? Readings: - Gainous and Wagner, "Social Media—The New Dinner Table?"

The session will provide an overview of the UN system of global governance, with a view to discuss the changing and evolving role of civil society in the contemporary world. From the ‘new social movements’ of the 1970s to contemporary activists focused on issues such as peace, women, human rights and the environment. The role, power and existence itself of a global civil society will be discussed. Readings: - Chandhoke, N. "The Limits of the Global Civil Society" (2002) - Kaldor, M. "The Idea of Global Civil Society" (2003)

The session is dedicated to the debate about the effectiveness of the development aid and its sustainability. We will also seek to answers questions about development as the fulfilment of economic and social rights, and to studying how people influenced by economic opportunities, political liberties, social powers, and enabling conditions of good health, basic education, and encouragement can positively add to further development. Readings: - Sen, A. Introduction to Development as Freedom - Harvey, D. "Notes Toward the Theory of Uneven Geographical Development"

The session will be dedicated to the geographical and environmental determinants of distribution of resources and power between societies. The session will pose such questions as: What are the reasons behind the unequal distribution of wealth and power among societies today? How did different political and environmental factors cause these difficulties? Why is it necessary to explore the causes of uneven development? Readings: - Dalby, S. "'Global' Geopolitics" (2008) - Taylor, P. "The Political Geography of Uneven Development" (2008)

The session explores the ways in which contemporary Western discourses on human rights, gender, security, trade, global capitalism, and immigration, have been constructed and represented, and the significance of such constructions for international politics. It looks into the intersections of race, class, and gender relations within and across national boundaries. In that context the session will also analyse the impact of colonial practices on the production and representation of identities, the relationship between global capital and power, and the relevance of race, gender, and class. Readings: - Chowdhry and Nair: "Power in a postcolonial world: race, gender, and class in international relations"

The session concludes the discussions about the 21st century challenges to international governance and gives the floor to students for the presentations of their policy papers.