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GLOBAL POLITICS FOUNDATIONS
The foundations of Global Politics lay the conceptual and theoretical framework that is applied throughout the 4 main units of the course. Students will learn the nature of political issues and the major theories of Global Politics.
WHAT IS A POLITICAL ISSUE?
Activities will look at the nature of political issues and state and non-state actors in Global Politics. We also introduce the 16 key concepts that drive the 4 main course units.
The 16 Key Concepts are crucial to the study of Global Politics. Make sure you are making connections to these 16 concepts throughout your work in the course. Each major unit is tied to 4 of the Key Concepts.
POWER, SOVEREIGNTY, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POWER
SOVEREIGNTY
LEGITIMACY
INTERDEPENDENCE
HUMAN RIGHTS
HUMAN RIGHTS
JUSTICE
LIBERTY
EQUALITY
DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
INEQUALITY
GLOBALIZATION
SUSTAINABILITY
PEACE AND CONFLICT
PEACE
CONFLICT
VIOLENCE
NON-VIOLENCE
We approach the key concepts with the understanding that political issues can be seen from different individual and group perspectives. It's important to understand the nature of these perspectives when we think about different issues. Here are a few examples from the IB Guide:
LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
The levels of analysis in Global Politics are a way of understanding that political issues are often experienced and responded to in different ways, depending on the groups being impacted. In global politics, we analyse the impact of political issues at the following levels:
GLOBAL
INTERNATIONAL
REGIONAL
NATIONAL
LOCAL
COMMUNITY
Activity: Using one of the links below as a starting point, complete a levels of analysis breakdown of the political issue presented in the article. Refer to the last slide in the PowerPoint for reference.
The Best Global Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Time. June 12, 2020.
https://time.com/5851633/best-global-responses-covid-19/
US Led Coalition Pauses Fight Against ISIS in Iraq. CNN. January 5, 2020.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/05/politics/anti-isis-fight-coalition-iraq-iran/index.html
North Korea has 'probably' developed nuclear devices to fit ballistic missiles - UN.
The Guardian, August 4, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/04/north-korea-has-probably-developed-nuclear-devices-to-fit-ballistic-missiles-un
GLOBAL POLITICS THEORY
Global politics theories give us competing interpretations of reality that help frame understanding of political issues and the actions of political actors. Realism and Liberalism are two competing theories we will revisit throughout the course, with additional theories introduced along the way.
CHECK UNDERSTANDING
Family Planning Program in Senegal Drawn Into Conflict with Religious Leaders.
The Washington Post, March 15, 2014. http://wapo.st/1oY6CIO
Read the article and do the following:
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Which key concept do you think the political issue best falls under? Explain. (2)
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Analyse the impact of the political issue through 3 different levels of analysis. (6)
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Identify and explain two different individual or group perspectives on the issue (4)
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Which major global politics theory (Realism or Liberalism) does the article most closely reflect? Explain. (2)
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