- Author:
- Charlotte Lee
- Subject:
- Political Science
- Material Type:
- Activity/Lab, Lecture, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading
- Level:
- Community College / Lower Division
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Downloadable docs
Lecture - Realism and Liberalism
Lesson Plan_ Realism and Liberalism
Reading #1: Gold & McGlinchey (2017), "International Relations Theory - Overview"
Reading #2: Antunes & Camasao (2018), "Realism"
Reading #3: Thucydides' (trans. 1874), "Melian Dialogue"
Reading #4: Meiser (2018), "Liberalism"
Reading #5: Lawson & Epstein (2019), "Democracy Promotion"
Realism and Liberalism
Overview
Module on realism and liberalism in international relations theory. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes readings, lesson plan, and ancillary materials (lecture slides and handout).
Lesson Plan: Realism and Liberalism in International Relations Theory
Lesson Plan: Realism and Liberalism
Topic: Thinking Theoretically: Realism and Liberalism | |
Week #: 2 | Estimated Time: 150-180 minutes |
Assigned Readings:
Total page count: 43
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Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson plan, students will be able to:
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Misconceptions of Topic:
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Lesson Component | Ancillary(ies) |
Lecture: Review learning objectives | Lecture slides |
Brainstorm/write on board: Was President Obama a realist or liberal? How do we know?
Lecture: Introduction to theory | Reading 1 Lecture slides |
Lecture and discussion: Key concepts in realism
| Reading 2 Lecture slides
Instructor resource: Machiavelli, Nicolo. 1532 (2016). “Chapter XV - Concerning Things for which Men, and Especially Princes, are Praised or Blamed.” In The Prince, Project Gutenberg EBook. Available online at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm#link2HCH0015
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Think Pair Share: Respond to the Melian Dialogue | Reading 3 Handout |
Lecture: Key concepts in liberalism | Reading 4 Lecture slides |
Think Pair Share: Debate democracy promotion | Reading 5 Prompt in lecture slides |
Compare realism and liberalism | Lecture slides |
Conclude and wrap-up | Lecture slides |
Required Readings: Realism and Liberalism
Contents:
- Reading #1: Gold and McGlinchey 2017
- Reading #2: Antunes and Camasião 2018
- Reading #3: Thucydides (trans. 1874)
- Reading #4: Meiser 2018
- Reading #5 Lawson and Epstein 2019
Introducing the readings:
This unit’s readings introduce students to two major theories in international relations. To provide an understanding of the role of theory in our understanding of international relations, Gold and McGlinchey (2017) offer a tour of major IR theories. This is intended to be an introductory reading to provide context for studying in more depth the many different theories informing the study of IR today.
Antunes and Camasão (2018) present an overview of major ideas in realism. To get a sense of the historical reach of realism, as well as realist ideas in action, historian Thucydides (c. 460-c. 400 BCE) offers an interpretation of a dialogue that occurred between Athenians and Melians during an often-studied conflict of the Greek world, the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE). While the style of writing in the Melian Dialogue may be unfamiliar to our contemporary senses, realists argue that the ideas in that dialogue are universal across time and space.
Liberalism offers an alternative vision to realism, and Meiser (2018) provides an introductory text for understanding liberalism. One application of liberalism can be found in global democracy promotion. Lawson and Epstein (2019) offer background on democracy promotion as a foreign policy tool (and objective) of the United StatesAncillary Materials: Realism and Liberalism
Attached are CC-licensed lecture slides and a handout to accompany the lesson plan for realism and liberalism.
Contents:
- Lecture slides
- Worksheet