Department of Economics & International Development, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
EC50167 International policy analysis 2 |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take SP50139 |
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Aims:
* To provide students with a critical understanding of international policy-making; * To provide students with a critical understanding of different methodological approaches towards analysing international policy and with the ability to apply these to international policy issues and problems. * To provide students with a critical understanding of the institutional and policy environment within which governments, businesses and civil society organisations are shaping the global system; * To critically examine the policy choices and conflicts these actors present to each other and the issues of public and private responsibility which these raise. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit, students will have: * Applied the major methods and models of international policy analysis to current international policy issues * Critically assessed the relative strengths and weaknesses of major methods and models of international policy analysis * Critically reviewed key texts relating to the analysis of international policy-making * Critically analysed policy choices of state and non-state actors and political institutions involved in international policy-making. By the end of this unit students should be able to: * Apply different methodologies to analyse international policy issues and problems and to understand the international policy process. Skills: Intellectual skills: * To think creatively and analytically * To communicate an argument * To critically evaluate and assess research and evidence as well as a variety of other information * To synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding. Transferable/Key skills: * Essay research, preparation and writing skills * Group work skills * Policy research skills * Presentation skills and verbal communication (i.e. oral presentations, seminar contributions) Knowledge outcomes: * Theoretical basis of different concepts towards understanding international policy-making * Knowledge of the current developments and contemporary research in international policy analysis Identification of international policy issues. Content: International Policy Analysis 2 continues and builds on International Policy Analysis 1 taught in the first semester. The six international policy issues given to student groups in the first semester will be analysed in six meetings which will take the form of a lecture followed by group-presentations and seminar discussion. External professorial guest-speakers involved in international policy-making will present and discuss agreed current issues in international policy. |