IR 308 

Spring 2009 

International Relations Theory 

Prof. Sanjoy Banerjee 

338-1105; banerjee@sfsu.edu; (I prefer e-mail) HSS 338. 

Office hours: MW 9:15a-10a & 1p-1:45p, M 6p-7p, Tu: 9a-10a & 1p-2p 

 

 The purpose of IR 308, Fundamentals of IR: Theory and Issues, is to develop an 
understanding of the debates about theory and issues in the discipline. Knowledge in this 
field is structured as a debate among complex arguments. These arguments include 
theories, evidence, and rebuttals to other arguments. Expertise in the field consists of 
knowing the rival arguments and assessing their relative success at establishing themselves 
and undermining their rivals. Within the ongoing debate about IR theory, some 
formulations rise and others fall. Within the issues debates, some strategies and solutions 
gain credibility and others lose it. 

 Another key tenet of the course is that theories are about facts. They need to be 
tested against facts and compared with facts. Although facts themselves are described with 
words and categories derived from theories, they are more concrete than theories. 

 The class will focus on rigorous reading. There will be discussions of passages 
from the readings that address important questions. 

 The course is designed to enable students to apply theoretical generalizations to 
real-world issues. It also enables students to recognize and evaluate the theoretical 
assumptions and reasoning in political and analytical statements. 

 

Text: Robert Jackson and Georg Sorensen, Introduction to International Relations: 
Theories and approaches (J&S) (Available in bookstore). 

 

Electronic sources of readings: Students are expected to retrieve most of the assigned 
readings from the SFSU Library web site. See the Electronic Journals List 
at http://sfx.calstate.edu:9003/sfsu/a-z/default. You can find most of the journals listed 
below through that, and then go to the volume and number indicated below. Some readings 
are available only on Jstor http://0-www.jstor.org.opac.sfsu.edu/jstor/. Most readings can be 
accessed through the library web site. Some readings will be sent out as e-mail 
attachments. If it takes you more than 15 minutes to find a reading, please request it from 

m

 
Grading: 40% midterm exam, 40% final exam, and 20% class participation. All exams 
will be open book, however no computational devices may be on the desk or used in any 
way. Students must bring to the exam the textbook and paper copies of all assigned 
readings that are covered by

including your own notes. 
Plagiarism, as defined by SFSU (http://www.sfsu.edu/~collhum/ plagiarism.html ) is 
strictly prohibited. Copying from other students during an exam is prohibited and 
constitutes plagiarism. Any plagiarism will result in an F on the exam, and likely in the 
whole course. A


 

Reading assignments: 

 

1/26: Introduction to course & assignments 

 

1/28: The states system J&S: Ch 1. 

 

2/2: Contending approaches J&S: Ch. 2 

 

2/4: Realism J&S: Ch. 3 

 

2/9: W. Wohlforth, “Stability in a unipolar world” International security 24, 1 (Jstor) 

 

2/11: T. V. Paul, "Soft balancing in the age of US primacy" International security 30, 1 

 

2/16: S. Huntington “The clash of civilizations” Foreign affairs 72, 3 

 

2/18: Liberalism J&S: Ch. 4 

 

2/23: A. Moravcsik, “Taking preferences seriously” International organization 51, 4 
(Jstor) 

 

2/25: G. J. Ikenberry, “Institutions” International security 23, 3 

 

3/2: M. Finnemore and K. Sikkink, “International norm dynamics …” International 
organization 52, 4 

 

3/4: J. Oneal “Causes of peace” International studies quarterly 47, 3 

 

3/9: Social constructivism J&S: Ch. 6 

 

3/11: Review 

 

3/16: Midterm exam 

 

3/18: E. Aysha “September 11 and the Middle East failures of US ‘soft power’” 
International relations 19, 2 

 

3/30: A. Tsygankov, “Vladimir Putin’s vision of Russia as a normal great power,” Post-
Soviet affairs 21, 2 

 

4/1: International political economy J&S Ch. 7 

 

4/6: R. Altman, “The great crash,” Foreign Affairs 88, 1; A. Slaughter “America’s edge,” 
Foreign Affairs 88, 1 

 

4/8: N. Birdsall “The world is not flat” UNU-WIDER 2005 (e-mail attachment) 


 

4/13: C. Chase-Dunn “Interstate system and capitalist world-economy” International 
studies quarterly 25, 1 (Jstor) 

 

4/15: International political economy J&S Ch. 8 

 

4/20: W. Thompson, “Systemic leadership and growth waves in the long run” International 
Studies Quarterly 36, 1 (Jstor) 

 

4/22: S. Breslin, “Power and production: Rethinking China’s economic role” Review of 
international studies 31, 4 

 

4/27: Foreign policy: J&S Ch. 9 

 

4/29: Methodological debates: J&S Ch. 11 

 

5/4: New issues J&S: Ch. 10 

 

5/6: N. Kardam “The emerging global gender equality regime” International feminist 
journal of politics 6, 1 

 

5/11: C. Okereke, “Equity norms in global enviromental governance,” Global 
environmental politics 8, 3 

 

5/13: Review 

 

5/22: 8a-10:30a: Final Exam