Unipolarity Without Hegemony: Pax Americana in the 21st Century, 7.5 ECTS
Second levelFacts
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The aim of the course is to provide master students with enhanced knowledge in, and understanding of, the concepts of unipolarity and hegemony within the contemporary study of political science and international politics, as well as with an ability to employ them with respect to theoretical and empirical claims about the United States’ current position of power in the world. How do these two concepts relate to each other and how can they help characterize the US’s role in international politics? What is the special position of the United States in the world and which are the properties of the present world order, Pax Americana? How do international security institutions operate in the light of that order? Which signs of erosion of Pax Americana are visible in various parts of the world and what are the risks accompanying that development? The course highlights how the exertion of American power is being strengthened and reproduced through transnational and international cooperation, but also how US influence is subverted, indirectly and directly, by an assortment of actors. Overall the course offers the participants good opportunities to reflect over their own assumptions about today’s world order and the special position of the United States within it, based on a set of relevant analytical and theoretical concepts. In a concluding essay the participants will furthermore take a stand on some of the most important issues raised by the course literature, completing a writing assignment in which they develop and substantiate arguments for or against continued unipolarity, with or without the United States at its center, enduring for the rest of the 21st century.
Area of interests: Human, Social and Political Sciences, and Law
Are you interested in human beings and society? How we function individually and together, what drives us, our learning processes, how rules and laws have been established, and how we interact with each other? If that is the case we have a lot to offer. This area of interest covers anything from Pedagogy, Psychology and Gender Studies, to Statistics, Political Science, Law and many other subjects. Their common denominator is the relation between human beings and society, independent analytical thinking and often an international perspective.
Subject
Political Science
When living together in society, people are faced with the challenge of organising themselves in order to solve common problems in the best way possible. Today the democratic “national state” is the predominant way of organising political life, but it is also being challenged as the best form of political community. Development tendencies such as globalisation, European integration and a new ethnic and cultural variety have stimulated a comprehensive discussion about the need of more developed political institutions at, below and above the national state level. Political science, as a research and a teaching subject, is in the middle of this intense debate.
Many subjects within the humanities and social sciences treat different aspects of political life and its institutions. The characterising feature of political science is its focus on this area. Political scientists describe, explain and evaluate the political institutions. Division of power is particularly studied, as well as the question of how and to what extent the democratic institutions and processes function. The main themes are political theory, Swedish politics, comparative politics and international politics.
As a student you will gain basic knowledge of the political conditions of society, train your ability to critically judge them and to present practical insights in the working methods of the public sector. This knowledge is useful and applicable both in general terms as a citizen of society, and in more specific, professional contexts where knowledge of politics and public administration is valuable.