Download Reflecting on International Relations Theory: Writing Assignment 1 and more Assignments Political Theory in PDF only on Docsity! Writing Assignment One: An Open Letter Rationale, Guide, and General Skills Developed in this assignment When you read a chapter or article for this course you should be able to identify its argument by isolating its key premises, and you should be able to situate the author(s) (even if they do not self-identify as a Realist, Liberal, Constructivist, Marxist, Normative theorist, and so forth) within the various perspectives of the field of international relations. While some authors are squarely within a specific tradition, many others defy easy classification, and/or straddle the often porous boundaries of the field’s many little boxes. That okay.... the point is not to be precise about placement, but to be skilled in drawing out theoretical premises and the more or less optimistic assessments of the world to which they lead, and from which they derive. Take the following example: ...if you think Peace Is acommon goal That goes to show How little you know (The Smiths, “Death of a Disco Dancer,” 1987) What assumptions does the song make about war and its place in the world? What sort of war does it allude to? What, if any, are the prospects for peace? It won't be long before you come to the conclusion that this lyric at least presents a quintessentially Realist rendering of the world. This assignment requires that you direct these sorts of assessments, at least partly at yourself. As | write my letter, what are my assumptions about the actors in world politics? Who matter more? nation-states, intergovernmental organizations, groups, classes? How do | think interdependencies shape actors’ intensions and behaviour? are interdependencies good, bad, inevitable? How do | feel about notions like power, multilateralism, unilateralism, power, and legitimacy? What makes the world go round? gender? class? great power rivalries? systemic power balancing? It is your reflection on these and related questions that make you a theorist of international relations. Here is a practical example of why awareness and attentiveness to this matters: if you decide to ask PM Justin Trudeau to enhance Canada’s commitment to The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) you are advocating for something that has the power to erode and compromise Canadian sovereignty as traditionally understood under the principles of the modern state system enshrined in the treaties of Westphalia (1648). Would a Realist do that? Short answer: no—the Realist letter to PM Justin Trudeau would almost certainly demand that Canada, which has already signed the UNDRIP Declaration, make sure that this document never becomes legally binding. Things to consider when you write your letter: you are role playing in this assignment, so who am |? and how do | see the world? What is my stake/perspective in this? How
