Coursework Assessment Element: Learning Portfolio (10%) Work required: Choose t

Coursework Assessment Element: Learning Portfolio (10%)
Work required:
Choose three readings of the essential reading list of your choice. Write two pages of notes for each of these readings. Relaying the following points from the reading:
• Reading title
• Key words
• Research Question
• Summary of argument
• Core arguments
• Question or critiques
Coursework/Assessment Element: Concept Analysis (40%)
Work required:
CW2: Concept Analysis (40%)
(1,000 words)
Concepts lie at the heart of any academic field, and IR is no exception. They help us make sense about the world and provide a ‘bridge’ between our ideas and the real world. This module will be introducing you to a number of key concepts in IR – as well as some of the debates which swirl around these concepts. This assessment asks you to choose one of these key concepts, and undertake your own research in order to establish the various ways in which the concept is defined and used in the field of IR. You will need to identify and locate appropriate academic sources, engage critically with that material, and construct a piece of writing which conforms to academic conventions.
Your analysis needs to be 1,000 words in length, and address the competing meanings of, and debates around, your chosen concept. It needs to be rooted in the field of IR and engage with academic texts which address or use the concept.
Please choose one of the following five concepts. Answer the following question: Why is this concept is important for understanding International Relations?
• Sovereignty
• Imperialism
• Colonialism
• Race
• Gender
Assessment criteria
In assessing the concept analysis, staff will consider the degree to which:
 The student’s characterisation of the relevant concept is accurate
 The student has engaged with appropriate academic sources
 The student has considered a range of definitions, uses and perspectives relating to the concept
 The analysis is logically and coherently structured
 The student has adhered to scholarly conventions in citing sources and producing a bibliography
Coursework/Assessment Element: Essay (50%)
Work required:
CW3: Essay (50%)
Essay (2,000 words)
Please choose one of the following questions. Please provide an answer to the question in essay format. Your essay must engage with the literature used in the module. Your essay must be properly structured with an introduction and conclusion. Your essay must have a single argument. Your essay must include a conceptual and an empirical discussion.
1. Environmental degradation impacts on racialised communities in different ways. Discuss.
2. Colonialism impacts on gendered communities in different ways. Discuss.
3. Corporations play a leading role in the expansion of empires. Discuss.
4. International law can be used to stop climate change. Discuss.
5. Queer activism plays an important role in shaping discussions on human rights.
6. Art is an important medium through which to critique state violence. Discuss.
7. The concept of sovereignty has been shaped by histories of colonialism.
Assessment criteria
In assessing the essay, staff will consider:
 The quality of the content; the breadth and depth of analysis; and the quality of the critical engagement with the material
 The accuracy of research
 The structure; logical development and coherence of the argument
 The range of literature and acceptable academic sources used in making the argument
 The presentation and layout
 The competence of which sources are used and the adherence to academic conventions in the citation of sources