PO907 Theories and Issues in International Political Economy, 200607

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PO907 Theories and Issues in International
Political Economy, 2006-07

• Seminar 1
• Introduction what is IPE?

Professor Ben Rosamond Room B 0.03 ext. 24461
(024 765 24461) Office hours Wednesday
10-12 Thursday 14-15
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• INTRODUCTIONS
• who are you?
• where are you from?
• what is your academic background (which
  university, which subject/s)?
• why are you studying IPE?

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THE MODULE

• Aims and objectives (p. 3)
• Assessment (pp. 8-9)
• Timed essays
• Research essay
• Teaching and learning
• Seminars
• Reading and resources
• Textbooks
• Weekly reading (core reading)
• Supplementary readings
• Journals
• Internet resources

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• Module website

http//www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/staff/rosam
ond/teaching/ipe/
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MODULE SYLLABUS
Term I Week 1 Introduction what is IPE? Week
2 Historical Processes 1 The World Economy
before World War One Week 3 Historical Processes
2 From Inter-War Crisis to Bretton Woods Week
4 Historical Processes 3 The Collapse of Bretton
Woods, and the Emergence
of a Global Economy Week 5 Introduction to
Theorising IPE Structure and Agency Week
6 Reading week No Seminars Week 7 Theory 1
Economic Nationalism Week 8 Theory 2
Liberalism Week 9 Theory 3 Marxism Week
10 Theory 4 Critical Theory in IPE Term II Week
11 Theory 5 Constructivist and Feminist Theory
in IPE Week 12 Issue 1 Trade Week 13 Issue 2
Production and Foreign Direct Investment Week
14 Issue 3 Global Finance Week 15 Issue 4
Debating the role of the State in IPE Week
16 Reading week - No Seminars Week 17 Issue 5
National Models of Capitalism and
Globalisation Week 18 Issue 6 Governance in the
Global Political Economy Week 19 Issue 7
Regionalism Week 20 Issue 8 Environmental
Degradation and IPE Regulation
Standards
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WHAT IS IPE?

• What do you understand by the term international
  political economy? What in very broad terms
  is it that scholars of IPE study?
• What is distinctive about IPE as a field of
  enquiry? How does it differ from international
  relations or international economics? What kind
  of intellectual project is IPE?
• What is the purpose of studying IPE?

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TWO ACCOUNTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF IPE

• The growth of IPE since the 1970s reflects
  profound changes in world order
• Interdependence
• Globalisation
• Growing importance of global processes and
  institutions
• The rise of market power at the expense of the
  power of the state
• Nation states/national economies no longer
  isolated/protected
• IPE as the study of these processes (different
  stories about these processes see OBrien and
  Williams)

• 2. The growth of IPE since the 1970s represents
  the recovery of an old intellectual tradition
• Classical political economy (Smith, Ricardo,
  Marx etc)
• Growth of distinct disciplines from late 19th
  century (political science, international
  relations, economics, sociology etc)
• Growth of boundaries between disciplines
  separate discourses/journals/professional norms
  etc
• IPE as heterodox social science

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SOME (ONGOING) ISSUES

• Is IPE a specialised subfield of international
  relations/political science?
• or is it a distinctive field in its own right?
• Why might this be an important question?
• How does IPE differ from economic science? (see
  Phillips chapter 1)
• Before we get to the historical discussions, be
  sure to get a feel for the main debates and
  divisions in the field (this weeks core and
  supplementary reading). This week will be covered
  in the first timed essay!
• The significance of theory and contending
  theoretical perspectives
• Different schools of IPE an American
  approach versus a British approach? (Compare
  International Organization with Review of
  International Political Economy or New Political
  Economy)
• The scope of IPE relevance to the whole world?
  Or primarily the study of the developed (OECD)
  world?