Introductory description

How does race shape political governance? This module brings together experts from across the Politics and International Studies department to show how race shapes the governance of trade, finance, terrorism, migration and postcolonial politics. Students will learn about both theoretical concepts and real-world examples that will help them to understand how race and racism shape world politics.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Race and International Politics – Frameworks for Analysis
2. Colonial Political Economy 1
3. Colonial Political Economy 2
4. Race and Global Trade Politics 1
5. Race and Global Trade Politics 2
6. Reading Week
7. Race and Migration
8. Race and Terrorism
9. Race and the Politics of International Aid
10. Students speak back to race in International Relations – findings from reflective essays presented to the group

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Compare, contrast and critically assess how race informs the governance and contestation of range of policy areas .
• Critically assess academic literature on race in International Politics
• Demonstrate understanding of the ways in which race is a concept which has historical roots, evolved from imperial structures, and continues to influence world politics.

Indicative reading list

Indicative reading list (subject to changes year upon year):
Acharya, Amitav (2014) ‘Global International Relations (IR) and Regional Worlds’, International Studies Quarterly 58(4), pp.647–59.
Allen, Theodore (2012) The Invention of the White Race Vol. 1 (London/New York: Verso)
Anievas, Alexander; Nivi Manchanda and Robbie Shilliam (2014) Race and Racism in International Relations: Confronting the Global Colour Line (Abingdon: Routledge).
Bell, D. and Vucetic, S. (2019), 'Brexit, CANZUK, and the legacy of empire', British Journal of Politics and IR, 21(2), pp. 367-382
Bhambra, Gurminder (2020) ‘Colonial global economy: towards a theoretical reorientation of political economy’, Review of International Political Economy, DOI: 10.1080/09692290.2020.1830831
Chowdhry, Geeta and Sheila Nair (2002) (eds) Power, Postcolonialism and International Relations: Reading Race, Gender and Class (Abingdon: Routledge)
Chowdhry, Geeta & Shirin Rai (2009) ‘The Geographies of Exclusion and the Politics of Inclusion: Race-based Exclusions in the Teaching of International Relations’, International Studies Perspectives 10, pp.84-91.
Hillyard, Paddy (1993) Suspect Community: People’s Experiences of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts in Britain (London: Pluto).
Hobson, John (2011) The Eurocentric Conception of World Politics: Western International Theory, 1760 – 2010 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Mayblin, Lucy & Joe Turner (2020) Migration Studies and Colonialism (London: Wiley)
Persaud, Randolph (2014) ‘Colonial Violence: Race and Gender on the Sugar Plantations of British Guiana’ in Race and Racism in International Relations: Confronting the Global Colour Line, eds. Anievas, Alexander; Nivi Manchanda and Robbie Shilliam, (Abingdon: Routledge).
Persaud, Randolph & Alina Sajed (eds) (2018) Race, Gender and Culture in International Relations (Abingdon: Routledge).
Puar, Jasbir (2007) Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times (Duke University Press).
Richardson, Ben (2015) Sugar (London: Polity).
Sabaratnam, Meera (2020) ‘Is IR Theory White? Racialised Subject-Positioning in Three Canonical Texts’, Millennium: Journal of International Studies. doi:10.1177/0305829820971687
Singh, JP (2017) Sweet Talk: Paternalism and collective action in North-South trade relations (Stanford: Stanford University Press).
Thakur, Vineet; Alexander E. Davis and Peter Vale (2017) ‘Imperial Mission, “Scientific” Method: An Alternative Account of the Origins of IR’, Millennium: Journal of International Studies 46(1), pp.3–23.
Vitalis, Robert (2015) White World Order, Black Power Politics: The Birth of American International Relations (Ithaca: Cornell University Press)

Subject specific skills

1. Ability to use key theoretical concepts related to the study of race and politics.
2. Ability to design and sustain arguments using theoretical ideas from the module.
3. Appreciation of the complexity of relevant debates.

Transferable skills

1. Critical thinking
2. Communication of complex ideas - written and verbal
3. Working effectively with others
4. Information literacy/research skills
5. Time management and organisation