France in International Affairs (P02944)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-P02944

France is a leading world and regional power in the Twenty-first century. Its economy is the six largest on the planet and the country is one of the top exporters of industrial and agricultural goods and services. It retains territory around the globe and considerable influence in several former colonies. In a close relationship with Germany since the 1950s, France has shaped the construction of the European Union. It is a country that has long asserted its civilising mission in international affairs yet it is also a country with a foreign policy that prioritises national economic interest and fails to live up to the humanitarian rhetoric of its leadership.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Science), (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will have a good understanding of post-WWII French foreign and foreign economic policy. Building on their studies in the core IEP/EUPL course on the Institutions and Policies of the European Union, students will gain a good understanding of the French role and French interests in directing European integration, EU institutions and policies. They will appreciate the positioning of ‘middle’ powers in the international system. While focused upon France, students will be encouraged to draw comparisons with other ‘middle’ powers and the other advanced industrialised democracies of Western Europe, in particular the UK and Germany. Through their exploration of French foreign policy, students will thus gain a broader appreciation of the politics and political economy of advanced industrialised economies: of oil dependence, international trade, security and persisting neo-colonial ties.