STV4255 ¨C Fighting for Status in International Politics

Course content

Do states go to war because of social status and prestige? From sociology and psychology we know that people are keen to raise their individual status in the various status hierarchies they participate in. We even know that people are more than willing to willing to bicker, quarrel, or even fight to gain higher status or to modify a perceived lack of status. Similarly, status research in the field of International Relations has shown that the prize of social status motivates all kinds of behaviors. It plays into states¡¯ decision to: acquire costly status symbols such aircraft carriers, nuclear weapons, naval fleets, and spacecrafts; hosting mega events like the World Cup in football or the Olympics; engage in prosocial behavior such as providing development aid, hosting peace talks, or becoming climate front-runners. And just like in cognate literatures, states and their representatives are shown to be more than willing to go to war due to a perceived lack of prestige or due to the intrinsic prize of prestige. Focusing on key theories and cases, this course surveys scholarship that questions why states fight for status, whether they receive more recognition from participating in them, who the relevant audiences for such belligerence are, and the broader domestic and international effects of fighting. Focusing on a wide range of historical and contemporary actors in world politics - ranging from citizens and diplomats to small powers, middle powers, and great powers - you will develop an understanding of core debates and concepts on social status in International Relations and the myriad of potential ways that status-concerns influences, limits, and exacerbates conflict in international politics.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

After this course you will have knowledge about:

? How status dynamics structures world politics
? Why and how social status is a key motivator for states in international politics
? How war is seen by actors as an effective and legitimate action to achieve higher status
? How and when war leads to increased international recognition as well as status wars¡¯ effects on domestic politics
? The relevant theories, methodologies, and analytical frameworks most commonly used to examine the relationship between status and war

Skills

After having completed the course, you will:

Be able to apply relevant theories of social status to relevant empirical cases

• Have acquired a set of methodological and theoretical tools that enables you to scientifically analyze and explore the relationship between war and status in international politics

• Identify knowledge gaps and formulate relevant and useful research questions linked to a bourgeoning and novel research strand in International Relations
  

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General competence

After completing the course, you will:

• Be able to critically evaluate theoretical and empirical claims made in key Political Science and International Relations articles and books

• Gain experience in writing academic papers that contribute to a subfield of International Relations

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A bachelor's degree in Political Science or equivalent is recommended. It is also recommended that you have a basic understanding of key theories (liberalism, realism, constructivism) and concepts (anarchy, sovereignty, war) in International Relations

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester?register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.?Guest student on master courses at the Department of Political Science - Faculty of Social Sciences (uio.no)

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

Teaching

10 lectures.

Compulsory activities:

Presentation of draft for term paper.

In the event of illness or other valid reasons, you can apply for a valid absence or postponement of compulsory activity.

Apply for valid absence from or need for postponement of compulsory activity

Examination

Term paper with 3500 - 5000 words.?

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

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• Use of sources and citations
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• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

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