Introduction to Contemporary Geopolitics

This module explores the origins of the geopolitical tradition, introducing the key traditional concepts and definitions and their relations to international relations studies. The essential formulations and theories developed by the scholarship working in these traditions will provide an overview of how different factors combine to constitute the realm of international politics.

This module looks at the geopolitics of the Cold War, analysing classical geopolitical concepts and locating them in the context of the bipolar confrontation. The module will explain the nature of historical circumstances, which defined the US-Soviet relations during the second part of the 20th century, and then apply classical geopolitical concepts to analyse the essence of the Cold War political order. It is expected that the module will encourage students to closely examine both the historical and geopolitical context of the Cold War to define the role of geopolitics in the global political realm.

Following the end of the Cold War, a new array of geopolitical scholarship rose into prominence, which ultimately challenged the traditional considerations in the field of geopolitical studies. Although those theories still reflect the presence of geopolitical logic in international relations, this module intends to illuminate the principal difference between the traditional and contemporary approaches in geopolitical analysis.

This module engages with a vast critique of traditional geopolitical studies. A focus on critical geopolitics addresses contemporary debates related to the ever-existing questions and ambiguities in the realm of international politics. By invoking a critical strand on the geopolitical tradition, this module will introduce a wider range of theories and concepts incorporated in the discipline of geopolitics.