World Politics

Introduction

Students aged 16 to 19 enjoy discussing world politics and international relations. Thanks to the internet, the world is more connected than ever, and we can follow what's happening in almost every corner of the globe. Yet how many real opportunities do students actually get to discuss world political issues and form their own views on what's going on? 

With this in mind, Think English Club designed the World Politics academic English programme around three objectives:

• developing accuracy of expression

• building considered arguments and positions on world political issues

• training sharp, confident argumentation

Students use English to explore political concepts, real-world cases and contemporary issues. The course covers power and global politics, peace and conflict, development and sustainability, and rights and justice.

The political content comes from a comprehensive Global Politics textbook, supported by current events and additional material. Students work with concepts and cases, discuss different perspectives, examine evidence and develop their own arguments in spoken and written English.

The Textbook

The course uses IB DP Global Politics: Course Companion, published by Oxford University Press.

The textbook was developed in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate® and is designed around the 2024 IB Global Politics subject guide. It brings together subject knowledge, political concepts, theoretical perspectives, case studies, debates and exam-style questions.

Its four core areas are:

1. Power And Global Politics

2. Peace And Conflict

3. Development And Sustainability

4. Rights And Justice

The textbook provides the academic foundation for the course. We use its concepts, explanations, cases and questions as starting points for classroom work.

The course does not follow the textbook mechanically from beginning to end. Individual topics are selected and developed according to the group, the questions they raise and their relevance to current political events.

Four Areas Of Global Politics

1) Power And Global Politics

Students begin with the concepts and structures needed to understand global politics and the relationships between political actors.

Topics include:

• stakeholders and political actors

• systems, structures and political dynamics

• legal frameworks, norms and institutions

• power

• sovereignty

• legitimacy

• interdependence

• global governance

• international law

• the United Nations

• international and non-state actors

• theoretical perspectives and analytical frameworks

Power is examined in several forms. Students explore distinctions between hard, soft and smart power, as well as structural and relational power and different ways of understanding power within political relationships. They also consider economic, political, social and cultural forms of power.

The study of sovereignty considers the nature of state sovereignty and the challenges it faces. Legitimacy is examined through its sources, the challenges faced by states and governments, and the ways in which non-state actors establish and lose legitimacy.

Questions may include:

• Who has power in global politics?

• How is power exercised?

• What makes political authority legitimate?

• How does sovereignty operate in an interdependent world?

• How do states and non-state actors influence global politics?

2) Peace And Conflict

Students examine different meanings of peace, conflict and violence and consider how political actors interact within and around conflicts.

Topics include:

• positive and negative peace

• latent and overt conflict

• direct, structural and cultural violence

• non-violence

• parties to conflict

• state and non-state actors

• third parties

• marginalised and vulnerable groups

• conflict dynamics

• causes and types of conflict

• peacemaking

• peacekeeping

• peacebuilding

Students also examine debates surrounding violence and non-violence, including the justification of violence, the legitimacy and effectiveness of protest, and the effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts.

Questions may include:

• What causes political conflict?

• What is the difference between negative and positive peace?

• How do different actors influence the course of a conflict?

• Can violence be justified?

• What makes peacebuilding effective?

3) Development And Sustainability

Students explore different understandings of poverty and development and examine the political, economic, social and environmental factors that shape them.

Topics include:

• poverty

• development

• states and governments

• international organisations

• multinational and transnational companies

• civil society

• marginalised and vulnerable groups

• dimensions and measures of development

• sustainability

• pathways towards development

• factors affecting development

• globalisation

• alternative approaches to development and sustainability

Students consider how development is defined and measured, who influences development processes and how different actors respond to poverty, inequality and environmental pressures.

Questions may include:

• What does development mean?

• How should poverty and development be measured?

• Who determines development priorities?

• What roles do states, international organisations, companies and civil society play?

• Can development be sustainable?

4) Rights And Justice

Students examine the political and contested meanings of rights, justice, liberty and equality.

Topics include:

• rights

• justice

• liberty

• equality

• states and national governments

• international organisations

• regional human rights tribunals

• civil-society organisations

• marginalised and vulnerable groups

• companies and trade unions

• international and regional rights frameworks

• the development of global norms

• responses to violations of rights and perceived injustices

Students consider how rights are defined, codified, protected and monitored, as well as how political actors respond when rights are contested or violated.

Questions may include:

• What makes something a human right?

• Are rights universal?

• What does justice require?

• How should individual and collective rights be understood?

• Why are some rights protected more effectively than others?

• How do political actors respond to perceived injustice?

• How We Study Global Politics

The textbook provides the concepts and subject material. Classroom work develops through discussion, debate, analysis and application.

A topic may begin with a concept such as sovereignty, legitimacy or structural power. Students might then apply it to a particular country, institution, conflict or current event.

A case study may lead to a broader political question. A debate may require students to examine competing interpretations. A current event may provide an opportunity to apply concepts already studied.

The direction of individual classes therefore depends on the subject and the questions that emerge. The four areas of the course provide the structure, while individual topics can be explored in different ways.

From Political Ideas To Student Work

Students regularly turn discussion and analysis into a concrete piece of work.

Depending on the topic, this may take the form of:

• an analytical essay

• a presentation

• a structured debate

• a research brief

• a policy paper

• a source analysis

• a comparative case study

• a position paper

• a group briefing

• a research project

• an oral presentation

The work requires students to develop a question, examine relevant material, construct an argument, use evidence and respond to alternative perspectives.

English As The Language Of Political Analysis

The political subject matter provides the context for developing advanced English.

Students practise language for:

• defining and explaining concepts

• describing political relationships and processes

• making and qualifying claims

• comparing perspectives

• interpreting evidence

• constructing arguments

• challenging and responding to arguments

• expressing uncertainty

• drawing conclusions

• presenting research

• participating in academic discussion

Students therefore develop English through sustained use: reading political material, discussing ideas, questioning arguments, presenting information and writing about issues in global politics.

The focus is on clear, precise expression and on the language required to communicate increasingly complex ideas.

What Students Develop

Political Understanding: Students build knowledge of major concepts, institutions, political actors, debates and contemporary issues in global politics.

Analysis: Students learn to examine political relationships, structures and processes and to consider different explanations and interpretations.

Evidence And Research: Students learn to identify relevant sources, assess information and use evidence to support their arguments.

Evaluation: Students compare perspectives, examine assumptions and consider the strengths and limitations of different arguments.

Communication: Students develop the spoken and written English required to discuss, present and write about complex political issues.

Independent Thinking: Students develop their own questions and arguments and learn to engage seriously with perspectives that differ from their own.

Who This Course Suits

World Politics is designed for students aged 16–19 who are interested in international affairs, politics and the forces shaping the world around them.

It may be particularly relevant to students considering further study in areas such as:

• International Relations

• Political Science

• Law and International Law

• Diplomacy and International Affairs

• International Development

• Journalism and Media

• Public Policy

• Economics and International Business

• Security Studies

• Academic Research

The course also suits students who want to develop their ability to read critically, discuss complex issues, examine different perspectives and express their ideas clearly in English.

No specific university or career path is required. What matters is an interest in understanding political ideas, events and relationships and a willingness to engage with them through discussion, research and written work.

The Course In Practice

The course has a clear academic framework provided by the textbook and its four areas of global politics.

Within that framework, individual topics can develop according to the class, the political context and the questions being explored. A textbook chapter may provide the starting point for a discussion; a current event may bring a concept to life; a debate may lead to further research.

The result is a course with a defined body of political knowledge and concepts, combined with the flexibility to explore them through meaningful classroom discussion and student work.