International Relations Paper: Realism and Social Constructivism

Using realism, analyze the nuclear tensions two major nuclear superpowers. How does each superpower’s governments undermine the rationality of the other? What is required for nuclear deterrence to be successful in this situation? 

Using realism, outline the self-interest of Russia with its intervention in Kazakh politics, as well as, its threat to invade Ukraine. How can such transgressive acts of power by a regional hegemon be checked through alliance-building?
 region? 
How are Indigenous peoples shaping the global discourses on climate change? How does the notion of environmental racism/climate injustice fit in the normative regime of climate change policy? Which instruments of international law can they use to place social pressure on policy-making by domestic governments? Make sure to refer to a specific Indigenous nation and their struggles in a specific country as a case. (The Maori in New Zealand, The Wet’suwet’en in BC, etc.)
Compare India and China’s approaches to development in Africa. In what ways has China and India’s economic rivalry shaped their humanitarian commitments and aid contributions to African countries? Do you think these partnerships are imperial activities that are against the interest of Africans?
What does a transnational feminist approach to international relations challenge us to consider about women’s empowerment in the Global South? What would a feminist IR approach to post-covid economic recovery look like? 

Focus on either the case of anti-Muslim racism in India OR China’s detention of Uyghur Muslims. 

China
What role do international courts play in delivering justice to the survivors and their families? Why do state governments choose to decline working with international organizations to address genocide and crimes against humanity?

India
What role does casteism and right-wing Hindu nationalism play in the rise of anti-Muslim racism in India? In what ways is such discrimination an indicator of genocide in the future? How can this be prevented by international efforts?
https://www.businessinsider.com/genocides-still-going-on-today-bosnia-2017-11

Use social constructivism OR realism to analyze President Bolsanaro’s approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. How does the Brazilian government’s refusal to follow the World Health Organization’s policy recommendations a norm transgression? Can the Brazilian government be held accountable by international organizations in failing to respond to the public health crisis and endangering its citizens?

Section One: Introduction + Thesis (50 Words)

Introduction (Topic sentence, historical context)
Thesis Statement (Make sure this is the last sentence of your introduction). A good thesis statement include the following pieces of information:
1)What is the scope/frame of Analysis (what will you be focusing on)
2)Argument (What will you be arguing and how will you be making this argument)
3)Concepts (What are the major ideas/concepts you will be defining and analyzing)
4)Method (which theory will you be using to make your argument)
5)Case Study/Context (which specific case will you be applying the theory to in order to make your argument)

An example of a strong thesis statement: 

Using realism as a theoretical framework, in my paper, I explore how ISIS, as a terrorist organization, uses tactics of guerilla warfare such as suicide bombings to claim legitimacy as a non-state actor in international politics. I argue that the group uses guerilla tactics, that rely on the element of surprise, and not conventional methods of warfare because they do not have similar military capabilities as sovereign states.

Section Two: Literature Review (Theory and Conceptual Framing) (300 words)

Outline the theoretical framework and define the main concepts you will be engaging through this framework. The aim of this section is to provide brief historical background of the theory and using the theory to frame the problem you will be addressing. 

1.Use concepts to formulate a research question and identify the problem you will be addressing. Research Question:

Problem to be addressed:

2.Find scholarly Sources on to outline/define the Theory and Concepts. You need at least 3 in addition to the ones I provide on Slack.com.

3.Collect information on the key concepts and theory. Make sure to write the page number to have strong citations. Once you have enough to define the concept then you have to paraphrase it into your own interpretation of the concept through the lens of the theoretical framework. 

Make sure you do not try to analyze everything about a case. Choose a specific policy, a political actor, a political institution to focus on. In this section I am testing to see if you can use and apply a major international relations theory to a contemporary political issue. One way to do this is to use the theory to define the concepts and then show how this theory would read/interpret  a political discourse or action such as a speech, a policy, an interaction in global politics etc. In this section, make sure to also provide basic historical/political context of which real-life source you will be engaging and the political events.All quotes in this section should be paraphrased and cited. Make sure to develop and address/explore the original theoretical problem/issue you set up in the literature review through a real-life application of it.