Reference no: EM133014948

Essays

All research essays need to adhere to the conventional technical requirements for written academic material. Papers need to be 2,700-3,000 words in length (excluding bibliography). You should use at least 10 sources, of which eight must be academic sources, and only two may be derived off the internet. Journal articles obtained electronically (such as from bibliographic databases such as Ebscohost) are regarded as academic sources. Use the abbreviated Harvard method for citations.

Choose one of the essay topics below.

Option 1
In foreign policy it has been said:

‘Nations have no permanent friends or allies, only permanent interests' (Lord Palmerston, 19th Century British statesman)

Critically discuss this view with reference to the theoretical frameworks discussed in this course. Use examples to substantiate your argument.

Option 2
What influence do domestic factors and actors have on South African foreign policy? Discuss this question with reference to (some of) the following: public opinion; political interest groups (including opposition parties); local media; the legislature; the judiciary. Substantiate your answer with relevant examples.

Option 3
What is the role of science diplomacy in today's context? With reference to a relevant case study, write an essay about this facet of states' international relations. Discuss the origins and development of this form of diplomacy and analyse - in relation to your case study - the significance of science diplomacy in a given state's foreign policy.

Option 4
With reference to South Africa's relations with other African states before and after 1994, what kind of power is South Africa? Describe and explain the major features of South Africa's Africa relations. Use that analysis to dicuss South Africa's power status in the African and world context over time.

Length: 2,700-3,000 words.

Buitelandse Beleidsanalise / Foreign Policy Analysis Guide for semester essay

i) Four essay topics are listed. Students should choose one.

ii) Essay rules/formal aspects: Students need to have consulted at least 10 academic

sources (i.e. scholarly books and journal articles). It should be clear from the reference list and in-text referencing that those sources were adequately utilised and have been well integrated in the discussion (no cosmetic adding of references in other words).

iii) Please check the Turnitin scores and remember the Political Science department's rules regarding Turnitin similarity scores.

iv) Generic aspects that will receive attention when essays are graded:

Structure - clear and sensible outline; different sections to essay that address discrete topics in a clear and logical way.

Introduction sets the context/explains the topic and why it is of (academic) interest/its significance; clearly states the main argument of the essay; and clearly spells out the content and structure.

Argumentation - clear line of argument evident; adequate substantiation for claims made; essays where argument is well substantiated and clearly developed, and especially where author manages to link theory/conceptual discussion and empirics well, score higher.

Use of examples that are relevant and appropriate.

Correct and consistent method of referencing. Students should pay attention to the minimum no. of required bibliographic sources (10 academic sources).

By ‘academic sources' are meant scholarly books and journal articles. Other sources such as news reports from reputable newspapers or news agencies (e.g. The Guardian, Business Day, Financial Times, Süddeutsche Zeitung, BBC News, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Xinhua, etc.) or reports by consultancy agencies, think tanks or institutional bodies (e.g. the South African Institute of International Affairs, the Institute for Security Studies, the Trade Law Centre of Southern Africa, the Helen Suzman Foundation, Transparency International, etc.) are acceptable, but at least 80% of the reference list should be made up of academic sources.

Students may use and cite the prescribed readings, but other sources should also have been consulted.

In addition to the generic aspects above, specific things related to each of the topics:

Guidelines for topic 1

You should critically discuss the merits and demerits of the statement.

Do you agree or disagree with the statement and what is your position based on?

Use the theories discussed in the course - Realism, Neo-Realism, Liberalism-Pluralism or Constructivism - to present a position for (in agreement) or against (in disagreement) with the statement.

In the introduction indicate what your position is and the theoretical basis for that position.

The body of the essay should do the following:

- Discuss the content and claims of the theory you work with. Explain why that theory is of relevance for the topic. You can work with more than one theory. In that case weigh up different theories against each other.

- Use the theory/ies to argue in support of or against the statement. Your argument should be clearly and logically related to the preceding description of the theory content and claims.

- Draw conclusions on the implications of your position (as it is theoretically substantiated) for the conduct of foreign policy in the international arena.

Guidelines for topic 2

Choose one of the domestic sources of foreign policy.

If you would like to discuss more than one, there should be a relevant relationship (e.g. public opinion and opposition party politics or public opinion and the media).

The body of the essay should start off with a brief conceptualisation of domestic sources of foreign policy - what does it refer to? Why are these of importance for explaining the foreign policy environment?

Thereafter there should be discussion of conceptual arguments about the role of domestic factors and actors, in other words a review of the literature on the topic.

The essay should proceed to apply these points to the South African context. The application can be to historical or contemporary cases from the South African context.

Guidelines for topic 3

Present a conceptualisation of science diplomacy (i.e. a definition + outline of the key elements of science diplomacy).

Discuss why science diplomacy is of growing significance in today's context and how it relates to other major instruments of state diplomacy in the contemporary era. What are its general objectives? Here include an account of how science diplomacy arose and developed over time.

At the hand of a specific case study, illustrate how science diplomacy forms part of that state's foreign relations. Draw conclusions on the role and impact of science diplomacy today.

Guidelines for topic 4

The essay should present an argument about South Africa's power status in relation to South Africa's conduct and relations with other states on the African continent.

The analysis should look at both the pre-1994 and post-1994 periods. It should be indicated whether there have been shifts or continuities in terms of SA's power status over time and to what this could be attributed.

The essay can be structured as follows:
- Introduction setting the context and presenting the main themes or argument(s). - Body of the essay which:

o Offers a conceptualisation of power in the international arena. What various terms are used to describe states' power status?

o Which applies to South Africa? (Is SA best seen as a regional power, middle power, pivotal state, anchor state, small power, or any other type of power?)

o Why do you say this? Answer this in terms of the attributes of that power status as well as discussion of the main features of South Africa's Africa relations.

o Draw conclusions on the nature of South Africa's power status over time.