500-word Concept Note on the subject of “International Theory”.
Don’t be put off by the idea of a Concept Note: it’s simply a mini-essay in which you show your ability to give a coherent introduction to a particular idea.
Imagine that you are chatting with a fellow student who’s studying, say, English Literature; and when you mention that you’re taking this module, she asks you: ‘So what’s international theory then?’ Think of your Concept Note as an organised answer to that question. In 500 words, what would they need to know in order to get a basic feel for the subject?
Ideally, your Concept Note should contain the following elements:
• a brief definition of the subject. How would you define what international theory is, in a single sentence?
• a quick exposition of the kind of questions it tries to answer
• a few sentences on how this field has evolved historically (mentioning the main approaches and debates)
• a short exploration of the key contestations that have divided the field. For example, Smith shows how writers disagree over the nature and purpose of ‘theory’. And Wight exemplifies the claim that there is something unique about ‘the international’ which makes international theory different from other kinds of social and political analysis – but many other writers dispute this claim!
• a concluding judgment from you about whether all this evolution and debate means there is no stable core to the idea of international theory – or whether there is a common thread of some kind.