SGIA49630 International Relations Theory – Kavi Abraham
Summative Assessment: Editorial Essay (30% weighting)
Premise: Have you ever heard someone complain that something may work in theory but
not in practice The idea that ‘theory’ is dreamt up over here, while the real world operates
over there, is an attractive one because ‘theory’ often feels abstract, removed from the
concrete realities of the world.
Yet, theories help us make sense of the world, and the complexities of the world give rise to
novel theories. In this assignment, you will try to bring some of the theories and concepts
discussed in class to bear upon concrete political problems or events, using theoretical tools
to make sense of such events or, possibly, using a problem or an event in international
politics to amend our theories.
Mechanics: You will write a 1,500-word editorial essay . The editorial essay should address
an issue or event of contemporary significance, and the essay’s argument should draw upon
a concept or theory discussed in the module. A key component of the editorial essay, then,
will be to demonstrate deep and critical knowledge of a concept or theory from the module.
In terms of substance, Adom Getachew’s piece in The New York Times is a good example.
However, in terms of form, your editorial essays will require full academic references.
As such, your submitted assignment should include: (1) title, (2) total word count excluding
bibliography, (3) academically referenced editorial essay, and (4) bibliography. NB: names
should NOT be written anywhere on summative assignments. Please follow the guidelines
for submitting summative assignments found on the Blackboard page. Please also be aware
of SGIA’s strict adherence to word count limit and the associated penalties.
Responsibilities: The only real currency in academia is honest exchange of ideas. As such,
plagiarism will not be tolerated. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the university’s
policies on plagiarism (posted on Blackboard) and take care to cite appropriately, not only
when using direct quotes but when discussing ideas. Use page numbers when taking
specific ideas. When in doubt, pursue two strategies: (1) ask or (2) be safe and cite.
