Мале државе у светској политици - теорије, стратегије и проблеми

Циљеви изучавања предмета

The course aims to introduce students to Small States’ Studies as a subset of IR that is unfairly neglected in the traditional approaches (e.g., Realism) that have focused on great powers on the grand scene of world politics. To rectify this, the course in its first part sets the stage for the “Lilliputians” of world politics (120+ states) and provides students with the theoretical and analytical tools to understand how they pursue survival, security, or influence across diverse European and global contexts in various asymmetric relations. By using theories and concepts in International Relations, Security Studies, and Foreign Policy Analysis, we are going to explore why and how small states matter around the world and what diverse strategies they apply across different policy areas in pursuit of their interests in the changing international order. The two guiding pillars of this exploration are foreign and security policies of small states (and their roles) that are considered as part of their “coping” or “grand strategies”. In the second part, the course leverages the Copenhagen School’s sectoral analysis to explore the political, military, economic, environmental, societal, and increasingly important cyber dynamics that affect the survival, security and success of small states in world politics.

Исходи учења (стечена знања)

By the end of the course, students should be able to:
-Be able to comprehensively understand core theories and debates and apply analytical concepts in IR, SS and FPA (power, alliances, diplomacy, identity, status, roles, agency, influence, weakness, vulnerability, resilience), as well as ‘coping strategies’ to issues in small state diplomacy, defence or development.
-Be able to critically evaluate diplomatic or security strategies and decisions of various small states in symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships in world politics.
-Comprehensively understand small state alliance politics, neutrality/non-alignment, and hedging/multivectorism.
-Comprehensively understand contemporary small state strategies (shelter, smart, status-seeking)
-Understand the ‘dilemmas of small state politics’ across diverse cases beyond Europe in the time of shifting power balances, return of geopolitics and crises of liberal international order.
-Gain basic skills in strategic thinking and scenario planning in relation to the cases of states facing material or ideational constraints on their agency or opportunities in world politics.
-Demonstrate interdisciplinary awareness given the integrative nature of Small States’ studies in the domains of peace, security and development.

Садржај теоријске наставе

1. Introduction to small states’ studies – history, approaches, and the elusive definitions?
2. Small state foreign policy
3. Small states and international security
4. Grand strategies of small states and the changing politics of international order
5. Military security and defence strategies of small states
6. Economic security of small states
7. Environmental security of small states
8. Societal security of small states
9. Cyber security of small states
10. Small-state diplomacy: global governance and status-seeking
11. Small states and influence/smart strategies
12. Small states in Europe
13. Small states around the world
14. Reading week
15. Exam

Садржај практичне наставе

Each lecture is followed by seminars during which students present their research on chosen topics. These presentations also represent the basis of their research papers.

1. Maas, Mathias. 2009. “The elusive definition of the small state.” International Politics 46(1): 65−83;

2. Thorhallsson, Baldur. 2006. “The Size of States in the European Union: Theoretical and Conceptual Perspectives.” Journal of European Integration 28(1): 7–31;

3. Alesina, Alberto, and Enrico Spolaore. 2003. The Size of Nations. MIT Press; Long, Tom. 2017. “It’s not the size, it’s the relationship: from ‘small states’ to asymmetry.” International Politics 54(2), 144–160;

lectures, seminars