Island School Global Politics
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      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
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4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?

Activity 1 - What are alliances?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What are alliances? With a partner, discuss your ideas before arriving at a shared definition.
  2. Mind Map - Create a mind map to brainstorm your prior knowledge about alliances. What are alliances and what types of alliances are there?
  3. Explore - Spend five minutes searching for contemporary stories related to alliances in the news. Use Google News search engine to find a relevant story. Add details to your mind map before sharing your findings with the class.
  4. Review - Examine the information on Slides 1-4 of the Lesson Presentation and add these details to your notes.
  5. Discuss - How are alliances different to other forms of interstate security cooperation like collective security?

Activity 2 - Why are alliances formed?


Activity Tasks
  1. Examine - Review the information on Slides 5-6 of the Lesson Presentation and take notes on the five main reasons for alliance formation. 
  2. Analyse - In pairs or groups, complete the table on this worksheet by reviewing each of the strategic alliances. Research each alliance to answer the following questions:
    1. Who are the parties of the alliance? 
    2. What type of alliance is it?
    3. When was the alliance formed?
    4. Why was the alliance formed?
    5. How do they compare? Is their power symmetrical or asymmetrical?
    6. Review - Which state benefits more from the alliance? Refer to Slide 8 for examples.
  3. Discuss - Examine the information on Slide 7 and take notes on how alliances evolve. How would you describe the distribution of power in the current international system? Is this having an impact on alliances today? Can you think of an example?

Activity 3 - Do alliances reduce tensions?


Activity Tasks
  1. Select - Review and make notes on the different theoretical perspectives on alliances from Slide 9 of the Lesson Presentation. Select the theoretical perspective you most strongly identify with. Share your ideas with the class.
  2. Play - Play a game of Diplomacy with six others to simulate the impact of alliances on national security. You will each play the role of a major European state during WW1. Will your alliances reduce tensions or lead to war?
    1. Register - Signup for a free account on www.webdiplomacy.net. You can review the instructions here to help you setup your account.
    2. Game - Your teacher may setup a game for you and share the password with you. Otherwise, try joining a pre-existing game. Try exploring the FAQ here for advice.
  3. Discuss - Did alliances help you cooperate? Or did they make tensions worse between states? Why did some states comply with alliances whilst others betrayed them? Which theoretical perspectives revealed themselves in the game?

Case Study: China's Strategic Alliances


Activity Tasks
  1. Read - Examine this article which outlines China’s approach to strategic alliances. How does it differ from your understanding of alliances from this lesson?
  2. Groups - Divide into groups or pairs. Each grouping should choose one of the following sources to investigate:
    1. China-Africa friendship and cooperation: A strategic partnership 
    2. China's International Partnerships: Pan-African Cooperation
    3. Why Africa loves China | Poverty & Development
    4. What is China really up to in Africa?
    5. China in Africa’s Peace and Security Landscape 
    6. China-South African Strategic Partnership: What does it mean? 
    7. China's ties with Africa go beyond the “debt trap” 
  3. Mind Map - Using Padlet or a similar software, create a class mind-map exploring China’s strategic alliances with African states. Add details from each of the sources to build up your notes. Use these questions to structure your note taking:
    1. Who does China have strategic alliances with in Africa?
    2. What type of alliances does it have?
    3. When were these alliances formed?
    4. Why were these alliances formed?
    5. How do these alliance partners compare? Is their power symmetrical or asymmetrical?
  4. Review - Which state benefits more from the alliance? ​

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics, pp. 26
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Griffiths, M. (2002). International Relations: The Key Concepts, pp. 5-7
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Breslin, S. (2010). Handbook of China’s International Relations. Chapter 19 - A challenge to the global liberal order? the growing Chinese relationship with Africa, pp. 177-199

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  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More