IBDP Global Politics
Global politics is a course for students who want to understand more about how the world they live in works, what makes it change, or what prevents it from changing. The course draws on a variety of disciplinary traditions in the study of politics and international relations, and more broadly in the social sciences and humanities. Students build their knowledge and understanding by critically engaging with contemporary political issues and challenges that interest them.
The scope of global politics extends over a wide range of topics and areas of study, many of which will find links with other subjects in the individuals and societies group. Students develop their understanding of political concepts and their knowledge of specific content by exploring and researching real-world case studies and examples.
Developing an understanding of power is critical for analysing how political systems work and how they change. Global politics students encounter the complexity and nuances of power from the beginning of the course. They build their understanding of how power works across multiple and interconnected dimensions, affecting the everyday lives of people around the world.
By the end of this course students will be able to understand divergent opinions, interpret competing and contestable claims, and appreciate that political beliefs and positions can be deeply held by individuals, and that these are contextual.