Shaping the discipline

Date

2025-04-10

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

1682-0983

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

The question ‘What is Politics and International Relations?’ often goes unasked, potentially leading to varied interpretations across universities. The review of the Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statement for Politics and International Relations in early 2022 provided a key moment to define the discipline. For over three decades, benchmark statements have been crucial in the UK higher education, guiding learning assurance and disciplinary self-definition. Despite their significance, the development process and impact of these benchmarks at a disciplinary level are underexplored. This article explores the history, development and influence of benchmark statements on Politics and International Relations, illustrating how they balance commonalities and differences across the UK institutions. It addresses concerns about the potential restrictiveness of these benchmarks and emphasises their voluntary nature. Through insights from four members of the Subject Benchmark Statement advisory group, the article aims to provide a thorough understanding of how benchmark statements shape and reflect the evolving landscape of the teaching of Politics and International Relations.

Description

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Keywords

Citation

Blair, A., Craig, J., Gann, R. et al. (2025) Shaping the discipline: the impact of QAA benchmark statements on politics and international relations. European Political Science,

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Research Institute

Institute of Global Challenges and Cultures