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    What Is International Relations?: Featured Program

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    Roadwell Asean
    International relations is an interdisciplinary field that examines political, economic, and social issues that transcend national boundaries. It analyzes topics like human rights, globalization, security, and the environment. The study of international relations is valuable as it promotes trade, cultural exchange, and international cooperation to address global challenges. The major theories in international relations are realism, which focuses on power dynamics between states, and liberalism, which emphasizes interdependence and cooperation between states.

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    What Is International Relations?: Featured Program

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    Roadwell Asean
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    International relations is an interdisciplinary field that examines political, economic, and social issues that transcend national boundaries. It analyzes topics like human rights, globalization, security, and the environment. The study of international relations is valuable as it promotes trade, cultural exchange, and international cooperation to address global challenges. The major theories in international relations are realism, which focuses on power dynamics between states, and liberalism, which emphasizes interdependence and cooperation between states.

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    International relations is an interdisciplinary field that examines political, economic, and social issues that transcend national boundaries. It analyzes topics like human rights, globalization, security, and the environment. The study of international relations is valuable as it promotes trade, cultural exchange, and international cooperation to address global challenges. The major theories in international relations are realism, which focuses on power dynamics between states, and liberalism, which emphasizes interdependence and cooperation between states.

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    64 views4 pages

    What Is International Relations?: Featured Program

    Uploaded by

    Roadwell Asean
    International relations is an interdisciplinary field that examines political, economic, and social issues that transcend national boundaries. It analyzes topics like human rights, globalization, security, and the environment. The study of international relations is valuable as it promotes trade, cultural exchange, and international cooperation to address global challenges. The major theories in international relations are realism, which focuses on power dynamics between states, and liberalism, which emphasizes interdependence and cooperation between states.

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    What is International Relations?

    Our richly connected, complex world demands professionals skilled in international relations, an
    exciting field of study that presents a globally oriented perspective on issues that transcend
    national boundaries.
    The study and practice of international relations is interdisciplinary in nature, blending the fields
    of economics, history, and political science to examine topics such as human rights, global
    poverty, the environment, economics, globalization, security, global ethics, and the political
    environment.
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    Exceptional economic integration, unprecedented threats to peace and security, and an
    international focus on human rights and environmental protection all speak to the complexity of
    international relations in the twenty-first century. This means the study of international relations
    must focus on interdisciplinary research that addresses, anticipates, and ultimately solves public
    policy problems.
    International relations (often referred to international affairs) has a broad purpose in
    contemporary society, as it seeks to understand:

    • The origins of war and the maintenance of peace


    • The nature and exercise of power within the global system
    • The changing character of state and non-state actors who participate in international
    decision-making

    For example, some institutions may study the psychological and social-psychological reasoning
    behind the actions of foreign policymakers, while others may focus their international studies on
    the institutional processes that contribute to the goals and behaviors of states. Ultimately, the
    area of international relations studied depends on the goals or objectives of the organization.
    The Value of International Relations in a
    Globalized Society
    Although international relations has taken on a new significance because of our increasingly
    interconnected world, it is certainly not a new concept. Historically, the establishment of treaties
    between nations served as the earliest form of international relations.
    The study and practice of international relations in today’s world is valuable for many reasons:

    • International relations promotes successful trade policies between nations.


    • International relations encourages travel related to business, tourism, and immigration,
    providing people with opportunities to enhance their lives.
    • International relations allows nations to cooperate with one another, pool resources, and
    share information as a way to face global issues that go beyond any particular country or
    region. Contemporary global issues include pandemics, terrorism, and the environment.
    • International relations advances human culture through cultural exchanges, diplomacy
    and policy development.

    The practice of international relations is valuable in a wide array of settings. Some examples
    inlcude:

    • Humanitarian organizations
    o Action Against Hunger
    o Oxfam International
    o World Food Programme
    • Government agencies
    o Department of State
    o Department of Homeland Security
    o Department of Commerce
    • International corporations
    o General Electric
    o BP
    o Exxon Mobile
    o Toyota
    o Nestle
    o Siemens
    • Media outlets
    o BBC
    o Washington Post
    o The Guardian
    o Der Spiegal
    o New York Times
    o Forbes
    o Wall Street Journal
    • Intergovernmental organizations
    o World Trade Organization
    o United Nations
    o NATO
    • International communications
    o Amnesty International
    o Freedom House
    o Human Rights Watch
    o Reporters Without Borders
    • Research centers/Think tanks
    o Brookings Institution
    o Center for International Policy
    o Council on Foreign Relations
    o Global Public Policy Institute

    The Theories and Principles of International


    Relations
    International relations may be an offshoot of political science, but this field of study is
    exceptionally in-depth in its own right. As our global society evolves and expands, international
    relations will evolve and expand along with it as we continue to explore new and exciting way to
    link our complex world.
    For example, traditional dimensions of international relations related to international peace and
    prosperity include topics such as international diplomacy, arms control, and alliance politics.
    Contemporary studies in international relations, on other hand, include topics such as
    international political economics, environmental politics, refugee and migration issues, and
    human rights.
    Examining the Levels of State Behavior
    Professionals studying international relations often determine the level at which they will analyze
    a state’s behavior:

    • System Level Analysis: System level analysis looks at the international system; more
    specifically, how the international system affects the behavior of nation states, with the
    key variable being that the international system includes the power of each state rather
    than being independent of them.
    • State Level Analysis: State level analysis examines how a state’s characteristics
    determine its foreign policy behavior. This type of analysis often views states as having
    cultural characteristics based on their religious or social traditions, and their historical
    legacy, and includes an analysis of economic and geographic factors.
    • Organizational Level Analysis: Organizational level analysis examines how
    organizations within a state influence the state’s foreign policy behavior. In other words,
    organizational level analysis views that organizations—not states—make the decisions
    that create a state’s foreign policy.
    • Individual Level Analysis: Individual level analysis views the leaders of states as being
    the largest influencers of foreign policy.
    Examining the Theories of International Relations
    The study of international relations involves theoretical approaches based on solid evidence.
    Theories of international relations are essentially a set of ideas aimed at explaining how the
    international system works.
    The two, major theories of international relations are realism and liberalism:
    Realism
    Realism focuses on the notion that states work to increase their own power relative to other
    states. The theory of realism states that the only certainty in the world is power; therefore, a
    powerful state—via military power (the most important and reliable form of power)—will
    always be able to outlast its weaker competitors. Self-preservation is a major theme in realism, as
    states must always seek power to protect themselves.
    In realism, the international system drives states to use military force. Although leaders may be
    moral, they must not let morality guide their foreign policy. Furthermore, realism recognizes that
    international organizations and law have no power and force, and that their existence relies
    solely on being recognized and accepted by select states.
    Liberalism (Idealism)
    Liberalism recognizes that states share broad ties, thus making it difficult to define singular
    independent national interests. The theory of liberalism in international relations therefore
    involves the decreased use of military power. The theory of realism began to take shape in the
    1970s as increasing globalization, communications technology, and international trade made
    some scholars argue that realism was outdated.
    Liberal approaches to the study of international relations, also referred to as theories of complex
    interdependence, claim that the consequences of military power outweigh the benefits and that
    international cooperation is in the interest of every state. It also claims that exercising economic
    power over military power has proven more effective.
    Although the liberal theory of international relations was dominant following World War I while
    President Woodrow Wilson promoted the League of Nations and many treaties abolishing war,
    realism came back into prominence in the Second World War and continued throughout the Cold
    War.

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