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This course will introduce basic international relation theory commonly used in political science, for students who have interests in this field. The main content covered in the lecture will be realism, liberalism, constructivism, international political economy (IPE) as well as foreign policy. The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the evolution of the international system and the distribution of power at the global, regional and national levels.
This book analyzes the dominant theories of international relations and examines the philosophical issues underlying them. Part One reviews the growth of the discipline since 1918, poses the 'level of analysis' problem of whether to account for a system in terms of its units or vice versa, and contrasts the demand of scientific method with those of interpretative understanding. Part Two applies the contrast to four factors often cited in accounting for international behavior- the international system, the state, bureaucracies, and decision-making individuals. Rival accounts of the games nations play are offered in Part Three, which proposes a theoretical agenda, airs their differences, and invites readers to take sides.
Offering unrivaled coverage of classical theories, contemporary approaches, and current issues, this book provides a uniquely accessible and engaging introduction to the subject of International Relations. This eighth edition changes to a new, three-part structure. Part One emphasizes the practical reality of international relations in everyday life and how to connect this reality with the academic study of the subject. Part Two guides the reader through the essential theories in the field, including Realism, Liberalism, Social Constructivism, Postcolonialism, and Feminism, among others. Part Three builds on this foundation by exploring how we can understand current issues such as climate change and terrorism through the lens of International Relations theory.
This book evaluates all the major theoretical perspectives that political scientists use to analyze world politics. It is organized thematically in three parts. Part One presents images of the International Relations field found in realism, liberalism, the English School, and economic structuralism. Part Two strengthens the contending interpretive understandings we identify in constructivism, critical theory, postmodernism, and feminism. Part Three elaborates on normative theory that prescribes how state and non-state actors and their agents ought to behave or conduct themselves, bringing attention to value-oriented, philosophical considerations that also inform our interpretive understandings of International Relations.
