Offering unrivalled coverage of classical theories, contemporary approaches, and current issues, together with an exceptionally clear writing style, Introduction to International Relations provides a uniquely accessible and engaging introduction to the subject. With an emphasis on theoretical approaches and their application to the real world, the authors encourage critical engagement with the theories presented, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and the major points of contention. The eighth edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate current events and key developments in the discipline. The changes include a new, three-part structure, which helps students to build a clear understanding of how key debates in the discipline are connected with each other, and how these can be applied to the world around them. The first part, 'Studying IR', emphasises the practical reality of international relations in everyday life, and how to connect this reality with the academic study of the subject. The second part, 'Major IR Theories and Approaches', guides the reader through the essential theories in the field, including Realism, Liberalism, Social Constructivism, Postcolonialism, and Feminism, among others. Finally, the third part, 'Theory Meets the Real World: Policy and Issues', builds on this foundation by exploring how we can understand current issues such as climate change and terrorism through the lens of IR theory. A new final chapter, 'The Big Question: World Order or World Chaos?', concludes the text by tracing the development of, and theoretical debates around, the concept of 'world order', providing students with a nuanced and compelling analysis of the key challenges confronting the contemporary world. Opening with an overview of the concept, the authors go on to examine the consequences of the rise of China and the resurgence of Russian influence, the new issues facing established democracies and parts of the Global South, as well as international institutions and their ability to provide global governance. The chapter ends with a discussion that answers the question posed at the start: are we witnessing world order or world chaos?
Author(s): Georg Sørensen, Jørgen Møller, Robert Jackson
Edition: 8
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 467
Tags: Politics: International Relations
Cover
Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgements
New to this Edition
Detailed Contents
About This Book
How to Use this Book
How to Use the Online Resources
Political Map of the World
Part 1: Studying IR
Chapter 1: Why Study IR?
1.1 International Relations in Everyday Life
1.2 Brief Historical Sketch of the Modern State System
1.3 Globalization and the State System
1.4 IR and the Changing Contemporary World of States
1.5 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 2: IR as an Academic Subject
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Utopian Liberalism: The Early Study of IR
2.3 Realism and the Twenty Years’ Crisis
2.4 The Voice of Behaviouralism in IR
2.5 Neoliberalism: Institutions and Interdependence
2.6 Neorealism: Bipolarity and Confrontation
2.7 International Society: The English School
2.8 International Political Economy (IPE)
2.9 Dissident Voices: Alternative Approaches to IR
2.10 Criteria for Good Theory
2.11 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Part 2: Major IR Theories and Approaches
Chapter 3: Realism
3.1 Introduction: Elements of Realism
3.2 Classical Realism
3.2.1 Thucydides
3.2.2 Machiavelli
3.2.3 Hobbes and the Security Dilemma
3.2.4 Morgenthau and Classical Realism
3.3 Schelling and Strategic Realism
3.4 Waltz and Neorealism
3.5 Mearsheimer, Stability Theory, and Hegemony
3.6 Neoclassical Realism
3.7 Rethinking the Balance of Power
3.8 Research Prospects and Programme
3.9 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 4: Liberalism
4.1 Introduction: Basic Liberal Assumptions
4.2 Sociological Liberalism
4.3 Interdependence Liberalism
4.4 Institutional Liberalism
4.5 Republican Liberalism
4.6 Neorealist Critiques of Liberalism
4.6.1 The Retreat to Weak Liberalism
4.6.2 The Counter-attack of Strong Liberalism
4.7 Realist Resurgence?
4.8 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 5: International Society
5.1 Basic International Society Approach
5.2 The Three Traditions
5.3 Order and Justice
5.4 World Society
5.5 Statecraft and Responsibility
5.5.1 National Responsibility
5.5.2 International Responsibility
5.5.3 Humanitarian Responsibility
5.6 Humanitarian Responsibility and War
5.7 History and the International Society Approach
5.8 Critiques of International Society
5.9 Research Agenda after the Cold War
5.10 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 6: International Political Economy: Marxism, Mercantilism, Liberalism
6.1 Introduction: What Is IPE?
6.2 Mercantilism
6.3 Economic Liberalism
6.4 Marxism
6.5 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 7: Social Constructivism
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The Rise of Constructivism in IR
7.3 Constructivism as Social Theory
7.4 Constructivist Theories of International Relations
7.4.1 Cultures of Anarchy
7.4.2 Norms of International Society
7.4.3 The Power of International Organizations
7.4.4 A Constructivist Approach to European Cooperation
7.4.5 Domestic Formation of Identity and Norms
7.4.6 Constructivist IPE
7.5 Critiques of Constructivism
7.6 The Internal Debates among Constructivists
7.7 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 8: Post-positivist Approaches: Post-structuralism, Postcolonialism, Feminism
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Post-structuralism in IR
8.3 Postcolonialism in IR
8.4 Feminism in IR
8.5 Critique of Post-positivist Approaches
8.6 The Post-positivist Research Programme
8.7 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Part 3: Theory Meets the Real World: Policy and Issues
Chapter 9: Foreign Policy
9.1 The Concept of Foreign Policy
9.2 Foreign Policy Analysis
9.3 How to Study Foreign Policy: A Level-of-Analysis Approach
9.3.1 The Systemic Level
9.3.2 The Level of the Nation-state
9.3.3 The Level of the Individual Decision Maker
9.4 Going to War in the Persian Gulf: A Case-study
9.5 A Note on Donald Trump and US Foreign Policy
9.6 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 10: Major Issues in IPE: Economic versus Political Power, Development, Globalization, How to Study the Real World
10.1 Four Major Issues in IPE
10.2 Power and the Relationship between Politicsand Economics
10.3 Development and Underdevelopment in the Developing World
10.4 What Is Economic Globalization and Who Benefits?
10.5 IPE: How to Study the Real World?
10.6 Integrating International and Domestic Factors
10.7 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 11: Major Issues in IR: Climate Change, Terrorism, Religion, Power and Hegemony
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Climate Change
11.2.1 What Does Climate Science Say?
11.2.2 International Cooperation on Climate Change
11.2.3 What Does International Relations Theory Say?
11.3 International Terrorism
11.3.1 Terrorism: Past and Present
11.3.2 International Terrorism and IR
11.4 Religion in IR: A Clash of Civilizations?
11.4.1 Huntington and the Clash of Civilizations
11.4.2 IR Theory and Religion
11.5 Balance and Hegemony in World History
11.5.1 Mapping State Systems
11.5.2 Strong and Weak Balance of Power Theories
11.5.3 Why Europe?
11.5.4 Implications for the Current State System
11.6 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Chapter 12: The Big Question:World Order or World Chaos?
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Concept of World Order
12.3 New Contenders: The Rise of China and the Challenge from Russia
12.4 New Challenges in Old Democracies
12.5 Fragile States in the Global South
12.6 International Institutions: Governance or Gridlock?
12.7 Room for Optimism after All? The Interwar Analogy and the Problem of the Half-filled Glass
12.8 Conclusion
Key points
Questions
Guide to further reading
Glossary
Bibliography
Subject Index
