International Relations

International relations (IR) or international affairs, depending on academic institution, is either a field of political science, an interdisciplinary academic field similar to global studies, or an entirely independent academic discipline in which students take a variety of internationally focused courses in social science and humanities disciplines. In all cases, the field studies relationships between political entities (polities) such as sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), other non-governmental organizations (NGO International relations (IR) or international affairs, depending on academic institution, is either a field of political science, an interdisciplinary academic field similar to global studies, or an entirely independent academic discipline in which students take a variety of internationally focused courses in social science and humanities disciplines. In all cases, the field studies relationships between political entities (polities) such as sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs), and the wider world-systems produced by this interaction. International relations is an academic and a public policy field, and so can be positive and normative, because it analyses and formulates the foreign policy of a given state.

As political activity, international relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides (c. 460–395 BC), and, in the early 20th century, became a discrete academic field (no. 5901 in the 4-digit UNESCO Nomenclature) within political science. In practice, international relations and international affairs forms a separate academic program or field from political science, and the courses taught therein are highly interdisciplinary.

For example, international relations draws from the fields of: technology and engineering, economics, communication studies, history, international law, demography, philosophy, geography, social work, sociology, anthropology, criminology, psychology, gender studies, cultural studies, culturology, and diplomacy. The scope of international relations comprehends globalization, diplomatic relations, state sovereignty, international security, ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, nationalism, economic development, global finance, as well as terrorism and organized crime, human security, foreign interventionism, and human rights, as well, as, more recently, comparative religion. ...more

Most Read This Week Tagged "International Relations"

Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology

The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World

Politics On the Edge: A Memoir From Within

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World

The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History

The Triangle of Power: Rebalancing the New World Order

The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century

Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History

Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine

More most read this week tagged "international relations"...

International Relations Books

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Analysis

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics (Politics of Place, #1)

The Twenty Years' Crisis, 1919-1939: An Introduction to the Study of International Relations

Arms and Influence (The Henry L. Stimson Lectures Series)

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000

Perception and Misperception in International Politics

Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

More international relations books...

Lists

Building Power In Babylon by Courtney Sharpe

Sleeping With the Enemy by Edouard Prisse

The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy by Lawrence Freedman

Military Strategy

41 books — 4 voters

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John J. Mearsheimer

The Concept of the Political by Carl Schmitt

International Relations, Books for Budding Diplomats

125 books — 46 voters

A Businessman's Guide to the Wholesale Markets of Guangzhou by Christian D. Taulkinghorn

To Understand Contemporary China

37 books — 26 voters

The Destiny of Civilization by Michael Hudson

The Collapse of the Weimar Republic by David Abraham

BPE

22 books — 6 voters

Nuclear North Korea’s War Scenarios by Hwee-rhak Park

International Relations

10 books — 4 voters

Disaster Capitalism by Antony Loewenstein

Private Military/Security Corporations

17 books — 12 voters

Related Genres

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Political Science
Humanities
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Diplomacy
International Development
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Quotes Tagged “International Relations”

“ We’ve started and won two atomic wars since 2022! Is it because we’re having so much fun at home we’ve forgotten the world? Is it because we’re so rich and the rest of the world’s so poor and we just don’t care if they are? I’ve heard rumors; the world is starving, but we’re well fed. Is it true, the world works hard and we play? Is that why we’re hated so much? I’ve heard the rumors about hate, too, once in a long while, over the years. Do you know why? I don’t, that’s sure! ”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

10 likes

“ ...foreign policy is a matter of costs and benefits, not theology. ”
― Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World

44 likes

More quotes...

Videos Tagged “International Relations”

Episode 1 of Coliseum — A TV Miniseries

Scene 10 - Jasira | Emperor | Chapter 4 | The Fishmonger - 2019

Groups Tagged "International Relations"

Ask Parag Khanna

...April 19, 2016 to May 19, 2016...

3 members, last active 10 years ago

NDU Readers Club

Book reading leaders from National Defence University, Islamabad Pakistan.

7 members, last active 9 years ago

CIC International Relations Book Club - Vancouv...

The Canadian International Council (CIC) is Canada’s foreign relations council. It is an indepen…more

[close] The Canadian International Council (CIC) is Canada’s foreign relations council. It is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada’s role in international affairs. The CIC reflects the ideas and interests of a broad constituency of Canadians who believe that a country’s foreign policy is not an esoteric concern of experts but directly affects the lives and prosperity of its citizens. The CIC uses its deep historical roots, its cross-country network, and its active research program to advance debate on international issues across academic disciplines, policy areas, and economic sectors. The CIC’s digital media platform, OpenCanada.org, is Canada’s hub for international affairs. The CIC’s research program is managed by the national office in Toronto. Its 16 branches across Canada offer CIC members speakers’ programs, study groups, conferences, and seminars. This online book club is an initiative of the Vancouver CIC Branch. It will serve as a creative and informal platform for dialogue on international relations and foreign affairs amoung CIC members. We aim to bring this book club alive by linking discussions and books with author speaker events and by hosting club get-togethers at pubs and cafes to discuss the books and issues face-to-face. It is a collaborative forum for CIC members where critical thought is encouraged and every contribution is valued. We read and discuss one book approximately every month (see the line up in on the bookshelf). The week following, the club moderator/s will provide initial discussion prompts to facilitate the online conversation but topics are of course open to whatever interests readers. Book-specific discussions will be held in the folder with the corresponding author name. If you have any suggestions, comments or non-book specific queries regarding the club, please post in the General Discussion forum. The moderator/s will keep you posted on related events and ongoings around Vancouver. Happy Reading!!

16 members, last active 12 years ago

2017 Summer Reading

Ready, Set, Read!

2 members, last active 9 years ago

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