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"

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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

House of Huawei: The Secret History of China's Most Powerful Company

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

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq

The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century

Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit

Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider's View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead

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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

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Lists

The Concept of the Political by Carl Schmitt

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

International Relations

10 books — 4 voters

The Daughter of Kurdland by Widad Akreyi

The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power

Madam Secretary by Madeleine K. Albright

Women in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy

55 books — 19 voters

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John J. Mearsheimer

International Relations, Books for Budding Diplomats

125 books — 46 voters

Femininity, Hypergamy And Leveling Up Books: Non-fiction

68 books — 90 voters

Cracking The Rich Code Volume 20 by Diane Merrill Wigginton

Informative Books on China

45 books — 17 voters

Gender, Agency and Political Violence by Linda Åhäll

Empire of Resentment by Lawrence Rosenthal

Representations of Peace and Conflict by Stephen Gibson

Rethinking Political Violence (series)

32 books — 4 voters

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Quotes Tagged “International Relations”

“ The possibility of somebody emerging as a nuclear power or events happening that surprise us on the nuclear age is still a possibility. It always will be because there's an awful lot going on behind the scenes. Our intelligence just has to get better on that score. Peter Goss ...more ”
― Joel C. Rosenberg, Inside the Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson, and Jesus Are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World

3 likes

“ A great deal of world politics is a fundamental struggle, but it is also a struggle that has to be waged intelligently. ”
― Zbigniew Brzezinski

22 likes

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Videos Tagged “International Relations”

Episode 2 of Coliseum — A TV Miniseries

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Groups Tagged "International Relations"

International Affairs

A place for anyone interested in/reading about international politics, economics, and law. Curre…more

399 members, last active 7 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

The IGE Book Club

This is the official book club of the Institute for a Greater Europe. The scope of this group is…more

6 members, last active 5 years ago

SAMS 14-02 Seminar 9

7 members, last active 12 years ago

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