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

Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company

The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of 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 Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World

Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy

Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit

How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them

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

International Relations Books

Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Analysis

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

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)

Perception and Misperception in International Politics

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

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

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

More international relations books...

Lists

Femininity, Hypergamy And Leveling Up Books: Non-fiction

39 books — 52 voters

The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy by Lawrence Freedman

Thinking Historically by Francis J. Gavin

Strategy

24 books — 1 voter

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 Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama

FSO Reading List

119 books — 59 voters

Aid Imperium by Salvador Santino Fulo Regil...

Decolonizing Human Rights by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim

21 Human Rights Must-Read Academic Books 2021

3 books — 1 voter

The Destiny of Civilization by Michael Hudson

BPE

19 books — 3 voters

Related Genres

Politics
Political Science
Humanities
Public Policy

Diplomacy
International Development
Polítics

Featured News & Interviews

Books to Celebrate Black History Month (and Read All Year-Round)

Read »

Quotes Tagged “International Relations”

“ If it's wrong when they do it, it's wrong when we do it. ...more ”
― Noam Chomsky

142 likes

“ United Nations should be like a caring mother having many children. Its role is to grow trust and respect among the siblings with strong emotional bonds. ”
― Amit Ray, Nuclear Weapons Free World - Peace on the Earth

13 likes

More quotes...