Ch 1 Approaches to International Relations

International Relations (IR)

A subfield of political science that studies interactions among actors in world politics.

Interdisciplinary nature of IR

Because it draws on political science, history, economics, sociology, and philosophy.

Three major forces shaping the contemporary world

Strategic interdependence, globalization, and great-power politics.

Strategic interdependence

The idea that one state's choices can ripple through the entire international system.

Example of strategic interdependence

U.S. tariffs on China can affect economies and prices elsewhere.

Globalization

The increasing integration of politics, economics, and culture across borders.

Consequences of globalization

Issues such as pandemics and migration become global, markets become more interconnected, and cultures influence one another.

Great-power politics

Competition among powerful states for wealth, territory, and influence.

Example of great-power politics today

Competition involving the U.S., China, and Russia, including Russia's war in Ukraine.

Main actors in world politics

States, corporations, transnational groups, and international organizations.

Examples of states as international actors

The United States, China, Nigeria, and Brazil.

Multinational corporations

Businesses that operate across national borders.

Examples of multinational corporations

Apple and Saudi Aramco.

Transnational groups

Groups that operate across national borders rather than being limited to one state.

Examples of transnational groups

NGOs and organizations such as the Red Cross.

International organizations

Organizations created by states to coordinate and establish rules for international cooperation.

Examples of international organizations

The United Nations, WTO, and IMF.

Why study international relations

To understand how the international system works and how actors' actions affect one another.

Importance of interdependence in IR

Because actions by one actor can produce consequences for other actors and the broader system.

Why can't international events be understood by looking at one country alone?

Because international actors and systems are interconnected.

Four major approaches to studying IR

History, philosophy, behavioralism, and alternative approaches.

Historical approach to IR

Examining individuals and institutions to understand patterns and historical context.

Philosophical approach to IR

Using texts and analytical arguments to examine how political ideas and concepts developed.

Behavioralism

Finding patterns in political behavior through empirical and scientific methods.

Behavioral approach's contribution to IR

It emphasized systematic observation, data, and scientific methods for studying political behavior.

Alternative approaches to IR

Approaches that challenge traditional assumptions and use different concepts, perspectives, and forms of analysis.

Basic idea behind alternative approaches

They question whose perspectives and assumptions dominate traditional IR scholarship.

Realism in IR

Concerned with power, security, states, and competition within an international system lacking a central authority.

Difference between international and domestic politics

There is no single world government with authority over all states.

Anarchy in international relations

The absence of a central governing authority above states.

Importance of anarchy in IR

States must ultimately provide for their own security because no world government guarantees their protection.

Positivism

An approach that uses empirical data and scientific methods to identify patterns and explain international phenomena.

Assumptions of positivism in studying IR

That international phenomena can be systematically observed, measured, and studied.

Post-positivism

An approach that questions whether international politics can be fully understood through objective scientific methods alone.

Emphasis of post-positivist approaches

Ideas, interpretations, discourse, identity, and the assumptions underlying traditional IR theories.

Consideration of both positivist and post-positivist approaches

Because different approaches can reveal different aspects of international politics.

Theory in IR

A framework used to organize observations and explain or understand patterns in international politics.

Usefulness of theories in IR

They help scholars organize complex international events and identify patterns.

Limitation of a single approach to IR

International politics is complex, so different approaches reveal different aspects of it.

Overall takeaway about studying IR

There is no single method that explains everything; scholars should use multiple approaches to understand world politics.