The most accessible, succinct introduction to the principal international relations theories, with an emphasis on how theory can be used to analyse key global issues.
Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics provides students with a complete understanding of theory and how it applies to the real world. With comprehensive coverage of all major classical and contemporary theories and approaches, the text focuses on the connections between theory and current issues in international relations.
- A truly accessible introduction to international relations, which demystifies the key theories, debates, and issues
- Includes up-to-date examples to help students link theory to real-world developments
- Encourages students to think critically by presenting the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and highlighting points of contention between them
- Also available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support
New to this edition
- The book has been restructured. It now contains an extended Part 2 on Major Global Politics (GP) Theories and Approaches. This new part - almost one-third of the book -contains chapters on Post-structuralism, Postcolonialism, Feminism and Queer Theory, and Green Theory.
- A new Chapter 1 replaces the old Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. It carefully introduces the new structure of the book.
- To make room for the new Part 2, substantial revisions have been made to all other chapters. The chapters on IR theories have thus been shortened and the chapters and issues in Part 3 have been reworked so that GP perspectives are included.
- All chapters have been brought up to date in light of current events and ongoing debates in the discipline. The book contains many new text boxes and figures.
1:What is International Relations and Global Politics and Why Study it?
Part 1 Major IR Theories and Approaches
2:Realism
3:Liberalism
4:International Society
5:International Political Economy: Marxism and its Competitors
6:Social Constructivism
Part 2 Major GP Theories and Approaches
7:Post-structuralism
8:Postcolonialism
9:Feminism and Queer Theory
10:Green Theory, the Environment, and Climate Change
Part 3 Theory Meets the Real World: Issues and Policy
11:Issue: Politics, Economics and Power
12:Issue: Development and Underdevelopment
13:Issue: What is Economic Globalization and Who Benefits?
14:Issue: International Terrorism
15:Issue: Religion in World Politics: A Clash of Civilizations?
16:Foreign Policy
17:The Big Question: World Order or World Chaos?
