International Relations

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The study of relationships between countries and how they interact with each other in terms of trade, diplomacy, and conflicts.

International law: The rules and principles that govern relations between states and other international actors.
Diplomacy: The practice of conducting negotiations between states, including the use of diplomacy, cultural exchanges, and international treaties.
International organizations: The various bodies, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund, which exist to promote cooperation and collaboration between states.
Global governance: How states and other actors work together to manage shared problems and challenges in the world.
Security studies: The study of military strategy, international conflict, and national security issues.
Political economy: The intersection of politics and economics, including the study of globalization, economic policy, and trade relations.
Environment and sustainability: The impact of human activity on the natural world and how international actors address environmental challenges.
Human rights: The study of how states and other actors work to promote and protect individual rights and freedoms.
Migration and globalization: The impact of global economic, social, and political forces on patterns of human migration.
Cultural studies: The role of culture in shaping international relationships, including the study of comparative religion, art, and popular culture.
Peace studies: The study of conflict resolution, disarmament, and international collaboration in promoting peace and security.
Area studies: The study of specific regions and their unique cultural, political, and economic challenges and opportunities.
Gender studies: The study of how gender impacts international relations, including the role of women in diplomacy and the impact of gender-based violence in conflict zones.
Colonialism, imperialism, and postcolonialism: The study of the history and legacy of European colonialism, including its impact on international relationships and postcolonial societies.
Cybersecurity and technology: The impact of digital technology on international relations, including cybersecurity threats and opportunities for economic development.
International Security: This study involves the analysis of power relations and military strategies between nation-states to understand the threats and countermeasures that shape the global security environment.
International Political Economy: This field deals with how political and economic factors interact in the international system. It examines the way trade, investment, and finance shape power relations around the world.
International Law: This field focuses on the legal principles and norms that govern the relationships between nation-states and other actors in international relations. It studies the development of legal frameworks, the interpretation of international law, and the enforcement of international agreements.
International Organizations: This field examines the role of international organizations (such as the United Nations or the World Trade Organization) in shaping the international system. It studies the functioning of these organizations, the procedures and decision-making processes, and the impact of their policies on nation-states and other actors.
International Development: This field is concerned with understanding the causes and consequences of economic and social development in different regions of the world. It examines the strategies and policies that promote development, the role of international actors in development, and the challenges and constraints associated with development efforts.
Diplomacy: This field focuses on the practice of diplomacy between nation-states and other international actors. It studies the art of negotiation, the importance of cultural understanding, and the conduct of foreign policy.
Global Environmental Policy: This field deals with the management of the Earth's natural resources and the global environment. It examines the scientific, political, economic, and social factors that influence environmental policy and the governance arrangements of environmental issues across scales.
Transnational Activism: This field is concerned with the activities of non-state actors, such as NGOs, social movements, and civil society organizations, that work to influence global politics. It examines the strategies, tactics, and impacts of transnational activism and the role of international actors in promoting change.
Cultural Studies: This field examines cultural practices, images, and languages in the context of international relations. It analyzes the ways in which culture shapes and is shaped by the international system and the processes of globalization.
Critical Theory: This field is concerned with the critique of dominant power relations and social structures in the international system. It draws on various theoretical approaches to understand the power dynamics of different actors, the influence of ideologies in shaping worldviews and foreign policy, and the contingency of historical outcomes.
"International Relations (IR) are the interactions among sovereign states."
"It concerns all activities among states—such as war, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy—as well as relations with and among other international actors."
"Other international actors, such as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), international legal bodies, and multinational corporations (MNCs)."
"There are several schools of thought within IR, of which the most prominent are realism, liberalism, and constructivism."
"International relations is widely classified as a major subdiscipline of political science."
"It also often draws heavily from other fields, including anthropology, economics, geography, law, philosophy, sociology, and history."
"International relations did not become a discrete field until 1919."
"...first offered as an undergraduate major by Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom."
"...in response to the geostrategic concerns of the Cold War."
"The collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent rise of globalization in the late 20th century."
"The scientific study of those interactions is called international studies, international politics, or international affairs."
"The collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent rise of globalization."
"Itergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), international legal bodies, and multinational corporations (MNCs)."
"...such as war, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy."
"...particularly in North America and Western Europe."
"International relations is widely classified as a major subdiscipline of political science."
"...geostrategic concerns of the Cold War."
"It also often draws heavily from other fields, including anthropology, economics, geography, law, philosophy, sociology, and history."
"The collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent rise of globalization."
"...war, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy."