First Day of Class: International Relations

The course introduces the main theories of international relations and applies the key concepts of international relations theories to international affairs. Topics of the course include the rise of China, the impact of international organizations, nuclear non-proliferation and the causes of conflict among nations.

This course examines what scholars and practitioners say about international relations, including theories and observations about the international system, democracy, international institutions, public opinion, interstate war, civil war, proxy wars, nuclear proliferation, global governance, terrorism, human security, the role of leaders, and trajectory of violence around the globe. There are two main goals: (1) to understand some of the major theoretical perspectives and concepts in security studies, and (2) to relate this academic research to the world.

International relations is often traced back to the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, where the modern state system was developed. Before this, medieval organisation of political authority was based on a vaguely hierarchical religious order. Westphalia instituted the legal concept of sovereignty, which essentially meant that rulers or the legitimate sovereigns had no internal equals within a defined territory and no external superiors as the ultimate authority within the territory's sovereign borders. What sovereignty meant, and could still mean to others is simply that " I am not allowed to tell you what to do and you are not allowed to tell me what to do ". Greek and Roman authority at times resembled the Westphalia system but both lacked the notion of sovereignty. Westphalia encouraged the rise of the independent nation-state, the institutionalisation of diplomacy and armies. This particular European system was exported to the Americas, Africa and Asia via colonialism and the " standards of civilisation ". The contemporary international system was finally established through decolonisation during the Cold War, though this is a simplistic view of the situation. Definition and Scope of International Relations International Relations represents the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including the roles of states, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, international non-governmental organisations and multinational corporations. It is both an academic and public policy field, and can be either positive or normative as it both seeks to analyse as well as formulate the foreign policy of particular states. It is often considered a branch of political science. Some sectors of the academia prefer to treat it as an interdisciplinary field of study. It is the study of the relations among states and other political and economic units in the international system. Particular areas of study within the field of international relations include diplomacy and history, international law, international organisations, international finance and economics, political geography, philosophy, sociology, social work, anthropology and cultural studies. It involves a diverse range of issues including but not limited to globalisation, state sovereignty, ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, nationalism, economic development, global finance, terrorism, organised crime, human security, foreign interventionism and human rights.

cua.wrlc.org

2018