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

The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World

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

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World

38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia

The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

House of Huawei: The Secret History of China's Most Powerful Company

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq

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

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

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

More international relations books...

Lists

The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama

FSO Reading List

122 books — 60 voters

Nuclear Weapons Free World - Peace on the Earth by Amit Ray

Nobel Peace Prize

19 books — 9 voters

Building Power In Babylon by Courtney Sharpe

Sleeping With the Enemy by Edouard Prisse

Thinking Historically by Francis J. Gavin

Strategy

26 books — 3 voters

America Through the Eyes of China and India by Edward D. Sherman

Best Books about America-India Relations

7 books — 1 voter

I Love My Doctor, But... by Lawrence W. Gold

No longer a veteran's list for learning about war

28 books — 27 voters

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John J. Mearsheimer

The Concept of the Political by Carl Schmitt

International Relations, Books for Budding Diplomats

123 books — 43 voters

Related Genres

Politics
Political Science
Humanities
Public Policy

Diplomacy
International Development
Polítics

Featured News & Interviews

Readers’ Most Read Books of the Reading Challenge (So Far)

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Quotes Tagged “International Relations”

“ More broadly, it is vital for leaders to work across international boundaries to minimize the number of people who feel the need to leave their home countries in the first place. That requires building healthy democracies, fostering peace, and generating prosperity from the ground up. However, success in that endeavor demands a way of looking at the world that recognizes the humanity we share with one another, and the interests that nations have in common. Those who are content to look inward, a ...more ”
― Madeleine K. Albright, Fascism: A Warning

4 likes

“ We have to examine the extent to which we export poverty to other societies. When we decide that we will import products from China that are produced by people earning less than a dollar an hour, and grant their country most-favored-nation status (political contributions notwithstanding), we are deciding to make American workers who must earn the minimum wage compete with them. I am not suggesting that we close the doors to China or to Mexico, but I am suggesting that we look very carefully at t ...more ”
― Julianne Malveaux

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More quotes...

Videos Tagged “International Relations”

The Secret History of Mind Control & MK-ULTRA (The Ninth Orphan)

After Multiple Boomerang Effects, What Comes Next?

Groups Tagged "International Relations"

Ask Parag Khanna

...April 19, 2016 to May 19, 2016...

3 members, last active 10 years ago

CIC International Relations Book Club - Vancouv...

The Canadian International Council (CIC) is Canada’s foreign relations council. It is an indepen…more

[close] The Canadian International Council (CIC) is Canada’s foreign relations council. It is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada’s role in international affairs. The CIC reflects the ideas and interests of a broad constituency of Canadians who believe that a country’s foreign policy is not an esoteric concern of experts but directly affects the lives and prosperity of its citizens. The CIC uses its deep historical roots, its cross-country network, and its active research program to advance debate on international issues across academic disciplines, policy areas, and economic sectors. The CIC’s digital media platform, OpenCanada.org, is Canada’s hub for international affairs. The CIC’s research program is managed by the national office in Toronto. Its 16 branches across Canada offer CIC members speakers’ programs, study groups, conferences, and seminars. This online book club is an initiative of the Vancouver CIC Branch. It will serve as a creative and informal platform for dialogue on international relations and foreign affairs amoung CIC members. We aim to bring this book club alive by linking discussions and books with author speaker events and by hosting club get-togethers at pubs and cafes to discuss the books and issues face-to-face. It is a collaborative forum for CIC members where critical thought is encouraged and every contribution is valued. We read and discuss one book approximately every month (see the line up in on the bookshelf). The week following, the club moderator/s will provide initial discussion prompts to facilitate the online conversation but topics are of course open to whatever interests readers. Book-specific discussions will be held in the folder with the corresponding author name. If you have any suggestions, comments or non-book specific queries regarding the club, please post in the General Discussion forum. The moderator/s will keep you posted on related events and ongoings around Vancouver. Happy Reading!!

16 members, last active 11 years ago

NDU Readers Club

Book reading leaders from National Defence University, Islamabad Pakistan.

7 members, last active 8 years ago

The Women's Corner Bookclub

Reading 1 book a month, and comparing opinions, ideas, and discoveries.

1 member, last active 8 years ago

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