Introduction to International Relations

Catalog description

War made the state, and the state made war. —Charles Tilly This course will take a critical approach to the study of international relations. First, the course will study the main theories, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and Marxism; concepts, including the state, anarchy, sovereignty, balance of power, dependency, hegemony, and world order; and levels of analysis, including systemic, state, organizational, and individual. Then, we will apply those various theoretical approaches and levels of analysis to contemporary international conflicts and crises in order to better understand the many ongoing debates about war and peace, humanitarian interventions, international institutions, and the international political economy. Some exploratory questions include: Why do states go to war? Why do some humanitarian interventions succeed while others fail or simply never materialize? Why are some regions and states rich while others are poor, and how do those inequalities shape international relations? How do international organizations help to reinforce or moderate existing interstate political and economic inequalities? 131 Politics The Politics of Addressing the Past: Apology, Repatriation, Reparation, and Remembrance