Understanding International Relations (IR)

• IR (International Relations) uses descriptive, evaluative, and normative perspectives.
• It looks at the current state of affairs, past events and potential futures.
• IR provides a detailed account of global events covering political, economic, and cultural aspects.
• A descriptive approach enriches understanding of the global landscape with historical insights into current events.
• The importance of historical context is emphasized for understanding international policies, conflicts, and alliances.
• IR critically assesses world events and how they ideally should unfold.
• Evaluative or normative analysis questions existing global structures, plus their ethics, morals, and societal impact.
• This analysis advocates for justice, fairness, and equality to shape a more fair global order.
• A descriptive approach explains how the First World War happened, assessing whether its outcome was desirable.
• Studying IR requires considering different viewpoints since a single perspective gives a skewed understanding of international dynamics.
• The US may see the international system as beneficial, but smaller states might find it marginalizing.
• Emerging powers like China are in a complex situation, benefitting from the current system but wanting to reshape it.
• It's important to analyze international issues from multiple perspectives.
• Consider geographical, political, and economic factors that influence each country's stance.
• IR theories are models explaining past, present, and future events in international politics.
• Theories provide predictive accuracy, by helping us view and understand the complex world of international politics.
• IR is enriched by frameworks like realism, liberalism, constructivism, Marxism, post-colonialism, and feminism

Theoretical Frameworks in IR

• Realism focuses on power dynamics, state sovereignty, national interests, and the inevitability of conflict.
• Liberalism promotes international cooperation, international institutions, and the spread of democracy.
• Constructivism focuses on concepts, identities, and how ideas shape the world.
• Marxism analyzes global politics through economic structures, class struggle, and capitalism critique.
• Post-colonial perspectives examine colonialism's lasting effects and the struggle for identity of formerly colonized nations.
• Feminist perspectives highlight gender dynamics, women's roles, and gender equality in international decision-making.
• Each theory offers unique interpretations of global politics, intersecting and challenging each other.
• Multiple perspectives are crucial for a comprehensive study of IR.

IR Concepts

• A central concept in IR is the security dilemma
• The security dilemma entails that measures taken by a state to increase its security can inadvertently pose threats to others.

States A and B Example

• State A perceives a threat and increases its security to increase its military capabilities for protection.
• State B, observing State A's military buildup, might see State A as a potential threat to its sovereignty and security.
• State B responds to perceived threat, and begins to enhance its military capabilities for self-defense.
• State A sees these actions of State B, confirming its initial fears.
• Both states are in a cycle of action and reaction, creating a security dilemma spiral
• The continuous build-up of arms/alliances, driven by mutual fear and suspicion, it creates an environment ripe for misunderstandings resulting in conflict.
• Understanding the security dilemma requires adopting the viewpoints of various global actors and historical contexts.
• Globalisation = growing interconnectedness of the world through the free flow of goods, services, people, and ideas.
• Globalisation has reshaped international relations, blurring traditional boundaries and creating new opportunities/challenges.
• Deglobalisation advocates for reinforcing national boundaries, protecting local economies, and preserving cultural identities.
• IR also involves examining global divisions at institutional, economic, or ideological levels.
• The UN has disparities about representation and influence, this lead to debates over the reform.
• The global economic system is scrutinized for its fairness & distribution of benefits/burdens for all nations.
• Former colonial powers maintain significant political and economic influence, shaping international norms and institutions.
• Post-colonial states challenge these powers and advocate for a more equitable global system that recognizes their histories and aspirations.