Understanding International Relations

by Brown, Chris; Ainley, Kirsten

• ISBN13: 9780230213111
• ISBN10: 0230213111
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: Red Globe Pr

Summary

The fourth edition of this well-established and popular text has been fully updated to take account of developments in the field of International Relations and recent world events. The authors provide systematic coverage of the classical concerns of International Relations theory - power, national interest, foreign policy and war - alongside analysis of the impact of globalization on security, governance and the world economy. A central concern throughout is to show how the theories the authors outline and assess can help make sense of the puzzle of current world events, from the rise of Russia and China, the downturn in the world economy and the changing role of America, to the challenges of identify politics and human rights.

Author Biography

CHRIS BROWN is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.

KIRSTEN AINLEY is Lecturer in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Fourth Edition	p. viii
List of Abbreviations	p. x
Introduction: Defining International Relations	p. 1
Perspectives and Theories	p. 7
Conclusion	p. 15
The Development of International Relations Theory in the Twentieth Century	p. 18
Introduction	p. 18
Liberal internationalism and the origins of the discipline	p. 19
The 'realist' critique of liberal internationalism	p. 23
The post-war synthesis	p. 27
International Relations and the behavioural sciences	p. 30
Challenges to the realist synthesis	p. 32
Pluralism and complex interdependence	p. 34
International Relations Theory Today	p. 40
Introduction: rational choice theory and its critics	p. 40
From realism to neorealism	p. 41
From neorealism to liberal institutionalism	p. 45
Constructivism and the 'English School'	p. 48
Critical, poststructuralist and 'postmodern' international thought	p. 52
Conclusion	p. 58
Agency, Structure and the State	p. 65
Introduction	p. 65
The agent-structure problem and levels of analysis	p. 65
The state and International Relations	p. 70
Foreign and domestic policy: agency within the state	p. 76
Conclusion: from foreign policy to power	p. 85
Power and Security	p. 90
Introduction: statecraft, influence and power	p. 90
Dimensions of power	p. 92
Power, fear and insecurity	p. 101
Conclusion: managing insecurity	p. 105
The Balance of Power and War	p. 107
Introduction	p. 107
The balance of power	p. 108
The political conception of war	p. 113
War in the twentieth century	p. 116
Conclusion: the end of state-centric International Relations?	p. 121
Global Governance	p. 127
Introduction: sovereignty, anarchy and global governance	p. 127
Functionalism	p. 129
Integration theory, federalism and neofunctionalism	p. 133
Global economic institutions: Bretton Woods and after	p. 137
International regimes and regime theory	p. 141
Global governance and (collective) security	p. 144
The Global Economy	p. 153
Introduction	p. 153
The growth of the world economy	p. 155
Problems and perspectives	p. 158
Structuralism	p. 163
The new global economy	p. 168
The end of the South?	p. 171
Globalization	p. 177
Introduction	p. 177
A new economy?	p. 178
Neoliberalism and its critics	p. 181
New global problems - 'Westfailure' and the environment	p. 185
Global civil society?	p. 191
The International Politics of Identify	p. 199
Introduction	p. 199
Politics in industrial societies	p. 200
Identity politics post-1989	p. 204
Globalization and postindustrial society	p. 207
Democracy promotion, Asian values and the 'clash of civilizations'	p. 211
Pluralism and international society	p. 215
Conclusion	p. 217
International Relations and the Individual: Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian War	p. 221
Introduction	p. 221
Universal human rights	p. 222
Rights and international law	p. 227
Humanitarian intervention	p. 235
Conclusions	p. 242
The Shape of Things to Come	p. 247
Introduction	p. 247
A return to multipolarity?	p. 250
Crisis in the global economy	p. 257
Bad times, good times	p. 262
Bibliography	p. 269
Index	p. 310
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