international relations assignment help

international relations assignment help

The Role of International Relations in Shaping Global Politics

1. Introduction to International Relations

The territorial state is not only ‘the main historic actor in international relations’, but has also been an ‘important unit of globalization’. As such, international relations encompasses not just relationships between territorial states but also connections among states and other actors, such as international organizations, business communities, social movements, regional associations or environmental groups across the globe. Defining international relations is a complex task. In its long historical evolution as a field of study, theories of different disciplines, such as political science, economics, history, law, and sociology, have contributed to the alienation and domestication of international relations.

At the heart of global politics is a set of questions that fall under the rubric of international relations. As a substantive area of political science, the widely recognized increasing salience and import of international relations among not only states or nations, but also international organizations and other non-state actors, provides it with a considerable place in the making of global policies. A major part of global politics is informed and shaped by different powers, of which most are state actors at the international level. These states then further imply what is termed as state-centrism, which means the theorization and conceptualization of international relations predominantly from the point of view of territorial states.

2. Key Theories and Concepts in International Relations

A cornerstone concept in international relations is the theory of realism, which has traditionally formed the basis of this field of study. Realism argues that international relations are shaped by states’ pursuit of power, mobilization of military power, and motivations to act in terms of their national self-interest. Concurrently, liberalism posits that individuals can challenge state power, and that states pursue cooperation and peaceful international relations. “International relations” is a term that is almost certain to have been heard with some kind of connotation, whether one is already associated with its discussion or a complete outsider. More recently, international relations have seen new approaches, one of which is constructivism. Unlike realism and liberalism, constructivism poses a more normative and sociological approach to the international system, where the environment and interactions global audiences have with one another are a key shaping element. There are also some contemporary theoretical discussions of the same, including feminism and postcolonialism, both of which seek to move the perspective of thinking about international relations away from Eurocentric and male-dominated ideas. All of these critical perspectives contribute towards the idea of a “global politics”. There are also some very significant concepts which are related to international relations and its wider field practicing possibilities; some of which may include concepts such as “sovereignty”, “power”, “security”, and “diplomacy”. These provide us with a wide array of understanding as to how the aforementioned actors in question are actively shaping global politics.

The study of international relations explores the key bases of the interactions between actors and the power they hold on the global stage. Various theories and concepts within international relations give insight into the motivations and behaviors of those who hold influence or challenge global structures. Prominent theories such as realism and liberalism, as well as constructivism and newer additions to the international relations field such as postcolonialism and feminism, may be discussed in further analyses.

3. Major Actors in International Relations

To understand global politics of the present, we consider seven great powers of both liberal and military: United States, European Union, China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, and oil-rich countries of the Arab world. On the one hand, the United States has been pulling China and the former Soviet Union while China has been subduing the USA and India as well in specific contexts in Asia. To sum up, world politics fundamentally depends on the relationships within those set of nations that are believed to be at the top. Shifting political power from one block to other actors, both state and non-state, creates new global politics, a different type of diplomacy, economic and political alliances, heightening tension in the entire globe, and access to power according to their capacity. The economic rise of Brazil, Russia, India, and China indicates the formation of non-western poles of power, the dynamics of which are changing on a day-to-day basis, and they hold both potential challenges and solutions to mitigate many international crises.

International Relations (IR) is primarily concerned with power politics among the diverse actors of the world. The major actors in IR can be countries, states, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, transnational advocacy networks, and individuals. In contemporary world politics, the significant actors in international politics are nation-states or countries, which are termed as states. A state may either be weak or powerful; however, where there is a state, there is a nation. Intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization stand for a group of states to address certain issues – humanitarian assistance, environmental protection, collective security, economic development, defense assistance, among others. Non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross or the Human Rights Watch are non-profit organizations that are private and voluntary organizations of individuals or citizens and groups interested in a certain issue, which can also interact internationally. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are organizations engaged in some form of international trading, service delivery, investment, or the like.

Major actors

4. Contemporary Issues and Challenges in International Relations

These days, countries are increasingly faced with issues that can only be addressed on a global scale. Concerns such as human rights, global governance, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction give rise to the power and failings of the everyday state relations that structure modern politics. Other considerations focus on the “common goods” that are sought by all, but provided by none. Environmental sustainability is of key interest in a world that is undergoing a period of globalization. The very act of spreading international markets has allowed for the rapid exchange of goods and services. Conversely, it is the same technological advancements that have allowed modern trade and economic relations to carry out quickly and efficiently.

A total of 192 countries dot our globe. It is a collection of peoples and territories that are divided by more than just political boundaries. In reaching beyond their own borders, these countries are confronted with an international structure that shapes their foreign policies. Simultaneously, the realities of these countries help to reshape the intricate tapestry of international relations. The complexities that structure relations between states are allowing experts in international relations to predict a witches’ brew of issues and concerns in the decades to come. The increasing interconnectedness between states will give rise to a myriad of issues that will both bring countries together and drive them apart.

5. Conclusion and Future Directions

The ways in which we understand the shared, networked nature of global challenges and opportunities, and deal with them, is increasingly important in IR. This point has been amply illustrated in the preceding chapters. Power is still an important part of this picture, and it is now clear that new technologies are fundamentally transforming the nature of power and the relations between states. Drastic changes are remaking international politics, and the task for scholars of IR is to provide analyses of how they are unfolding and shape actions that can deal with their effects. The precise direction in which these changes will take us is not at all predictable. Who will be the winners and the losers of these transformations remains an open question. It is likely that a new bipolar order setting the US against China will emerge, and a global confrontation between the two superpowers on the assumption of mutually exclusive ideologies and power projections is already evident.

The preceding chapters and earlier pages of this introduction have rehearsed some of the reasons why International Relations (IR) places man, the state, and war at the center of its attentions. Furthermore, it has introduced those readers already familiar with the field of inquiry to some of the exciting new developments arguing for greater historical and philosophical acuity in its wake. This introduction has also provided a foretaste of the principal concerns addressed in the final part of this book. A brief conclusion is thus necessary at this point, given the breadth of material canvassed. This will address what is at stake in the three final chapters and the future directions in IR that they point to.