international relation salary

international relation salary

Exploring the Multifaceted Field of International Relations

1. Introduction to International Relations

Our assessment of the discipline – its condition and opportunities – is more upbeat. In this sketch, the first of a series of essays on the field of international relations, we argue that the unprecedented growth and increasing diversity of the discipline create more valuable opportunities for research than problems. Fears of a cacophony of voices are exaggerated and largely misplaced: the central core of the field stands out by the coherence and vitality of its own voices. Indeed, the proliferation of subsidiary debates orbits a core that represents a combination of shared paradigms, methodologies, and present neglect; the challenge lies in selecting and encouraging dialogue rather than debate at the edges, and in recognizing, and indeed promoting, the virtues of both diversity and consistency. Finally, the increasingly compressed area of excellence itself suggests the need for new paradigms and research questions within the core of the field in a variety of areas.

Are we “drowning” in international relations, as some critics suggest? Have scholars produced so much work in this field that their efforts amount to little more than a cacophony, a pressured and sometimes suffocating multiplicity of voices? Has the growth in the number of scholars working on international relations been accompanied by a corresponding decline in the quality of their research, dissolving the field into an expanse of unresolved, diverse problems? Do we understand international relations better as we know more about individual differences, subtleties, and peculiarities of a proliferation of separate issues? Do the number and internal complexity of international relations theories and conceptual frameworks baffle and overwhelm the students who try to use them as practical tools for interpreting world events or for guiding statecraft?

2. Key Theories and Concepts in International Relations

In the broad field of international relations, a number of important theories and concepts have emerged to help us understand the interplay of factors that shape the relationship between states, and between states and non-state actors. The theories range from ‘ancient’ common sense to the very esoteric, and a number of the more critical ones have their origins in disciplines other than politics. Nevertheless, the majority of these theories are built on the fundamental assumption of self-help. That is, states behave as they see fit according to their interests, and the overriding responsibility of any state is to ensure its own survival. Maintaining independence and territorial integrity trump all other considerations. Whether reflecting hard national interests, ideology, sovereignty, or regime security, the assumption of self-help does not mean that countries are indifferent to the well-being of others, subject to cost and diminishing returns; nor does it mean that states are permanently in a state of intense security competition. Indeed, conflict, or its threat, represents a failure in the system, as peaceful coexistence allows states to concentrate on their primary objective of national development.

3. The Role of International Organizations and Institutions

Specialized UN organizations are a perfect illustration in this context of the community of responsibilities between universal organizations and states within the framework of the system of the United Nations Organization. The debate concerning the legitimacy of the United Nations about questions specific or local to its member states leads to a division opening consideration for the creation, within the UN, of consultative mechanisms enabling various interested stakeholders to participate in the process of decision until to express critical support towards the central authority. Juxtaposing government and non-government stakeholders, this is the “securitization” of international relations for a globalization of issues whose cross-border nature means interdependence between actors of very different natures. Thus, signaling the return of international organization to the heart of international relations and the United Nations as a powerful political expression, the result of compromises between the interests of states within a game of sharing responsibilities in a global collective interest.

International organizations (IOs) and institutions are essential actors in the world of international relations. No state can today pretend to assert its interests in international security, political, economic, or environmental issues without heeding international organizations. In the delicate balance of international relations, IOs and international institutions may reinforce the needs for peace, mutual respect, and trust between states. But IOs also have their share of controversy. In some situations, the alleged sanctity of their newly acquired function is contradicted by conflicting interests of their main stakeholders, i.e. the member states. Many contemporary challenges have an international dimension. States are therefore no longer in a position to address them solely within the framework of the nation state.

4. Challenges and Opportunities in Contemporary International Relations

The world has made quantum advances in terms of both applied and theoretical knowledge. However, the very advances that have brightened our prospects have left us with a global community that is still not at peace with itself. The thinking and behavior of policymakers and public interests within and among all actors at all levels of international society is a long way short of the best that is humanly possible. It is this gulf between what is, and what could be, that continues to render international relations a vibrant, dynamic subject for study and personal engagement, whether in the here and now, in the past, or in the future.

Given the importance of international relations today, it is tempting to conclude with an almost utopian call for heightened present and future interest, understanding, and engagement between human beings at all levels and across all national boundaries. A major challenge for students and practitioners of international relations is to bridge this gap between the ideal and the real. The twenty-first century offers many exciting opportunities, but also presents many difficulties. A primary challenge will be to understand these challenges while seeking a path of international relations that can address them effectively while avoiding or managing potential dangers.

5. Case Studies and Real-World Applications

One might begin by looking at some of the ways in which American administration officials have started to ‘get it’ in their foreign policy. The extremist organization, Hamas, took the successful step of becoming involved in the political process in the Palestinian Authority, and it is unlikely that mere suppression is either possible or primarily desirable in that case.

These “thought experiments” are then, in part, used to understand real case studies in world politics. They would seem to have more claim to their scientific label if they actually were part of a conversation that increased our scientific understanding of the world. Nonetheless, the fact that you can tell a story about the real world ex post that illustrates the social interaction undertaken within these parlour games cannot but help but tell us something about those real-world events. As well, these large-N and small-N approaches used broadly in political science (of which rational choice sits alongside interpretive and critical constructivist approaches) are still representative of perspectives to be found in international politics today.