Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Chapter
6. Alexander Wendt
Charlotte Epstein
Chapter
3. Classical Realism And Neorealism
This chapter focuses on the emergence of neorealism in the late 1970s, which triggered a liberal response in the form of neoliberalism. It then details the common assumption shared by realists, such as the international system being anarchic. Realism primarily revolves around the recurring themes of international anarchy and the limited prospects for change in the international system. The chapter presents the strands of classical realism, neorealism, and neoclassical realism that are represented in contemporary realist IR scholarship. It then examines different realist interpretations of the impact of the creation of nuclear weapons on international politics, which includes Kenneth Waltz's three images of analysis in the international system.
Chapter
12. Conclusion
This concluding chapter reviews the considerable development of the discipline of international relations (IR). It covers the relationship between key episodes in modern international and global politics and the emergence of theoretical debates and new schools of IR thinking. The increasing growth of the IR theoretical menu is indisputable, but whether this constitutes an advance or improvement in people's understanding of international politics is a matter of interpretation and debate. The chapter considers current broad theoretical trends within IR, which includes key concepts of coloniality and state-centrism. It also gives a final analysis on the trilogy of discipline, interdiscipline, and anti-discipline of IR.
Chapter
8. Constructivism And International Relations
This chapter focuses on constructivism relates it to international relations (IR). The core argument of the constructivist perspective revolves around the idea that the world people find themselves in is socially constructed rather than simply given. Moreover, constructivism underscores the ideational aspects of international politics. The chapter compares this to the predominantly materialist explanations offered by mainstream IR theory. The chapter examines the application of constructivism to the analysis of international politics. It then highlights the importance of identity and norms, which are emphasized within constructivism and international politics, before considering the nuclear weapons debate as related to the perspective of constructivism.
Chapter
6. Critical International Theory
This chapter turns to critical international theory. It clarifies that the roots of critical theory are from Marxism while also acknowledging that it departs from classical Marxism in significant ways. The emergence of a distinctive critical international theory in the early 1980s rapidly triggered a virtual explosion of different kinds of critical approaches to the study of international politics. The chapter then elaborates on the Frankfurt School's particular brand of critical theory and Jürgen Habermas' arguments in this field, which are concerned with undistorted communication. It then considers how critical international theory raises the possibility of distinguishing the barriers to and viable prospects for further human emancipation across the world.
Chapter
1. Critiquing the Canon in International Relations
Meera Sabaratnam
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Book
Edited by Meera Sabaratnam
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Chapter
4. The English School Of International Relations
This chapter explores the English School of international relations (IR). It details the significance of the work of Martin Wight and Hedley Bull in the establishment and development of the English School. The English School is a theoretical perspective that resonates with core themes in both classical realist and liberal IR scholarship while also offering a basis for critiquing both. The chapter highlights a number of strands of pluralism and solidarism, and also looks at the notion of an anarchical society of states as key features of the English School. It also considers the key aspects and overlapping themes of Barry Buzan's reappraisal of the English School.
Chapter
10. Feminisms, Gender, And International Relations
This chapter unpicks the correlation between feminism, gender, and international relations (IR). It outlines the historical development of feminist and gender-focused IR perspectives before defining key concepts, such as patriarchy, to further elaborate feminist and gender-focused thinking. Due to its diversity, contemporary gender-focused IR scholarship provides distinctive critical contributions to some of the core debates and issues in discipline of IR. Gender-focused IR, as of recent times, includes analysis of men and masculinities and queer IR theory, which revolves around the fluidity of identities and international Western politics. The chapter argues how gender has always, and will continue to, matter in international politics.
Chapter
11. Green Perspectives And International Relations
This chapter explains how environmental issues affect international relations (IR). Despite early Western influences being predominantly national in focus, the prominence of environmental issues surged significantly as intellectual and public concern about global environmental degradation increased. The chapter distinguishes the key philosophical differences between varieties of green thinking, which have more recently shifted to the international sphere. There are several key themes or theories within contemporary green perspectives on international politics and these include: the green international political economy, global environmental justice, the ecocentric world order, and Anthropocene. The chapter then presents the emergence and political components of Robert Goodin's green political theory and the notion of a green international political economy.
Chapter
2. Hedley Bull
Andrew Hurrell
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Book
Peter Lawler
A comprehensive introduction to international relations theories which aids understanding of their purpose and function. Readers are introduced to each IR theory and asked to consider its social, political, and historical context. Pedagogical features help students to critically assess their assumptions and apply IR theory to global issues.
Chapter
3. Kenneth N. Waltz
Joseph MacKay
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Chapter
2. The Liberal ‘Idealist’ Origins Of The International Relations Discipline
This chapter provides an overview of liberalism and liberal international relations (IR) thinking. It details the role of liberalism in the founding of the modern IR discipline and its subsequent challenges. Liberalism, which emerged in the aftermath of the First World War, is often known as liberal internationalism or idealism. Idealism is noted for its emphasis on individual rights and freedoms. The chapter acknowledges that the influence of liberal thinking on both the theory and practice of international politics remains substantial and prominent within Western political philosophy. It explains that liberalism can be defined as the combination of individualism, free trade, and democracy.
Chapter
1. Making Sense Of Today’s World
This chapter introduces the concept of international relations (IR) theory. It highlights the importance of the historical context in understanding the different theories of international relations that have emerged over the years and why they fall in and out of favour. New theoretical perspectives are constantly coming to the fore and they tend to develop as a result of intellectual reasoning. However, quite often there will be practical consequences of implementing such intellectually grounded theories. The chapter then explores the interplay between international relations, international politics, and world politics and looks at the key concepts of ontology, epistemology, and methodology. It then provides an outline of a number of IR theories, such as liberalism and realism, before acknowledging that there is no right or best IR theory and it is important to keep an open mind.
Chapter
5. Martha Finnemore
Arjun Chowdhury
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
Chapter
5. Marxism And International Relations
The chapter tackles the interplay between Marxism and international relations (IR). It then discusses how Marxism grew relevant in line with the emergence of the Third World as an international political force. Unlike realism, Marxism is a progressive political philosophy, but it radically parts company with liberalism on how significant change might come about and the extent of the change needed. The chapter mentions that Marxist and Marxist-influenced scholarship became more visible during the aftermath of the Cold War era. The chapter also looks into the key concepts of capitalism, imperialism, dependency theory, world systems theory (WST), neo-Gramscianism, and critical theory.
Chapter
9. Postcolonialism And International Relations
This chapter introduces the concepts of postcolonialism and international relations (IR) to the debate. Postcolonialism revolves around colonialism and its complex legacy in contemporary global politics. The chapter traces the history of imperialism and colonialism to show how the concept of race emerges from the processes of colonization and how racism becomes endemic to the practices of imperial control and colonization. It also considers the interplay between Eurocentrism and racism and the decolonial approaches which seek to expose and challenge colonialist assumptions which still underpin much of contemporary IR thinking. Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, and Homi K. Bhabha are some of the most notable contributors to the emergence and development of contemporary postcolonial thought.
Chapter
7. Poststructuralism And International Relations
This chapter looks at the origin of poststructuralism and its correlation with international relations (IR). It references the works of poststructuralist scholars, Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, exploring the key themes of deconstruction and discourse in poststructuralist scholarship and its historical and theoretical contexts. Poststructuralist IR scholarship represents and interprets international and global politics while challenging the practices of international politics, especially those concerned with sovereign statehood. The chapter also mentions the criticisms surrounding poststructuralist IR, such as nihilism and the idea that poststructuralist IR has little value in the world of international policy-making. It explains the counterargument that argues for change through critiquing existing exclusionary theories and practices, which opened up the exploration into alternative ways of being.
Chapter
4. Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye
David L. Blaney
Critiquing the Canon: International Relations Theory considers canonical ideas and thinkers within International Relations and locates them within their historical and geopolitical contexts. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular thinker, and encourages students to explore the limitations of the canon, supporting the decolonizing of our understanding. Pedagogical features include author tutorial videos and end-of-chapter questions to prompt students to develop their own voice and perspective on international relations.
