This course examines international relations (IR) through the major theoretical perspectives employed to interpret the behaviors of and interactions between states and peoples. In order to fully grasp these theories, we will explore and evaluate each of them based on their ability to explain real events in the world. Students should leave this course knowing the scope, limits, and domain of the key theories covered. For the majority of the semester, we will examine how scholars use different theoretical lenses to understand the international system and global events. These theories include, among others, realism, liberalism, constructivism, and Marxism. In the final parts of the course we will explore concepts and issues areas in IR, including states and state sovereignty, conflict and interventions, non-state actors and transnational movements, and different conceptions of “international justice.”
- Teacher: Carr Andy