Varying from liberal, equality-centric strategies to straightforward realist concepts, international relations theories are often used by diplomats and international relations experts to dictate the direction that a government may take in regards to an international political issue or concern. read more. As mentioned above, I appreciate that the book acknowledges the ways that IR as a discipline traditionally takes a Western approach. Stephen McGlinchey is a Senior Lecturer in Interna. The textbook does not provide and index or glossary, International Relations is an edited volume that attempts to cover all of the common themes in an introduction to IR course. Gnter Walzenbach is a Senior Lecturer in European Politics at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol). 19. He then explicates how the resulting international system that is with us today operates and persists according to the post-war institutional framework for cooperation and conflict resolution. This is more telling of the state of the IR curriculum, rather than the critique of the text per se. The editor himself argues that the text should be read in order in the "Getting Started Section.". It sends the message to the reader that "here are these theories, let me show you how irrelevant they are with the rest of this book.) al. Each chapter can stand alone. The chapter on Pax Americana is also about security. Reviewed by Michelle Allendoerfer, Assistant Professor, The George Washington University on 12/17/20, The book covers a very wide and comprehensive set of topics in a concise way. Although the book lacks an index, as the editor noted as being too costly to compile. I don't find many of the chapters to be particularly useful for my purposes, but some other instructors might. I believe the accessibility will be refreshing for undergraduate students new to the field of IR and I appreciate the different perspectives the book brings with various authors. The frameworks used by the contributors clearly vary a lot. Unlike typical textbooks, there are no boxes, charts, pictures or exercises. Bringing down the number of chapters would also help in fitting the text into a standard 15 week semester long classes (at least in North America). Most importantly, I personally would not want to adopt this textbook without understanding the plan for updating it, as some of this information will likely seem outdated or obsolete in the next 5-10 years. I appreciate the readability of the book. On one side of the controversy was a revival of the school of realism, known as neorealism, which emerged with the publication of Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Politics in 1979. Religion and Culture John A. Rees However, there is not much on IR theory. This edited volume provides a comprehensive yet not so well integrated coverage of the issues and theories that define the international relations field today. These three omissions lessen the usability of the text. There is one chapter about "culture and religion" (which, first of all, each deserve there own attention) which tells us nothing about how cultural diversity impacts international relations. The book is very comprehensive. terminology is very clear and almost too simplistic. The fourth chapter, which introduces international relations theory, is co-authored by Dana Gold and Stephen McGlitchy. Reviewed by Elissa Alzate, Associate Professor, Winona State University on 6/19/18, The first section of the book, "The Basics," did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. Perhaps old information does not become obsolete, but new developments are always happening. This democratic peace proposition not only challenges the validity of other political systems (i.e., fascism, communism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism), but also the prevailing realist account of international relations, which emphasises balance-of-power calculations and common strategic interests in order to explain the peace and stability Some of the chapters reference concepts and theories in prior chapters. As a reader in the field, it seemed to me that this was a little strict and that a good professor could easily reorganize the book in order to, for example, assign an "issues" chapter along with a "basics" chapter in order to illustrate some points. I could not understand the organization of the chapters. Traditional and Middle Ground Theories Stephen McGlinchey and Dana Gold Conference on International Politics, May 7-8, 1954 Appendix 2. Also, there is no glossary. The content is accurate and the analysis reflects in-depth consideration of the theories, concepts, and case studies presented. The book at least touches on all of the subjects that I routinely cover in my introductory course on international relations, but the coverage of the subjects vary greatly. This is especially useful given the previously noted inconsistency in quality across chapters. The grammar is fine. It covers the UN system, legal treaties, intergovernmental and the global organizations that since the Second World War have provided for the international legal regime we now enjoy. Summary: "An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. Overall, well done, but not much freedom to use a chapter here or there or rearrange chapters to fit the desired flow of the course. The approachability of the text and relevant case studies will leave students with the tools needed to understand and analyse international events. Reviewed by Hakseon Lee, Professor, James Madison University on 11/26/21, It is pretty much comprehensive. James Arvanitakis is the Executive Director of the Australian American Fulbright Commission and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. For instance, the chapter on the environment focuses almost exclusively on international agreements, but not on differential expectations for countries, debates around these policies, and the real-life impacts of climate change and environmental policy. There were no major issues. The core strength of this textbook is the clarity it brings to explaining the many concepts and theories that make up International Relations it introduces students to the nuance and complexity of the field in an exciting and accessible way. Andreas Haggman is Head of Cyber Advocacy at the United Kingdoms Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Some chapters have too many subsections, but I found undergraduate students usually prefer short paragraphs with single terms/concepts to longer paragraphs with multiple terms/concepts. Reviewed by Michael McNeal, Adjunct Instructor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 10/24/19, See review pasted into the text window below. Reviewed by Emily Channell-Justice, Visiting Assistant Professor, Miami University of Ohio on 6/20/17, The book is presented as a beginner's guide to International Relations and in this way is comprehensive in its presentation of basic issues relevant to the subject. University of Minnesota, 330 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. It clearly covers all of the major themes, theories, concepts and trends in an extremely dynamic subject matters. Anthony F Lang, Professor of International Political Theory, University of St Andrews, UK. The broad organization of the text into The Basics (Part One) and Global Issues (Part Two) and the sequencing of the chapters in Part One are logical. Same as above comment in "modularity". Part Two, on the other hand, can come across as a set of issues put together in no particular order. CENTER FOR OPEN EDUCATION | The Open Education Network is based in the Center for Open Education in the University of Minnesotas College of Education and Human Development. The chapter on food insecurity has a "bottom up perspective" that gives examples from everyday life in a number of countries and is designed to draw in readers rather than overwhelm them with global statistics. It was not clear to me whether or how the publishers plan to update this text. The most recent emergence of the IR world Post Trump is the addressed in this text,especially with respect to the recent threats to NATO. The edited volume captures the relevant debates in IR and provides an overall view of open topics in a manner to insuniate longer term discussion. the edited volume definitely deserves a more consistent narrative across chapters. Carmen Gebhard is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh. It misses some key components, the most obvious being interstate and intrastate war. Practical implications - Putting several principles forward, on the next phases, they can be used as the basis for many applied debates in the field and may be ended to a . I think the book would be better if there was a more concerted effort to integrate. Some authors rely on run-on sentences and page-long paragraphs. Why on earth would you want to teach IR without thinking about any examples and without getting students thinking about what policies have what impact on the people living around the world? On this, it does relatively well. In its relatively short chapters, it manages to introduce readers to both traditional and critical perspectives. A few of the chapters reference current events or contemporary individuals, and thus will appear dated soon. Realism, also known as political realism, is a view of international politics that stresses its competitive and conflictual side. 6. As an introductory, day-zero IR text, the book provides readers with enough detail to kindle curiosity, without overburdening them with a flood of information. Your School account is not valid for the United States site. An excellent educational resource. However, there is not enough theory to be my main text. He provides an overview of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its diminution in recent years. The chapters are consistent in length and style. The textbook is inaccurate mostly because it's separate chapters allow each author to condense huge topics into a very short space. As such it is a valuable resources in instances when textbook costs are a prohibitive barrier. Katherine E. Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. read more. Brian, "On the History and Historiography of . A handy Getting Started section prior to the first chapter guides the reader on how to navigate the text, elaborating on some of the fields jargonwhich is used sparinglyas well as on the use of academic citations. Adding discussion questions at the end of each chapter, as well as a summary of key themes, would greatly help the reader. Realism in Waltz's view was severely limited, as where other classic disciplines of international relations. Critical Theories Stephen McGlinchey, Rosie Walters and Dana Gold, 8. International Organisations Shazelina Z. Abidin The instructor would have to find creative ways to do any practical exercises, and this seems like way too much work when much better texts exist. This is particularly key for an international relations textbook with such a heavy emphasis on current world affairs. Of course, it's not a perfect IR textbook, but there's no "perfect" textbook, either. Some chapters are simplified to the level of an introductory textbook, while others use formal academic prose. The text did not appear to have major grammatical errors. Each write in this book obviously bring considerable in depth, current knowledge about the special subject in IR. The last chapter was a bit weird, especially the bit about England's legacy for world affairs today. Highly relevant, but, of course, the most recent IR events (e.g., the evolution of US foreign policy during the Trump and the Biden Administrations, etc.) Website While comprehensiveness is not achievable, this edited volume covers main areas of the field. Starting with boldfaced terms and a glossary would be good. I think each chapter is very well organized. The updates should be fairly straightforward to implement. I don't think it has culturally offensive parts. The 2016 free edition can be used as a textbook but the textbook has been updated, but the update is no longer free. Stephen McGlinchey has brought together a fantastic collection of authors who together present a wide-ranging, critical and accessible introduction to International Relations. There were no images or charts or other display features, however. Levels of Analysis - Carmen Gebhard 6. The key theories and approaches to be examined include: realism and neo-realism; theories about war, security and the use of force in international relations; classical liberalism, globalization, and transformation in world politics; theories about inter-state co-operation and transnationalism; the concept of international society; constructivism In addition, the chapter on the making of the modern world suggests that the European colonies copied the European ideas of how to run a country. The remaining chapter contributions include introductions to a broad range of important but more specific subjects, including global political economy, religion and culture, global poverty and wealth, protecting people, giving people a voice, communications technology, terrorism, the environment, hunger, global security, and a concluding chapter on doing IR in a relevant way in the contemporary world. Traisbach traces the development of international law from its complete absence, to the patchwork of laws characterizing the nascent regime, to the semblance of global governance provided by international law today. Minor errors are rare (I caught two). This is incorrect. Reviewed by Stephen Bagwell, Visiting Assistant Professor, DePauw University on 10/10/19, Overall, very comprehensive for an introductory textbook. The core strength of this textbook is the clarity it brings to explaining the many concepts and theories that make up International Relations it introduces students to the nuance and complexity of the field in an exciting and accessible way. This book covers an impressive range of topics. The textbook is up-to-date. The organization of this text is nearly identical to all standard IR texts. Stephen McGlinchey has brought together a fantastic collection of authors who together present a wide-ranging, critical and accessible introduction to International Relations. IR is a discipline that is always changing. I can see myself including some chapters as supplemental reading material to my intro to IR course. The content is accurate and given the general relevance of the text to the subjects covered the text should enjoy a fair degree of longevity. This chapter covers the individual, group, state, and systems levels of analysis and the implication of it for comprehending international relations. This is ridiculously boring and very far out of touch from how students actually learn. Peter Vale's chapter with personal reflections on the field of IR would make a good starting chapter for a course in lieu of the 1st chapter of this book. But not every chapter presents as concise and comprehensive a picture of the topic as might be desired. The book appears accurate, but with so few citations, it's quite hard to know the perspectives of the authors of each chapter. The narrative arc forms a complete circle, taking readers from no knowledge to competency. McGlinchy has organized the chapter contributions in a sensible and accessible manner that succeeds in covering all of the major subjects and themes of the discipline. The current IR text I use (World Politics by Frieden, Lake, and Schultz) is far superior on this point but they are so expensive! The Theoretical and Practical Importance of a Theory of International Relations, by Hans J. Morgenthau Appendix 3. I did not see any problems with errors or bias. 9. However, when combining various chapters from parts 1 and 2, the reading assignments are coherent. Some of the topics are presented in an odd order and appeared repetitive across chapters. There are definitely better books out there, though. Thus, most likely they should be assigned as a combined reading block. This introduction to International Relations is one of the most original and interesting to come to the market in a long while. This book is designed as a foundational entry point to International Relations theory. The textbook does not provide and index or glossary, but since it is available electronically looking up terms and words of interest is of no difficulty. There are many topics that I don't typically cover in an Intro to IR course but that I could see being interesting to students (e.g. The chapter also contends with the laws of peace, and international humanitarian law, including the related laws of war. I did not notice any typos, but the authors used informal/casual writing that I ban my undergraduates from using. The approachability of the text and relevant case studies will leave students with the tools needed to understand and analyse international events. The chapter on Pax Americana is also about security. The author begins with the UN and moves through a clear description of the forms governmental organizations take, their geographical limitations, and their various aims are examined. Reviewed by Sahil Mathur, Adjunct Instructor, American University on 12/6/20, Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the academic field of International Relations (IR), any textbook on the subject is bound to be lacking in some aspects. No index but you can search as it is available electronically. Individual chapters can, therefore, be easily assigned for specific course subunits, without losing any of the books broader context. It can be easily adopted as an Intro IR textbook in any English-speaking college/university in the world. There are no interface errors, but the book is entirely page after page of similar-looking text. read more. Sometimes with one or two writers the content can be limited by the writers knowledge and interest. Each chapter has a separate author but it does begin by making a connection to other chapters. Reviewed by David Mislan, Assistant Professor, American University on 2/1/18, International Relations is an edited volume that attempts to cover all of the common themes in an introduction to IR course. Book provides often times an objective view of global politics, but on issues there have been instances where some authors refer to their personal experiences as a way to open up debates and introduce paradoxes which in some ways impact the overall bias on the issues introduced. Reviewed by Doga Eralp, Professorial Lecturer, American University on 2/1/18, This edited volume provides a comprehensive yet not so well integrated coverage of the issues and theories that define the international relations field today. In addition, a complete version of an earlier edition of this book from 2017 is available free on E-International Relations though note the 2017 version does not have the full range of chapters, or features, of the 2022 version. Reviewed by Robert Asaadi, Instructor, Portland State University on 1/27/22, Part One of the text lays out the basic building blocks that one would expect to find in an introductory international relations textbook, and then in Part Two the authors compellingly explore these concepts across a wide range of relevant global Foundations of International Relations delivers a comprehensive explanation of International Relations that includes a thorough introduction to critical theories and non-western viewpoints alongside established IR theories and narratives. EU customers: we regret we cannot currently supply print inspection copies via the website but eBooks are available.If you would like an eBook and the option is not displayed below, please email [emailprotected] with your request. Students are brought on an engaging intellectual journey through a range of contending perspectives and issues, whilst being encouraged to think critically throughout. Featuring a combination of chapters authored by leading scholars, researchers and practitioners from around the world, this textbook takes into account the historical development of international relations and the web of dynamics that forms the subject, resulting in a clear analysis of the field . My chief complaint-- and this is true of most IR texts-- is that the latter third (issues) rarely refers back to concepts and theories. Wild Blue Yonder / Maxwell AFB, AL -- Theory is nothing but systematic reflection on phenomena, designed to explain them and to show how they are related to each other in a meaningful, intelligent pattern, instead of being merely random items of an incoherent universe. In conclusion, the text McGlincheys introductory level International Relations volume is clear, and the writing is well edited. Introduction to International Relations - Stephen McGlinchey PART ONE: HISTORY AND THEORY 2. International Relations and the Global System - Stephen McGlinchey 3. There is some non-standard use of concepts. Stephen McGlinchey has brought together a fantastic collection of authors who together present a wide-ranging, critical and accessible introduction to International Relations. The respective sections of the text can also be assigned separately. You have been logged out of your account. Aside from these exceedingly rare instances, the book has undergone a thorough editing and proofing process, thereby minimizing distraction from the content. Reviewed by Alexis Henshaw, Visiting Assistant Professor, Miami University on 6/20/17, The book at least touches on all of the subjects that I routinely cover in my introductory course on international relations, but the coverage of the subjects vary greatly. The books chapters, while authored by different contributors, are consistently edited, giving the text a high degree of consistency. Foundations of International Relations is a wonderfully rich, yet highly accessible, introduction to International Relations, both as a subject and as a discipline. Levels of Analysis Carmen Gebhard One thing I'd like to see is more attention to key concepts in the first few chapters. Because the chapters can each stand alone, I think it's a great resource for instructors to be able to assign one or a few chapters to supplement other materials in the course. The text does not suffer from problems with navigation, image distortion, or other interface issues. The chapters are short, with simple paragraphs and clear sentences placing the reader inside crucial issues and debates so they can understand how things work, and where they fit in the world around them. The writing is extraordinarily free of jargon and the international relations vocabulary that is generally used in IR textbooks. This book, like others in the E-IR Foundations series, is designed to capture attention with an engaging narrative. There have not been a lot if any mention of contributions of non-western thinkers and scholars to the field of IR. The book is complimented by a website, featuring interactive learning material that expands on each chapter of the book. In the south, a disgruntled Taliban commander and former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Mullah Abdul Raoof Khadim, swore allegiance to ISIS, while in the east, six Pakistani Taliban commanders led by Hafiz Sayed Khan raised ISIS's black flag . There are many topics that I don't typically cover in an Intro to IR course but that I could see being interesting to students (e.g. the edited volume obviously needs more charts, figures along with images. Overall, the book is not culturally insensitive. An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. The Eurocentric nature of the first chapter (albeit, with a degree of self-awareness from the author) can be transformed to offer a more global perspective as the books foundational stone. On this, it does relatively well. Would you like to go to the United Kingdom site? The philosophy underpinning this book is that these things can be a distraction. Many reviewers have noted that the book doesn't talk about war.
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