I would not classify this as a comprehensive text of introductory international relations. As of this reviewing no major grammatical issues detected. I found the book to be accurate on the topics it covers. 18. Some of the topics are presented in an odd order and appeared repetitive across chapters. David J. Hornsby is Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and Professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University. 3. The first 4 chapters are really foundational for the rest of IR and the rest of the topics in the book, but the information is 12. I think the aspects that are current could easily be updated without a complete overhaul of the book. This text can be divided up according to one's own schedule. Thus, not necessarily a critical issue. Most, but not all, chapters are designed to first briefly introduce the topic or concept, followed by illustrative cases to help the readers comprehension. While one might fault the textbook for not having a catchy appearance, its simple presentation ensures minimal distraction for the reader. The emphasis on concepts rather than smaller current event make it last for several years before needing re-edition. Its underlying, yet subtle, theme is that of globalization, and globalization has taken a hit with the pandemic. 4. 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. This is a strong point. There were no navigation problems (the table of contents was accurate). Gnter Walzenbach is a Senior Lecturer in European Politics at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol). The respective sections of the text can also be assigned separately. The book presents an impressive and well-thought pedagogical outline leaving students critically engaged and encouraged to apply their new knowledge of IR to specific, concrete cases. I agree that it reflects views more common among European scholars than in the USA. Some historical developments are more thoroughly explained than others, and students using this book might find it confusing that some background material is spread across chapters. We'll see exactly how much effort is required when I begin developing the syllabus for next semester. The chapters offer a broad sweep of the basic components of International Relations and the key contemporary issues that concern the discipline. For example, the chapters 8 and 10 cover topics that are usually taught in sequence. I did not identify any factual inaccuracies, although I would have liked more frequent citations. Because the text is so theory heavy and includes almost no examples, this might prevent it from seeming out of date quickly. However we have made available a full chapter excerpt via the free PDF download button (above). Stephen McGlinchey is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of the West of England, Bristol and Editor-in-Chief of E-International Relations. In its relatively short chapters, it manages to introduce readers to both traditional and critical perspectives. Each chapter was well laid out with subheadings. In all, I like this book, but it could have been made better with a few tweaks. Foundations of International Relations is a wonderfully rich, yet highly accessible, introduction to International Relations, both as a subject and as a discipline. It begins with some history, quickly moves to theory, and then surveys issues. I believe this is because book is more of a reader with many scholars focusing on a specific area of IR. The language is inconsistent and calls for a major revision to keep the use of terminology and frameworks the same across all the chapters. However, there is not much on IR theory. Some chapters make effective use of case studies, but others do not employ cases as an explanatory technique. I understand that IR is interdisciplinary and rooted in the arts and humanities, but I also think that IR can be presented in a straight-forward and clinical way that makes reading and writing on the topic simple and accessible. In an intro IR class, instructors may assign readings from Foreign Affairs or Foreign Policy to cover the most recent events in IR. The last chapter was a bit weird, especially the bit about England's legacy for world affairs today. Critical Theories Stephen McGlinchey, Rosie Walters and Dana Gold, 8. International Organisations Shazelina Z. Abidin This is a huge oversimplification of the system of colonization and the history of countries post-colonization. It follows the basic format that most intro texts cover-- it starts with big themes and theories, and then proceeds to contemporary issues. The historical context given to today's political world is also a bit shaky. Individual chapters also work as standalone pieces, thereby facilitating easy addition (or removal) of chapters on particular global issues, if required. You have been logged out of your account. The Theoretical and Practical Importance of a Theory of International Relations, by Hans J. Morgenthau Appendix 3. Authors might also have been encouraged to recommend further reading or links to online resources related to each chapter. His main research interests are in US-Iran relations during the Cold War. The narrative arc forms a complete circle, taking readers from no knowledge to competency. The book is also complimented by a bespoke curated website, featuring a regularly updated collection of interactive learning material and hosted on E-International Relations, the world's leading open access IR website.Portraying the most compelling issues of our time, and presenting the necessary tools to analyse and debate the subject, this is an invaluable resource for anyone studying international relations. Anitta Kynsilehto is a Senior Research Fellow at Tampere Peace Research Institute, Tampere University. Traditional and Middle Ground Theories Stephen McGlinchey and Dana Gold The book is accurate and error-free. There was nothing at all offensive about this book, but people should be aware that it is a European-worldview IR text. This book is, for all intents and purposes, a series of smart introductory lectures. Also noteworthy, the book contains no finding aids (index, glossary) which would make it cumbersome to students trying to use this in an introductory course. available free on E-International Relations. As is such works contribute to the domination of western thinking in international politics. 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. Gender and Sexuality Rosie Walters, 14. International Security Natalie Jester The content is up-to-date and incorporates both canonical and contemporary case studies in its explication of the material. I imagine that it would be difficult for students to figure out what points were important to focus on. In the first chapter, The Making of the Modern World, by Eric Ringmar, the emergence of the norm of sovereignty is examined as a foundational development toward the Westphalian system of nation-states that emerged in Europe. 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 Still, I believe it's highly consistent, and any small discrepancy across authors would not generate any confusion to students. The division of the text into smaller readings sections is fairly good. However, the text does not include images/charts, so the text is relatively easy to navigate. An excellent educational resource. All Rights Reserved | Site by Rootsy. Despite these efforts, there remains much scope for further diversity: even as case illustrations from the Global South are present, Western examples still form the majority. The only downside is lack of index, which I presume is a costly endeavor. The graduate program provides students with a unique combination of analytic research and practical applications tools. While no basic textbook could possibly cover the vast and diverse landscape that is IR, this text makes a sincere attempt to balance breadth and depth. It was not clear to me whether or how the publishers plan to update this text. In general, the book presents accurate accounts of the key themes in IR, from a range of perspectives. Chapters make effective use of section headings and the text is easily and readily divisible. It would help if each chapter is followed with its own references, rather than putting all the references at the end of the book. Raffaele Marchetti is a Professor of International Relations at LUISS. As this book is published by Bloomsbury who have invested a substantial sum in producing the book to such a high quality E-International Relations is unable to offer a free-to-download version of the full book. Future editions of the book would benefit from further diversifying the set of authors; including more contemporary, pressing global issues (such as, for example, the rise of China); and streamlining the structure of individual chapters to follow a common, pedagogically effective standard. 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. could be better served if instructors provide/explain fundamental values of DEI in all human communities/societies as they cover culture issues in IR. Each chapter sets out the basics of a theory whilst also applying it to a real-world event or issue, creating a lively, readable and relevant guide that will help students to see not only what theories are - but why they matter. However, using it as the primary text for college students in the United States would require a lot of extra work (developing a glossary,discussion questions, finding the images,charts, figures going along with the text, etc.). Again, the quality of the prose varies from chapter to chapter. This book is not culturally sensitive because there are no people in it. Zo Jay, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Tasmania, Australia. The book fits clearly into the authors' pedagogy. These three omissions lessen the usability of the text. I especially appreciate the efforts to highlight ways the discipline of IR is traditionally taught from a Western perspective, why that is problematic, and to point out differing perspectives. This is incorrect. Overall, my impression of this book was that it could not be a standalone text for an introductory, college-level IR course. It misses some key components, the most obvious being interstate and intrastate war. I'm not sure if this is normal for an e-book. read more. This is of course always depends on one's perspective but from what I could tell, it seems accurate. The overview of the Critical Theory school starts with Marxism, proceeds to Feminism, moves on to Poststructural thought in IR. Katherine E. Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. I can see myself including some chapters as supplemental reading material to my intro to IR course. I appreciate the readability of the book. Since the undergraduate audience is the primary target, pictures, graphics and other visual representations would significantly increase the textbooks appeal. I highly recommend this unique book to both beginner and more advanced students. Jessica Neafie, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. Sentence structure and grammar are excellent. Of course, I have already begun researching supplemental material in the form of pictures, graphs, weblinks to supplement this outstanding reading. 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. In my introductory course, I tend to delve a bit deeper into a number of issues, but this textbook overall provides a good framework to build those discussions off of. Summary: "An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. There are some basic style issues for some of the authors, though. International Relations is an edited volume that attempts to cover all of the common themes in an introduction to IR course. 1. Some teaching cases embedded in the chapters were sufficiently historical, so they are won't need updating anytime soon. It has a bibliography, but throughout the text, is uses very few references, even when it seems obvious that the reader would like to know more. Stephen Chan OBE, Professor of World Politics, SOAS University of London, UK. This title is available for inspection copy requests. Again, it is difficult with an edited volume to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of terminology, but the editor did a great job of ensuring that the terms and ideas were used consistently across the chapters. read more. The textbook is comprehensive in range of concepts it covers. Levels of Analysis - Carmen Gebhard 6. For examples, the authors used the trite writing crutch: It is important. Several of the authors used contractions (didn't, isn't, etc. It's simply natural and not an issue at all. Paperback. This is more telling of the state of the IR curriculum, rather than the critique of the text per se. updates for that matter would be rather easy in the coming editions. Despite the daunting task it takes on, this textbook does an impressive job of Individual chapters can, therefore, be easily assigned for specific course subunits, without losing any of the books broader context. Ringmar then focuses upon how this system was universalized over centuries via European imperialist conquests and colonialism. Each chapter should really end with its own list of sources cited, rather than having one long references section at the end of the book. However, it addresses early in the book the historical existence of pre-state areas in a European context only. Students should use the book to progress through, which limits the ability of the instructor to structure the course prioritizing different information.
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