International relations bear an exceptionally important significance in modern day world. Things have changed to a great extent today with the development of science and technology. The change is impacting each and every nation of the world to a great extent. The improved communication techniques and methods are bringing all the countries close to each other. However, things were not the same before. The essence of international relations was not felt till the world wars. Especially, after the Second World War the importance of peaceful and cooperative relationships between nations was felt globally. An attempt was made through League of Nations for global harmony after the first world war however it failed to restore peace the way it was expected and the second great was broke out in 1914. However, at the end of cold war, United Nations was founded. This marked the beginning of a new era in international peace perspective.
In simple words international relations mean the relationship between two countries. It includes the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs). It is both an academic and public policy field. It is the study of the relations of states with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities. It is an inter-disciplinary subject and related to a number of other academic disciplines like political science, geography, history, economics, law, sociology, psychology, and philosophy.
Humans have been fascinated and frustrated by war and its consequences for over 2000 years of recorded history. So its continuing preeminence should not be a surprising factor for us. At the beginning of the 21st century, research focused on issues such as terrorism, religious and ethnic conflict, the emergence of sub-state and non-state entities, the spread of weapons of mass destruction and efforts to counter nuclear proliferation, and the development of international institutions.
Origin
The practice of international relations in human society is probably quite old. Since thousands of years from now humans have been establishing governments and communicating with each other. Barry Buzan and Richard Little, for example, consider the interaction of ancient Sumerian city-states, starting in 3,500 BC, as the first fully-fledged international system. However, many people agree that international relations truly began to emerge around the 15th century, when people started exploring the world and interacting with other governments and cultures. The concept of Sovereignty of a state is directly related to the practice of international relations Peace of Westphalia of 1648 is said to be the striking force for the development of modern concept of international systems based on sovereign states. The concept of sovereignty and of a sovereign state gained overwhelms response from common people during the French revolution. The idea that not princes or an oligarchy, but the citizenry of a state, defined as the nation, should be defined as sovereign, started a new era from the international perspective. Multinational Corporations or Organizations of past were also instrumental in understanding and developing the concept of international relations. For example Multinational Corporations like the Dutch East India Company were considered among the first multinational corporations while representatives of various European governments met with foreign governments to establish trade agreements and to discuss issues of mutual concern. In the academic world, the study of international relations encompasses the history of this immensely varied field, along with studies of modern foreign relations. However, most theorization of the concepts of international relation took place only after the disastrous results of second word war.
Inter Relation as a discipline
Initially, international relations as a distinct field of study was almost entirely British-centered. IR only emerged as a formal academic ‘discipline’ in 1918 with the founding of the first ‘chair’ (professorship) in IR - the Woodrow Wilson Chair at Aberystwyth, University of Wales (now Aberystwyth University[4]), from an endowment given by David Davies, became the first academic position dedicated to IR. This was rapidly followed by establishment of IR at US universities and Geneva, Switzerland. In the early 1920s, the London School of Economics' department of International Relations was founded at the behest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Philip Noel-Baker, and was the first institute to offer a wide range of degrees in the field. Furthermore, the International History department at LSE, developed as primarily focused on the history of IR in the early modern, colonial and Cold War periods. The first university entirely dedicated to the study of IR was the Graduate Institute of International Studies (now the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), which was founded in 1927 to form diplomats associated to the League of Nations, established in Geneva some years before. The Graduate Institute of International Studies offered one of the first Ph.D. degrees in international relations. Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is the oldest international relations faculty in the United States, founded in 1919. The Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago was the first to offer a graduate degree, in 1928. (Wiki)
Subject Matter
International relations as a discipline studies the relationship between two or more states from various perspective. It is an inter-disciplinary subject. International Relations encompasses a wide range of academic fields, ranging from history to environmental studies, and there are a number of areas of specific specialty, for academics who are interested in them.. Attempts to structure and intellectualize it have often been thematically and analytically confined to boundaries determined by data. The core concepts of international relations are:
- International Organization,
- Foreign Policy
- International Law,
- International Conflict,
- Globalization,
- International Economic Relations
- International/Regional Security,
- Strategic Studies,
- International Political Economy,
- Military Thought and Strategy,
- Conflict/War and Peace Studies,
- International Regimes.
Among the other areas, it covers:
- State sovereignty,
- Ecological sustainability,
- Human security
- Nuclear proliferation,
- Nationalism,
- Organized crime,
- Economic development,
- Terrorism,
- Foreign interventionism and human rights.
These areas belong to different schools are though. Realism and Idealism are the major thoughts among them. International Relations as a discipline revolves around one fundamental question- “How can a group-such as two or more nations-serve its collective interests when doing so requires its members to forgo their individual interests?” Individual nations can advance their own short-term interests by seizing territory militarily, cheating on trade agreements, and refusing to contribute to international efforts such as peacekeeping or vaccination campaigns. But if all nations acted this way, they would find themselves worse off, in a chaotic and vicious environment where mutual gains from security and trade would disappear. As an emerging discipline, Philosophy of International Relations can contribute to understanding the main characteristics of contemporary world order, provide useful insights into the nature and sources of cooperation and competition among international actors, and expand the ethical perspective on international relations. A philosophical view can also be helpful in defining the notion of harmony in international relations which has clear connections to such applied category as stability.
Definitions
Some of the major definitions of International Relations is provided below for a better understanding of the subject.
In the words of Karl Wolfgang Deutsch (1968),
“An introduction to the study of international relations in our time is an introduction to the art and science of the survival of mankind. If civilization is killed in the nearest future, it will not be killed by famine or plague, but by foreign policy and international relations.”
As Stanley Hoffman writes
“The discipline of international relations is concerned with the factors and the activities which affect the external policies and power of the basic units into which the world is divided.”
Seymon Brown (1988) thus defines international relations as
"The investigating and study of patterns of action and “reactions among sovereign states as represented by their governing elites.”
According to Ola, Joseph (1999),
"International relations are the study of all forms of interactions that exist between members of separate entities or nations within the international system".
Trevor Taylor (1979) defines International Relations as
"A discipline, which tries to explain political activities across state boundaries".
Key Concepts in International Relations
There are certain fundamental concepts associated with the study of International relations. These concepts are helpful in understanding various concepts of international relations.
Power
One of the key concepts of International Relations is Power. Power here means the power of the international nations. Powers determines degree of resources, capabilities, and influence of a state in international affairs. In a report for the International Organization Foundation, Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall present four types of international power that include compulsory power, institutional power, structural power and productive power. Compulsory power occurs when one actor directly exerts control over another. Institutional power is indirect power that actors exercise over through diffuse relationships. Structural power derives from the relative structural capacities of international actors. Productive power derives from the extent that society exerts power with diffuse social processes such as discourse and knowledge systems. Power is also divided in to soft Power and hard power. Hard power is relating primarily to coercive power and soft power commonly covering economics, diplomacy and cultural influence.
Polarity
Polarity is concerned with distribution of power within the international system. It is an arrangement of power within the international system. Unipolar world refers to a state with maximum concentration of power such as the Roman Empire prior to 401 B.C. or the United States immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union. Bi-polar world refers to two strongest, dominant players of word with maximum concentration of international power such as the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. Multi-polar means the concentration of major international powers in more than four nations of the world. We today live in multi-polar world.
Interdependence
Interdependence is a very crucial concept for International Relations. Interdependence of states today plays a crucial role in international relations. Interdependence is a mutual responsibility and dependency of states concerning areas such as economic, social, military and environmental.
Tools of International Relations
All the nations of the rely on certain tools to balance their relation effectively at a international level. Major tools of international relation are discussed below.
Diplomacy: Diplomacy is the art of forging a relationship without resorting to arguments or conflicts. The goal of diplomacy on an international level is to safeguard the national interests, foster trade and promote the culture and economy between nations. Sanctions, force, and adjusting trade regulations, while not typically considered part of diplomacy, are actually valuable tools in the interest of leverage and placement in negotiations.
Sanctions: The commonly known definition of sanction in international relation is the deliberate, government-inspired withdrawal or threat of withdrawal of customary trade or financial relations. It is normally first resort after the failure of diplomacy, and are one of the main tools used to enforce treaties. The purpose of sanctions can vary but generally can be said to pressurize the target to comply with the sanction’s demands. Diplomatic and economic sanctions are the major sanctions practice in international relations.
War: A state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. War is considered to be the ultimate tool of international relations. The study of war in International Relations is covered by the disciplines of 'War Studies' and 'Strategic studies'.
Shame: International shame is an effective tool of International Relations. This tool is mostly used to alter states' actions through 'naming and shaming' at the international level.
Allotment of Benefits: The allotment of economic and/or diplomatic benefits is also known as a very effective tool in international. This can be best be understood with the help of the example of European Union's enlargement policy. Candidate countries are allowed entry into the EU only after the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria.
Career in International Relations
International Relations is a dynamic and a multi-disciplinary and relatively a modern subject. It is a study of global issues creating a literal world of opportunity. In reference to the today’s global scenario a degree in International relations is a cutting edge of open the wide world of opportunities. A career in international relations and diplomacy is the finest career path for those who would like to contribute to the foreign affairs requirements of the country. A career in International Relations can open up new horizons, which were not considered a conventional career choice not very long ago, but are up for grabs now! The main career areas available in the field of International Relations are:
- Diplomacy
- International organizations
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Public-private partnerships
- Multinational companies
- Educational Sector
A graduate can work as:
- Foreign Affairs Analyst
- Foreign Affairs Specialist
- Foreign Service Officer
- Immigration Specialist
- Foreign Policy Expert
- International Trade expert
- Intelligence Specialist
- International Security Expert
- Journalist
- Language Specialist
- Market Research Analyst
- Political Risk Analyst
- Journalist
- Educator
- Humanitarian Relief Expert
- Peace Activist
- Strategist
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