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International Relations
Theories and Approaches
- Amartya Mukhopadhyay - Former Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India
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September 2021 | 564 pages | SAGE Texts
A complete compendium on theories and approaches to international relations covering debates surrounding the major paradigms and latest developments.
Organized around the three paradigms of the discipline of international relations (IR)—realism, pluralism and globalism—this textbook offers a comprehensive and exhaustive coverage of the theories and approaches to IR, including their critiques and evaluations. By treating these theories and approaches under the canopy of the paradigms rather than in isolation, the book facilitates better understanding of their fundamental commonalities and divergences. It addresses the ongoing lively debates both inside and among the paradigms as well as the excessive American-centricity and Eurocentrism of the discipline of IR.
Written as an integrated, self-sufficient unit, this textbook will be a valuable companion for inquisitive undergraduate and postgraduate students, research scholars and teachers, who need not search for additional books and references.
Key Features:
• Careful organization of 15 theories into 3 positivist paradigmatic divisions, and treatment of 4 post-positivist theories to offer a comprehensive and logical approach to the entire subject
• Focus on non-Western traditions of IR thinking such as Kautilya from India, Han Fei from China and reference to India in the study of old regionalism
• Systematic browsing of relevant theoretical literature and current citations for every theoretical point made
• Additional features such as Word Help boxes and review questions to enhance teaching–learning experience
• Six chapters available on the companion website to address the needs of advanced readers
Organized around the three paradigms of the discipline of international relations (IR)—realism, pluralism and globalism—this textbook offers a comprehensive and exhaustive coverage of the theories and approaches to IR, including their critiques and evaluations. By treating these theories and approaches under the canopy of the paradigms rather than in isolation, the book facilitates better understanding of their fundamental commonalities and divergences. It addresses the ongoing lively debates both inside and among the paradigms as well as the excessive American-centricity and Eurocentrism of the discipline of IR.
Written as an integrated, self-sufficient unit, this textbook will be a valuable companion for inquisitive undergraduate and postgraduate students, research scholars and teachers, who need not search for additional books and references.
Key Features:
• Careful organization of 15 theories into 3 positivist paradigmatic divisions, and treatment of 4 post-positivist theories to offer a comprehensive and logical approach to the entire subject
• Focus on non-Western traditions of IR thinking such as Kautilya from India, Han Fei from China and reference to India in the study of old regionalism
• Systematic browsing of relevant theoretical literature and current citations for every theoretical point made
• Additional features such as Word Help boxes and review questions to enhance teaching–learning experience
• Six chapters available on the companion website to address the needs of advanced readers
Preface
Introduction
SECTION I. Theories of the Realist Paradigm
IA. Realist Theory and Its Variants
Early Classical Realism
Geopolitics
Neoclassical Realism
Neorealism: Kenneth Waltz, His Images and Level of Analysis
Strategic Realism and Offensive Realism
Internal and External Critiques of Realism
IB. Systems Theory and Its Variants
General Systems Theory and Morton Kaplan’s Application in IR
Systems Theory: From Modelski to Singer
Critique and Evaluation of Formulations of Systems Theory
IC. Game Theory
Game Theory or the Theory of Interdependent Decisions
SECTION II. Theories of the Pluralist Paradigm
Decision-making Theory: From Snyder to Allison and Beyond
Theories of Integration and Regionalism
Integration Theory: The Four Schools and Beyond
Theories of Regionalism: Early, Old and New
Theories of Interdependence
Regime Theory
SECTION III. Theories of the Globalist Paradigm
Marxism and Its Variants in International Relations Theory
Dependency Theory
World Systems Theory
International Political Economy
Gender, Feminism and Women in International Relations
Green Politics
Globalization and International Relations Theory
SECTION IV. Postpositivist Theories of the Middle and Left
The English School as the Middle Way: Origins, Evolution and Spillover
Critical Theory: Postpositivism in International Relations
Constructivism in International Relations as Another Middle Ground
Postmodernism or Post-structuralism in International Relations
Index