Understanding International Relations

The fifth edition of this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to International relations and has been fully updated to cover the dramatic changes in recent world politics. Written in the author's unique and engaging style, the text explores everything from foreign policy and security to global governance and the global economy, to show how the theories and concepts Brown outlines are the only way to make sense of contemporary issues and events. With reference to such diverse events as Brexit, the Russian armed conflict in Ukraine, the financial crisis, the rise of China, and the challenges of identity politics, the author expertly shows how the range of theories presented in the book allow for an understanding of the destabilising events and developments that characterise global politics today, and will continue to do so in the future.

This text remains the definitive guide to understanding international relations, and is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of international relations at any stage of their studies.

New to this Edition:
- Thoroughly updated to showcase the breadth of the latest research and key thinkers in international relations theory.
- Entirely rewritten chapter on the development of human rights and international criminal law.
- Brand new chapter that offers a sophisticated and up-to-date analysis of the current state of world politics.

List of contents

1. Introduction: Defining International Relations
2. The Development of International Relations Theory in the Twentieth Century
3. International Relations Theory Today
4. Agency, Structure and the State
5. Power and Security
6. The Balance of Power and War
7. Global Governance
8. The Global Economy
9. Globalization
10. The International Politics of Identity
11. International Relations and the Individual
12. International (Dis)Order Today?

About the author

CHRIS BROWN is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. He has published extensively on International Relations Theory, international political theory, and was previously Chair of the British International Studies Association and, at LSE, Head of the Department of International Relations.

Summary

The fifth edition of this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to International relations and has been fully updated to cover the dramatic changes in recent world politics. Written in the author’s unique and engaging style, the text explores everything from foreign policy and security to global governance and the global economy, to show how the theories and concepts Brown outlines are the only way to make sense of contemporary issues and events. With reference to such diverse events as Brexit, the Russian armed conflict in Ukraine, the financial crisis, the rise of China, and the challenges of identity politics, the author expertly shows how the range of theories presented in the book allow for an understanding of the destabilising events and developments that characterise global politics today, and will continue to do so in the future.

This text remains the definitive guide to understanding international relations, and is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of international relations at any stage of their studies.

New to this Edition:
- Thoroughly updated to showcase the breadth of the latest research and key thinkers in international relations theory.
- Entirely rewritten chapter on the development of human rights and international criminal law.
- Brand new chapter that offers a sophisticated and up-to-date analysis of the current state of world politics.

Foreword

The fifth edition of this bestselling text provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to international relations theories. With reference to diverse contemporary events, the text explores everything from foreign policy and security to global governance and the global economy. It offers a definitive guide to understanding international relations, and is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of international relations at any stage of their studies.

Additional text

This rich book will provide any student with the means to grasp the full array of international relations theories, and also to understand why theorising matters and how it helps us make sense of the complex world we live in. Chris Brown writes with engaging ease and insightful depth about classic and evolving theories of IR and relies on them to tease out the key concepts of the discipline – anarchy, war, peace, global governance.

Product details

• Authors: Chris Brown
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 28.02.2019
• EAN: 9781137611703
• ISBN: 978-1-137-61170-3
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 232 mm x 18 mm
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; B, Political Science, International Relations, Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Relations, general