Introduction to international relations

In this unit you will be introduced to key issues in International Relations (IR), from traditional preoccupations – such as international security, arms control, war and peacebuilding, and political violence and terrorism – to more recent concerns, including the climate crisis, migration, inequalities and development challenges. You will also be looking at the role of states and supra-state organisations, such as the United Nations; nations and nationalism; world order and global governance; and globalisation and the international political economy. You will engage with key IR concepts and theories to understand these issues, including Realism and Liberalism and critical theories, such as Feminism, Marxism, Postmodernism and Postcolonialism. You will draw from contemporary and historical events to further explore these issues and apply these theories.