TY  - GEN
AU  - Reus-Smit, Christian
TI  - International relations: a very short introduction
SN  - 9780198850212
U1  - 327 
PY  - 2020///
CY  - Oxford
PB  - Oxford University Press
KW  - International relations
KW  - International Security
KW  - International Economics
KW  - International Rights
KW  - Feminism
KW  - Global Changes
N1  - Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-140) and index
N2  - International relations affects everyone's lives: their security, economic well-being, rights and freedoms, and the environment they share. Recently we have seen the transformation from a world of empires to today's world of sovereign states, which are enmeshed in a complex array of international institutions, all exercising degrees of political authority. The new global organization of political authority has far-reaching consequences. This Very Short Introduction untangles this complex world, providing an accessible framework for understanding the contours of global political change. Christian Reus-Smit treats theory as an indispensable tool for grasping international relations, but demystifies theorizing, introducing it as an everyday human practice. He surveys a range of theories, from realism to feminism: reading them as contrasting perspectives on the global organization of political authority. Historically, such organization has been shaped by diverse social forces, four of which are discussed in detail: shifting patterns of warfare, changing economic conditions, struggles for rights, and the politics of culture. Reus-Smit concludes with a reflection on the future of international relations in an era of profound global change
ER  -