World Politics

<p>From the war on terror to the global financial crisis, traditional concepts of world politics are being challenged on a daily basis. In these uncertain times, the study of international relations and the forces that shape them have never been more important.</p><p>Written specifically for students who are approaching this subject for the first time, <i>World Politics</i> is the most accessible, coherent and up-to-date account of the field available. It covers the historical backdrop to today’s political situations, the complex interactions of states and non-state actors, the role of political economy, human security in all its forms, and the ways in which culture, religion and identity influence events. </p><p><i>World Politics</i> takes a new approach that challenges traditional interpretations, and will equip students with the knowledge and the confidence needed to tackle the big issues.</p> <p><b>Part One: International Relations and Globalisation</b></p><p><b>1. International Relations and Globalisation in the 21st Century</b></p><p><b> </b>International Relations and globalisation</p><p> Why is globalisation important for understanding International Relations?</p><p> Technological, political, economic and cultural globalisation</p><p> Important post-Cold War changes affecting International Relations</p><p> Understanding globalisation</p><p> Conclusion </p><p><b>2.</b> <b>International Order, International Society and Globalisation</b></p><p><b> </b>Fundamental aspects of International Relations following the Peace of Westphalia (1648)</p><p> International order and international society after the cold War</p><p> Globalisation, international order and international society</p><p> Conclusion</p><p><b>Part Two: The History of Globalisation and International Relations</b></p><p><b>3. International Relations from the early 19th Century to World War II</b></p><p><b> </b>European nationalism and imperialism</p><p> World War I and International Relations</p><p> The League of Nations: an attempt to build an international organisation to maintain collective security</p><p> The legacy of the League of Nations</p><p>Conclusion</p><p><b>4. International Relations after World War II</b></p><p><b> </b>International relations after World War II</p><p> The United Nations</p><p> The Cold War and nuclear weapons</p><p> The international relations of the developing countries</p><p> Conclusion</p><p><b>5. After the Cold War: International Relations in a Globalised World</b></p><p><b> </b>Introduction</p><p> International relations after the Cold War: the impact of globalisation</p><p> New World Order: more cooperation, less conflict?</p><p> Competing norms and values in international relations after the Cold War</p><p> Trends in post-Cold War international relations: security, ideology and development</p><p> International Relations in the 21st century</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>Part Three: International Relations Theories</b></p><p><b>6. Realism and Neo-Realism</b></p><p><b> </b>Context</p><p> The ‘back-story’ to Realism</p><p> Realism in International Relations</p><p> Key assumptions</p><p> Key concepts</p><p> Conclusions and criticisms</p><p><b>7. Liberalism</b></p><p><b> </b>Context</p><p> The ‘back-story’ to Liberalism</p><p> Liberalism in contemporary International Relations</p><p> Key assumptions </p><p> Key concepts</p><p> Conclusions and criticisms</p><p><b>8. Marxism and Neo-Marxism</b></p><p> Context</p><p> The ideas of Marx</p><p> The ideas of Lenin</p><p> Dependency Theory</p><p> World Systems Theory</p><p> Key concepts</p><p> Conclusions and criticisms</p><p><b>9. Critical Theory</b></p><p><b> </b>Context</p><p> Contemporary critical theory and IR</p><p> Key concepts</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>10. Alternative Approaches</b></p><p><b> </b>Theoretical context</p><p> Postmodernism</p><p> Feminism</p><p> Green theory</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>11. Social Constructivism</b></p><p> Social Constructivism as a bridge between the traditional theories</p><p> Agency and culture in IR</p><p> A Social Constructivist reappraisal of IR’s key concepts</p><p> The empiricists strike back? Critiques of Social Constructivism</p><p> Conclusion</p><p><b>Part Four: International and Regional Actors</b></p><p><b>12. Intergovernmental Organisations</b></p><p><b> </b>What is an intergovernmental organisation?</p><p> The evolution and diversity of IGOs</p><p> IR theory and IGOs</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>13. Global Multi-Purpose IGOs: The United Nations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference</b></p><p><b> </b>Intergovernmental organisations and globalisation</p><p> The United Nations and international law</p><p> The UN Charter</p><p> The five permanent members of the UN Security Council: permanent privileges</p><p> Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)</p><p> The OIC: history and development<b> </b></p><p><b> </b>Conclusion: comparing the UN and the OIC</p><p><b>14. Regional Organisations and Regionalisation: Theory and Practice</b></p><p><b> </b>Introduction</p><p> Regional cooperation and globalisation</p><p> Old regionalisation and new regionalisation</p><p> The North American Free Trade Agreement</p><p> Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation</p><p> Conclusion</p><p><b>15. The European Union and the African Union</b></p><p><b> </b>Introduction</p><p> The European Union</p><p> The African Union</p><p>Conclusion</p><p><b>Part Five: Current Global Issues</b></p><p><b>16. International Political Economy, Part I: Theory and History</b> </p><p> What is IPE?</p><p> A short history of IPE</p><p> Approaches to IPE</p><p> The contemporary trading system</p><p> The contemporary international monetary system</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>17. International</b> <b>Political Economy, Part II: Key Actors and Controversies</b></p><p><b> </b>The IMF and World Bank</p><p> International trade organisations</p><p> Multi-national corporations (MNCs)</p><p> Theoretical perspectives on the actors of IPE</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>18. Development, Poverty and Inequality</b></p><p><b> </b>The persistence of global poverty</p><p> Approaches to development</p><p> The evolution of development policy</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>19. Gender</b></p><p><b> </b>Context</p><p> Gender approaches to IR</p><p> Gender and security</p><p> Gender and international development</p><p> Future developments</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>20. Identity and Identities</b></p><p><b> </b>Forms of identity</p><p> Theorising identity</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>21. Democratisation</b></p><p><b> </b>What is democracy?</p><p> The three waves of democratisation</p><p> What can make democracy permanent?</p><p> Democratisation by force – ‘nation building’</p><p> Is democratisation important for international relations?</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>22. Human Rights</b></p><p><b> </b>The evolution of the idea of human rights</p><p> The United Nations and the codification of human rights</p><p> Implementing human rights</p><p> Are human rights ‘right’?</p><p> Conclusions</p><p><b>23. The Natural Environment</b></p><p> The emergence of political ecology</p><p> The globalisation of political ecology</p><p> Global environmental policy and human security</p><p> Threats to a global consensus on environmental policy</p><p> Conclusions</p>