As poststructuralists seek to question universal truths and metanarratives, they actively choose not to take ideas as we know them for granted, nor to see certain paths of action as inevitable.
For postcolonial scholars, an important endeavour is to highlight the colonial legacies that created current global inequalities and the neocolonial power structures that reproduce them.
Feminism reflects on international relations’ historical dominance by men and the exclusion, until recently, of the experiences, perspectives and qualities of women. To address this, it works towards a deeper understanding of gender.
Marxists argue that, contrary to the image of global capitalism as a free world, the dominance of the nation-state in the post-Cold War system has led to ordinary people around the globe becoming divided and alienated.
Constructivists highlight the importance of values and shared interests between individuals who interact on the global stage, as well as social norms that bring them together.
The work of English school scholars draws attention to how international anarchy has its own unique type of order. After all, the world is not in a state of chaos despite its state of anarchy.
The liberal account of International Relations is an optimistic one that points towards a world of ever-growing peace and harmony, underlined by trade, diplomacy and international organisations.
When realists examine history they see a world that may change in shape, but is always characterised by a system of international anarchy that generates insecurity for states.
Our planet carries 8 billion people. Yet its capacity to provide for each of us is threatened by population growth, climate change, deforestation, collapse of fisheries, desertification, air pollution and scarcity of fresh water.
These resources have been curated by the E-International Relations team to give a broad overview and introduction to research ethics in International Relations, and beyond
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