Critical Approaches to International Relations

Description

This course looks closely at a variety of critical perspectives in international relations. Through an examination of liberal, realist, marxist, poststructuralist, and constructivist perspectives, the course shows how critiques emerge in opposition to dominant discourses and theories of international relations. Each critical approach will be introduced and applied to case studies including the war in Iraq, humanitarian intervention, and terrorism. Finally, the course looks at the role of theorists in the practice of international relations in order to demonstrate the ways in which abstract scholarly thought is deeply intertwined with the everyday practice of international politics.