Meaning, Nature and Scope of International Relations

What are International relations? This post has given all answers to your questions regarding the meaning, nature, and scope of International Relations.

International relations literally refer to the interrelationships of states. There is no state in the world today that is completely self-sufficient or isolated from others. Each state is directly or indirectly dependent on the other.

Thus, in the international arena, interdependence has been created between the states. In view of this interdependence of states, a separate topic called ‘International Relations’ has been created for the purpose of discussing in detail how to establish peace and prosperity in the world through cooperation, avoiding conflicts, wars, etc.

The scope of international relations is wide and its basis is mainly interdependence. The pace of international relations has intensified with the development of information technology.

International Relations as a separate academic discipline emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century basically after World War I. The decree on peace of the Soviet Union in 1917 and the 14-point principles of US President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 are known as important documents in international relations.

The first University Chair formally established in the discipline was the Woodrow Wilson Chair of International Politics at the University College of Wales in 1919.

Meaning, Nature, and Scope of International Relations

Meaning and Definition

International Relations as a separate curriculum discusses international events and world issues between states are discussed in the context of the international system.

Its main topics are the role of the state, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations. It is both an academic and government policy field, and it can be either empirical or normative, as this branch of knowledge is used in both foreign policy analysis and formulation.

There is no specific definition of international relations. Experts have defined it from their own perspectives. There is also a problem with the definition of international relations. Many times international relations are considered synonymous with world politics and international politics.

Definition of International Relations by Palmer and Perkins

Palmer and Perkins are the most important name in international relations because of their relevance in terms of definition and subject matter In International relations.

According to them, International relations discuss the forces, pressures, and processes that control the nature of human life, activities, and thought in all human and group relations in the world community. That is, the discussion of international relations involves both political and non-political issues.

They defined International Relations in this way- “International Relations is the objective and systematic study of international life in all its aspects”.

Definition of International Relations by Scholars

Many scholars define International relations differently. Here I have mentioned the most important definitions of IR (International Relations) given by three eminent scholars.

Hans J Morgenthau

Hans J Morgenthau used the term International Politics and defined it as “International Politics include analysis of political relations and problems of peace among nations…it “is struggle for and use of power among nations”.

Quincy Wright

According to Quincy Wright, International Relations include “relations between many entities of uncertain sovereignties” and that “it is not only the nations which international relations seek to relate. Varied types of groups-nations, states, governments, people, regions, alliances, confederations, international organizations, even industrial organizations, cultural organizations, and religious organizations-must be dealt with in the study of international relations if the treatment is to be realistic”

Jackson and Sorensen

Jackson and Sorensen said that “at one extreme the scholarly focus is exclusively on states and inter-state relations, but at another extreme IR includes almost everything that has to do with human relations across the world. Therefore, IR seeks to understand how people are provided or not provided, with the basic values of security, freedom, order, justice, and welfare”.

Goldstein

He opines that International Relations basically “concerns the relationship among the world’s governments”. But he also argues that IR is not just a relationship between governments. IR needs to be understood in terms of the activities of Non-state actors also.

Acceptable Definition

Finally, an acceptable definition of international relations is that international relations are a separate curriculum that deals with the interrelationships of the various states of the world, non-State organizations, international organizations, war and peace, disarmament, alliance formation, terrorism, and the whole international system.

International relations have a profound effect on world politics, and the research and practice of the subject matter range from contemporary to modern politics, the relationship between multiple states and political ideologies on economic and global issues, mutual exchange, cooperation, and debate.

Nature of International Relations

The nature of a subject refers to the characteristics of that subject. In that sense, the natures of International relations are in the following –

Changing Nature of International Relations

The nature of international relations Is dynamic. International relations is a thorough analysis of what is happening in world politics.

The post-World War II period saw a huge shift in world politics. World politics was divided into two poles, such as the NATO led by the USA and the Warsaw Pact led by the USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s led to a kind of single polarity in world politics.

However, economically growing Asian countries such as China, India, Singapore, Vietnam, and various South American countries such as Brazil are all significantly influencing world politics. So it is clear that international politics is moving towards multi-polar again.

The growing importance of non-state actors like NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), MNCs (Multinational Companies), etc, are also discussed in the field of International relations. 

International Relations as an academic discipline discusses the changing pattern of the contemporary world.

As an Interdisciplinary Subject

All social science subjects are interdisciplinary in nature. International Relations also is an interdisciplinary field of study in which other disciplines in social science such as history, economics, political science, philosophy, geography, culture, etc, are interconnected.

The state is the primary actor in IR

In the field of international politics, State is the sole and unitary actor. The state has always been a major player in international relations. The state’s behavior as a major driving force in international politics is also studied in international relations.

National Interest and power are the core of IR

The protection of national interests is the main goal of the state. With this goal in mind, the state engages in relations with other states, and the national power of the state will be able to satisfy its national interests.

Thus, it is seen that the issues of national interest and the role of national power in fulfilling those interests are considered the core of IR.

Struggle for Power

According to Morgenthau, International politics is the struggle for power. I have already said that power is the means of national interest. So power politics is the key theme of IR.

Continuous Interaction among Nation States

No state in the present world is self-sufficient. Every state is dependent on each other. Hence the need for interconnectedness and that is possible only because of the interaction among different states.

International Relations also discuss the foreign policies of different states and how they behave with each other.

Analytical and Empirical Study for Theory Building

International Relations uses analytical and empirical methods as well for theory building.

There are several theories in IR. For example, Idealism and Neo-Liberalism are the results of an analytical study, and Realism and Neo-Realism are the results of an empirical study.

Must Read- Realism Theory In International Relations In Detail

Scope of International Relations

The international community is the instrument of international relations. The unimaginable changes in the international community over the past seventy years have drastically changed inter-state relations.

International relations as a distinct curriculum has followed that trend in international society since the 1930s. For this reason, it is not possible to draw a permanent line on the scope of international relations.

In the discussion of the nature of international relations, you already get the idea that the scope of international relations. The scope of international relations is mentioned below-

Study of the Behavior of States in International Politics

Just as when a nation builds good relations for the sake of its overall development, it becomes the subject of international relations, just as when there is a conflict of interest, bitterness develops among itself and that too becomes part of international relations.

Thus international relations consist of both cooperation and conflict. International relations are also a matter of forming alliances and dealing with the crisis.

Role of Non-State Actors in International Field

The content of international relations does not revolve only around the activities of the state and its formal institutions. The state is not the only active actor in the international community. There are many non-state actors whose activities affect international relations.

Multinational Corporations (MNCs), the European Economic Community, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, NATO, SEATO, WARSAW PACT, ASEAN, the Organization of American States, different terrorist organizations, and Religious Organizations are examples of the non-state elements in international relations.

Question of War and Peace

Today, international relations are not free from the discussion of the determination to save mankind from war. What was utopian in the past is becoming more and more realistic today.

The main purpose of establishing the United Nations is to ensure world peace and security. Large, and regional powers are often exchanging views to create an atmosphere of peace and security. All kinds of contacts for the welfare of various exchanges and globalization processes in cultural and other fields are Gradually increasing. All this has become the subject of international relations.

Must Read-

1. What Is Globalization and History of Globalization [4 Phases]
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Study of Foreign Policy

Another important issue in international relations is foreign policy. In the past, kings or prime ministers or a few individuals played an active role in determining foreign policy.

Today, not only statesmen but also the legislature and many citizens are involved in the formulation of foreign policy. The state of affairs or ideology in foreign policy and the ideological issues of the respective regimes are important parts of international relations.

Study of Nation States

The ethnic composition, geographical location, historical background, religion, or ideologies of different states are not the same at all. And because of all these differences, the relationship between different states is different.

So international relations need to discuss all these differences in detail. When the social environment is different, his reaction falls on international relations.

International Organizations

The role of national and international organizations in international relations is no less important. People from different countries are involved with the US Congress of Industrial Organizations, the US Federation of Labor, the French Labor Organization, and the Women’s International Democratic Federation Engagement Organization.

The non-governmental organizations are also involved in the activities of the Coalition and its various expert organizations, such as UNESCO, the International Labor Organization, and the World Health Organization. Therefore, international relations also discusses all national and international organizations.

Global Environmental Issues

Issues of the environment are one of the key matters of international relations now. During the 1970s environmental politics only focused on the question of resource issues.

But from the 1990s the environmental politics focused on the issue of ‘Climate change’ brought about through global warming. To overcome this issue, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the Paris Agreement on climate change, etc, have been initiated.

So, global environmental issues affect every state in the world. For the protection of this beautiful world, all the states are trying their best to reduce the usage of greenhouse gasses and that is why it is considered as the most important part of international relations. 

Role of People in International Politics

The importance of public and public opinion in the international arena is also expanding rapidly. The end of imperialism, from international, disarmament, political and economic, has inspired movements and protests by the people of different countries. U.S. scientists, intellectuals-people from different societies have demonstrated against the Vietnam War.

Role of the Third World

The third emergence in recent world politics has brought about qualitative change. Most people in the world are third generation. In 1986, 101 countries participated in the Eighth Non-Alignment Conference.

The growing role of non-aligned countries in building new international systems, easing tensions between the East and the West, disarmament, ending colonial rule, etc. is significant.

Therefore, the role of the third world in world politics is also a relevant point of discussion in international relations.

The scope of international relations is becoming wider as it discusses various issues of dynamic nature. All the domestic policies that affect or are likely to affect other countries are now being covered by international relations. International relations currently discuss various decision-making processes.

In the past, these issues were not related to international relations. Therefore, it can be said that the scope of international relations has expanded.

Importance of Purpose of the Study of International Relations

International relations have become an essential part of social science in every country. The importance of international relations is growing not only as a subject included in the political science curriculum but also as a separate academic discipline. Even many universities have linked it to the history curriculum at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Reasonably, the question arises,

• What is the reason for this growing importance of international relations?
• what is the usefulness and purpose of the international relations lesson?
• why study international relations?

 One thing will become clear if we look at the current world map and analyze the real situation, each country has become incomprehensible in international interdependence.

It is not possible to solve the problems of a country in isolation or to meet the growing needs of different kinds. In order to meet its own economic, cultural, and other needs, each state has to voluntarily enter into bilateral or multilateral agreements with other states. Instead of extreme self-reliance, therefore, an environment of interdependence and cooperation has developed.

There is currently no doubt about the usefulness of the international relations lesson. From a broadly constructive perspective, we can gain knowledge about how international relations will work, what issues need to be eliminated or accepted and considered, and how friendship can be established between different states.

International relations make people aware of important issues such as war and peace, mutual security, disarmament, international law and trade, peaceful resolution of inter-state disputes, imperialism, colonialism, national liberation movement, etc.

The history of international relations has given each country a wealth of experience in formulating and implementing its foreign policy. The breadth of its reading has created initiative and enthusiasm about the need to build an international community.

Just as international relations have inspired people towards the possibility of international society, so too it has presented the nature of disunity among different nations. International relations cannot be analyzed by mere sentimentality. Differences in the socio-economic structure of different countries are bound to affect their national and international policy.

Establishing the usefulness of international relations on a broad basis requires, on the one hand, an objective review of real events, and on the other hand, one needs to be proactive in building a proper analytical approach and theoretical basis.

The vast potential that the advancement of science and technology has created in other branches of sociology needs to be applied to international relations as well.

Conclusion

From the above discussion on Meaning Nature and Scope of International Relations, it can be concluded that From the above discussion on Meaning Nature, and Scope of International Relations, it can be concluded that from the past or the time of the ancient empires to modern times i.e. post-World War II world politics and systems, globalization, the Soviet extinction or the famous Cold War and the Third World system, and the international nuances that are still constantly changing and circulating.

That is why the nature of international relations, like economics, political science, and sociology, is changing. This issue needs to be considered in light of this variability.

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Recommended Book

1. Palmer, Norman D., and Howard C.Perkins, International Relations-The World Community in Transition, AITBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1997.
2. Wright, Quincy, The Study of International Relations, Appleton Century Crofts, New York, 1955.
3. Goldstein, Joshua S., International Relations, Pearson Education, New Delhi, 2006.
4. Jackson, Robert and George Sorensen, Introduction to International Relations-Theories and Approaches, Oxford University Press, London, 1999.
5. Ghosh, Peu. International Relations. Prentice-Hall of India, 2016.