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International Relations
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Polarity and the International Order
In this course, Professor Ayse Zarakol (University of Cambridge) explores the concept of polarity and how it relates to our understanding of the international order in global politics. In the first module, we begin with an introduction to the field of International Relations, before moving on in the second module to consider three key schools of thought in international relations: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. In the third module, we explore how realists see polarity in the international order, focusing in particular on the concepts of multipolarity, bipolarity, and unipolarity, with historical examples given for each. In the fourth module, we turn to discuss how polarity looks in the twenty-first century, covering theories such as Balance of Power Realism and Power Transition Theory as well as accounting for China’s rise and hypothesising as to what this may entail for the future of the international order. In the fifth and final module, we discuss where the international order is headed next, returning once more to realist, liberal, and constructivist perspectives.
International Relations
In this module, Professor Ayse Zarakol introduces us to the field of International Relations, focusing in particular on: (i) the main objectives of International Relations, including why we should look “beyond” the nation; (ii) what polarity is; (iii) what the “international order” is.
Hello.
00:00:05My name is I said Merkel,
00:00:06And I'm a professor of international relations
00:00:08at the University of Cambridge today.
00:00:11I'm speaking to you from Emmanuel College, where I'm also a fellow in politics.
00:00:14I will be talking to today about polarity in the international order, um,
00:00:21in the two thousands.
00:00:27But before I get to the topic of the day, I'd like to, uh,
00:00:31situate the topic in the broader area that I work in,
00:00:35which is international relations, Uh, sometimes also called
00:00:39global politics.
00:00:44I want to say a few words about what the discipline of international Asians does,
00:00:46which may possibly aid, uh, you in in your studies.
00:00:53International relations is a relatively recent discipline.
00:00:59Um, uh, it's definitely 1/20 century kind of field of study, although that you know,
00:01:03there are many precursors to it.
00:01:11Um, it doesn't go back like history or some of the other
00:01:13social sciences and humanities, but
00:01:18its advantages because it's relatively recent as a as an area of study,
00:01:23it draws from many different areas from history,
00:01:30from sociology from economics law.
00:01:34So it's kind of a meta meta field. Uh,
00:01:37it aims to kind of conceptualise the world Globe.
00:01:45From a bird's eye view, it's more than just the study of, um,
00:01:50foreign affairs or diplomacy.
00:01:55It tries to help us think about the international, about about the globe,
00:01:59about politics at a global level, um,
00:02:04as one thing rather than just starting from nations or the nation state.
00:02:07We try to see the big picture. Most of us, I think, in this field.
00:02:14And that's, uh, you know how we're going to approach the topic of the day, which is,
00:02:18you know, polarity in and the international order.
00:02:23Uh, we'll be talking about you know what the international order is.
00:02:26What does polarity main schools of thought that have written about these, um,
00:02:30these concepts.
00:02:36And also I want to tell you a little
00:02:37bit about how the field of international issues is,
00:02:39you know, moving.
00:02:42Now it's trying to conceptualise the challenges, uh, of the 21st century,
00:02:43how it's reinventing itself.
00:02:49Uh, this will be the topics, uh, of this module
00:02:52
Cite this Lecture
APA style
Zarakol, A. (2022, August 15). Polarity and the International Order - International Relations [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/courses/global-politics-polarity-and-the-international-order
MLA style
Zarakol, A. "Polarity and the International Order – International Relations." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 15 Aug 2022, https://massolit.io/courses/global-politics-polarity-and-the-international-order