In an examination of cultural change in the post-Cold War era, this work addresses a series of questions covering topics such as the lack of interest in culture and identity in IR theory, and the case for rethinking the contemporary theoretical reach of the concepts.

An original theory of politics and international relations based on ancient Greek ideas of human motivation.

Combining the perspectives of 18 international scholars from Europe and the United States with a critical discussion of the role of culture in international relations, this volume introduces recent trends in the study of Culture and International History. It systematically explores the cultural dimension of international history, mapping existing approaches and conceptual lenses for the study of cultural factors and thus hopes to sharpen the awareness for the cultural approach to international history among both American and non-American scholars. The first part provides a methodological introduction, explores the cultural underpinnings of foreign policy, and the role of culture in international affairs by reviewing the historiography and examining the meaning of the word culture in the context of foreign relations. In the second part, contributors analyze culture as a tool of foreign policy. They demonstrate how culture was instrumentalized for diplomatic goals and purposes in different historical periods and world regions. The essays in the third part expand the state-centered view and retrace informal cultural relations among nations and peoples. This exploration of non-state cultural interaction focuses on the role of science, art, religion, and tourism. The fourth part collects the findings and arguments of part one, two, and three to define a roadmap for further scholarly inquiry. A group of" commentators" survey the preceding essays, place them into a larger research context, and address the question "Where do we go from here?" The last and fifth part presents a selection of primary sources along with individual comments highlighting a new genre of resources scholars interested in culture and international relations can consult.

The fourth edition of this innovative textbook introduces students to the main theories in international relations. It explains and analyzes each theory, allowing students to understand and critically engage with the myths and assumptions behind them. Each theory is illustrated using the example of a popular film. Key features of this textbook include: Discussion of all the main theories: realism and neo-realism, idealism and neo-idealism, liberalism, constructivism, postmodernism, gender, globalization, environmentalism, anarchism A new chapter on anarchism, debt and the Occupy Movement including use of the film, The Hunger Games New chapter brings the textbook up to date with reflections on the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and reactions to it by focusing on the myth this crisis generated, ‘We are the 99%’ Innovative use of narratives from films that students will be familiar with: Lord of the Flies, Independence Day, Wag the Dog, Fatal Attraction, The Truman Show, East is East, Memento, WALL-E and The Hunger Games Accessible and exciting writing style which is well-illustrated with film stills in each chapter, boxed key concepts and guides to further reading. This breakthrough textbook has been designed to unravel the complexities of international relations theory in a way that gives students a clearer idea of how the theories work, and of the myths associated with them.

Explores the application of constructivist theory to international relations. The text examines the relevance of constructivism for empirical research, focusing on some of the key issues of contemporary international politics: ethnic and national identity; gender; and political economy.

By focusing on issues of identity, this study offers a radically new approach to the understanding and explanation of international relations. The text critiques dominant approaches to identity in international relations and highlights the complexity of forms of identification and allegiance in the contemporary world. The text raises issues and concerns common to many areas of the social sciences. Student involvement throughout the book's production has ensured that the book is written in an accessible style. It will therefore appeal to a wide readership.

Bringing together scholarship from several South Asian countries, this volume understands conflict resolution and cooperation building in the region. The essays cover three inter-related issues-security; political economy-domestic politics; and the construction of identities and normative frameworks. They employ broader social-science theorizing, particularly in relation to political economy, to go beyond conceptualizations based on international relations theory. The volume takes a fresh look at the inter-relationships between issues and their analyses and eschews stand-alone topics such as Kashmir, nuclear policies, or regional cooperation. Combining theory with fieldwork, it provides diverse perspectives and arguments for a more nuanced picture of international relations in South Asia.