In this article you will learn about the Scope of International Relations in Political Science.
International Relations
International Relations constitutes a very large area of the scope of Political Science. It is also a very vast area and most of the universities of the world recognize it as an autonomous discipline and have separate departments for the study of international relations.
We can say that the discipline of International Relations, which is also known as International Politics, primarily studies interactions and relations among all the actors of the international community. It includes the study of the behaviour of the international system i.e. the relations and interactions among nations and other international actors present in the international environment.
It seeks to study mainly about the political dimension of the relations among nations. However, while doing so, it mainly studies all aspects of international relations because political relations are always determined and influenced by socio economic, geographic, cultural and technological relations and factors. Currently, international economic relations have been acting as the major determinants of all the dimensions of relations among the nations.
Scope of International Relations
Nation-state System or Nation-State as the key actors of international relations
Nation states are the foremost actors in international relations. Naturally, International Politics includes the study of the relations and interactions between two or more states. Each state is conditioned by its geography, population, resources, ideology, level of industrial and technological development, diplomacy, national interest etc.
National Interest
Since national interest is the objective that each nation tries to secure during the course of relations and interactions with other nations, it becomes crucial for International Politics to study national interests of various nations.
National Power
The concept of national power is the chief concept in the study of International Politics. Nations are actors but they always act on the basis of their national powers. Realistically, relations among nations are of the nature of struggle for power. National Power determines the ability and role of a nation to carry out its foreign rules and policy objectives. It is customary to characterise nations as super powers, big powers, major powers, small powers, or weak powers and this amply reflects the importance of national power in International Politics. Power is the basis of all inter-state relations and as such it forms an essential part of the subject-matter of International Politics.
Foreign Policy
The behaviour of each state in international relations is always controlled and directed by its foreign policy. It is a thought out course of action for protecting and securing the objectives of national interests of the nation. The foundation of foreign policy is the national power of the nation. A study of foreign policies of various nations alone can explain the nature of interactions and relations among them.
Economic Instruments of International Relations
The increased importance and role of trade and economic relations in International Politics can be hardly overestimated. Economic relations among nations form a very essential part of international relations. Today, economic instruments - Foreign Aid, Trade, Loan etc., are the most important means of influencing the course of relations. Political relations are being governed and guided by economic relations. Hence the study of economic relations forms an important part of the scope of International Politics.
International Institutions and Regional Organisations
An outstanding feature of the contemporary era has been the rapid growth of international organisations and institutions as the institutionalised means for the conduct of relations among nations. Some of these are truly universal in nature like the United Nations, while several others are regional organisations like NATO, OAU, OAS, ECO, EU, ASEAN, IOR-ARC SCO etc.. These regional and international organisations and supernatural actors are important players in international relations.
Non-state Actors
Rise of several active non-state international or transnational actors or supra-national, NGOs, Human Rights Organisations, Peace Movements and other such actors in the international environment has necessitated the inclusion of the study of the role of the actors in the international system. The role and number of MNCs and non-state actors has been steadily increasing and it is also an essential part for us to study.
Regulators of International Relations
There have been in operation several concepts which have guided and are still controlling and guiding the behaviour of nations in the international environment. The concepts of Balance of Power, Functionalism Disarmament and Arms Control, Regionalism, Collective Security, International Law, World Public Opinion, Integration, Diplomacy, Globalisation, etc., are the important processes, principles and concepts of international relations. These have been continuously influencing the actual functioning of the foreign policies of all the nations. A student of International Politics has to study all such principles and regulators.
Study of Global Problems and Issues
The scope of International Politics involves the study of major contemporary problems and issues, for example, International Terrorism, Issue of Climatic Change, Protection of Human Rights, Environment Protection Ethnic Conflicts, Sustainable Development and disarmament and Nuclear Disarmament.
This article on Scope of International Relations in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.