Political Science and the Understanding of International Relations

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• Political Science and the Understanding of
  International Relations
• Marwa Daoudy
• daoudy_at_hei.unige.ch
• daoudy_at_ceri-sciences-po.org

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Announcements

• Overview
• Readings
• Course Assistant Rolf Schwarz (schwarz1_at_hei.unige
  .ch)

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Course Objectives

• Facts, Concepts Ideas
• Importance of Readings
• Identify Theories
• Sustain arguments

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The Study of International Relations

• I. What is IR? Political Science IR
• II. Theory Methodology - Value
• III. What are Main Theories?

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I. What is International Relations?

• Relationships among worlds governments
• Relations among Actors
• Political Science IR

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II. Methods

• Descriptive immediate, short-term consequences
• Theoretical place event in context of more
  general pattern

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• Le métier des intellectuels est de remuer toutes
  choses sous leurs signes, noms ou symboles sans
• le contrepoids des actes réels.
• Paul Valéry

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II. Value of Theory

• Transparency
• Enduring analytical tools

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II. Methodology

• Methods used in developing and testing various
  theories
• Induction building theories from facts
• Deduction predicting facts from theory

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III. What are Main Theories?

• Origins
• Scope
• Type
• Institutions

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III. Three World Views (1)

• Conservative (preservation of order)
• Liberal (evolution of status quo)
• Revolutionary/Radical (overthrow of status quo)

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III. Three World Views (2)

• Realism, Liberalism, Radicalism
• Critical Approaches (postmodernism)
• Origins (intellectual heritage)
• Scope (issue-areas, sub-fields)
• Type (conflict vs. cooperation)
• Value of Institutions

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Thinking Theoretically Empirically

• Generalize explanations
• Think critically about IR events
• Consider several diff. theoretical explanations
  for best explanation

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Summary

• What kind of international relations? What
  issue-areas are relevant?
• What do diff. theories have to say about scope of
  interactions and type of interactions?
• What kind of interactions mostly conflictual or
  cooperative?
• What are possible approaches and methods to the
  political study of IR?