How can we better understand global issues? And what does it mean to do international relations theory today? Concepts in International Relations offers a fresh and accessible introduction to IR theory through the lens of the key concepts that shape our world - power, security, race, gender, the environment, and more. Unlike traditional textbooks, this book treats concepts not just as tools but as the very foundation of international thinking and practice. Concepts don't just describe the world - they make it. Politicians, scholars and activists all use them to frame debates, justify actions and imagine alternatives. By interpreting and reimagining these concepts, theory becomes a powerful way to engage with global politics. This book is the essential companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students approaching IR or IR theory for the first time.
Felix Berenskoetter is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at SOAS, University of London. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and specializes in international theory and concepts, in particular friendship, identity, power, security, peace, and time; as well as German foreign policy, European security and transatlantic relations. He has published articles in various journals and co-edited Power in World Politics (Routledge, 2007). Felix is a former editor of Millennium: Journal of International Studies, founder and former chair of the ISA Theory Section and currently an associate editor of the Journal of Global Security Studies.
Chapter 1: Introduction - Felix Berenskoetter Chapter 2: Studying Concepts - Felix Berenskoetter Chapter 3: Rationality - Annette Freyberg-Inan Chapter 4: Emotions - Simon Koschut Chapter 5: International Order - Felix Berenskoetter Chapter 6: Colonialism - Jasmine Gani Chapter 7: Sovereignty - Tanja Aalberts Chapter 8: The Nation - Jaakko Heiskanen Chapter 9: Race - Somdeep Sen Chapter 10: Diplomacy - Halvard Leira Chapter 11: War - Mark Lacy and Felix Berenskoetter Chapter 12: Peace - Felix Berenskoetter and Sachiho Funabashi Chapter 13: Gender - Laura Sjoberg and Thomas Worth Chapter 14: Security - Pinar Bilgin Chapter 15: Terrorism - Lee Jarvis Chapter 16: Power - Stephanie Winkler Chapter 17: Democracy - Piki Ish-Shalom and Jonas Wolff Chapter 18: The Market - Oliver Kessler Chapter 19: Development - Heloise Weber Chapter 20: Justice - Oumar Ba Chapter 21: International Community - Mor Mitrani and Evgeny Roshchin Chapter 22: Climate Change - Michael Albert
