essay

Our world is large and complex. International relations is a fascinating topic because it concerns peoples and cultures throughout the world. The scope and complexity of the in teractions among these groups make international relations a challenging subject to master. There is always more to learn. This book is only the beginning of the story. Strictly defined, the field of international relations (IR) concerns the relationships among the world`s goverments. But these relationships cannot be understood in isolation. They as closely connected with other actors (such as international organizations. multinational corporations, and indiciduals); with other social structures (including economics, culture, and demostic politics); and with geographical and historical influences .IR is a large subject that overlaps several other fields. The purpose of this book is to Introduce the field of IR, to organize what os known and theorized about IR, and to convey the key concepts used by political scientists to discuss realtions among nations. This first chapter defines IR as a field of study, introduces the actors of interest, and reviews the geographical and historical contexts within which IR occurs.
Chapter 1
REFLECTIONS OF WAR
In turn, IR profoundly affects the daily lives of colleg students and other citizens. The prospects for getting jobs after graduation depend on the global economy and iternational economic competition. Those jobs also are more likely that ever to entail international travels, sales, or communication. And the rules of the world trading system affect the goods that students consume. from electronics to clothes to gasoline. Although international economics pervades daily life, war dominates daily life only infrequetly. Still, war casts a long shadow. In major wars, students and their friends and family go off to war and their lifes change irreversibly. But even in peacetime, war is among the most pervasive international influences in daily