Postmodernism Introduction Postmodernism is a critical approach to International Relations that questions claims of universal truth, fixed meanings, objective knowledge, and neutral political language. It examines how language, discourse, knowledge, identity, and power shape understandings of international politics. Rather than accepting concepts such as security, sovereignty, terrorism, development, and national interest as self-evident, postmodern approaches…

Feminist International Relations Introduction Feminist International Relations examines international politics through the study of gender, power, inequality, identity, and social structures. It challenges the assumption that international politics can be adequately understood through traditionally defined concepts such as states, military power, sovereignty, and war without considering how gender shapes these concepts and practices. Feminist approaches…

IR Approaches – Critical Theory Introduction Critical Theory is an approach to International Relations that questions existing political, economic, and social structures and examines how power, inequality, ideology, and historical conditions shape international affairs. Rather than asking only how the existing international system operates, Critical Theory asks how that system came into existence, whose interests…

English School Introduction The English School is a major approach to International Relations that combines elements of realism, liberalism, international law, history, and political philosophy. Its central concern is the concept of international society. While realism emphasizes power and conflict and liberalism emphasizes cooperation and institutions, the English School asks how states can form a…

Constructivism Introduction Constructivism is one of the major theoretical approaches in International Relations. It emphasizes that international politics is shaped not only by material factors such as military power, economic resources, and geography, but also by ideas, identities, norms, values, beliefs, and shared understandings. Constructivists argue that states do not automatically behave in particular ways…