Concepts in International Relations: A New Introduction - Paperback

by Felix Berenskötter (Editor)

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.

Author Biography

Felix Berenskötter is a Reader in International Relations at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. His research explores conceptualisations of world politics with a focus on matters of identity, temporality, anxiety, security, power, peace, and friendship. He also is interested in links between the evolution of theories and concepts and the political history of the academic field of IR. Empirically, his work addresses questions of European security and peace, as well as Germany's special relationships with states like the USA and Israel. Felix has published widely on these topics. He is a former co-editor of Millennium: Journal of International Studies (2003-05) and the Journal of Global Security Studies (2014-19). He co-edits the book series Bristol Studies in International Theory (Bristol University Press) with Stefano Guzzini and Neta Crawford.