This document provides an overview of the key concepts in international relations, including the sub-fields of international security studies and international political economy. It discusses how IR scholars use descriptive and theoretical approaches to understand why international events occur, and outlines three broad theoretical perspectives: conservatism, liberalism, and revolutionary. It also introduces the three levels of analysis in IR: individual, state, and systemic (international).

1. UNDERSTANDING INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
Sub-fields of IR; Theories;
Levels-of-Analysis.

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• IR studies the relationships among
the world’s governments.
• These relationships are closely
connected with other actors, social
structures, geographical and
historical influences.
• IR is multidisciplinary.

3. SUB-FIELDS OF IR
International security studies
International political economy

4. THEORIES
• What is theory?
• IR scholars want to understand why
international events occur the way
they do.
• The answers to why questions can
be:
Descriptive Theoretical

5. THEORIES
Three broad theoretical perspectives:
Conservatism
Liberalism
Revolutionary

6. Levels of Analysis
• Based on Kenneth Waltz’s Man, the State and
War (1959).
Individual
State
Systemic (International)