Hello dulce-ga,
This is a good question, especially in today's fast-changing world. I
did not find your question asked in that way, but I did find the
questions, "Why study international relations?" or, more simply, "Why
international relations?"
I will first set forth four answers given to these questions. At the
end, I will synthesize them into an answer for your specific question.
One answer is that people need to be "well prepared to face the
challenges of living and working in [the] new global environment", and
that this involves gaining both "knowledge and analytical skills".
"Why Study International Relations?"
Griffith University: School of International Business and Asian
Studies
http://www.gu.edu.au/school/iba/op_ir_why.html
Another answer states, "Globalisation, the democratic renewal of many
states since 1990, and rise of doctrines such as 'human rights' and
'sustainable development' have direct effect on us. In our
increasingly globalised society, a proper understanding of
international relations is necessary if we are to play our proper role
as informed citizens and effective decision makers." Moreover,
international relations can help people to deal with "the fundamental
questions of the causes of war, the rise and fall of great powers, the
development of international cooperation, law and institutions such as
the UN and European Union, origins of the two World Wars, the Cold
War, decolonisation and the structure and functions of the United
Nations."
"Social Sciences" [at page 6]
University of St Andrews
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/services/admissions/pdfs/USocSci.pdf
A third answer explains how a degree in international relations "takes
you far beyond the headlines, enabling you to reflect in a systematic
and informed way on the deeper issues behind the news.":
"It introduces you to the social, economic and political history of
the international system as it has emerged and developed over the last
200 years.
It provides you with the ideas of key classical and modern thinkers
who have analysed world politics and have argued over its rights and
wrongs.
It gives you the opportunity to develop more focused knowledge and
understanding in specialised areas of your own choice such as
international law, global environmental change, international
organisation, security studies and so on."
"International Relations"
The University of Sussex
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/ugrad2003/internationalrelations.shtml
The fourth answer mentions global focus, world demand for
international relations specialists, and making an impact as three
reasons to study international relations. The answer also discusses
what one can do with an international relations degree:
"International Relations graduates are effective written and oral
communicators, and are able to gather, organize, interpret and assess
information. They are creative, critical thinkers with skills in
problem analysis, and calculation, and possess an appreciation of the
basic social characteristics of our world, including the geographic
factors that separate and define nations, social and cultural
variation among peoples and the historical context of current
situations. They are also aware of the major economic forces at play,
models of political organization, and the forms of national and
international institutions."
"International Relations"
University of Calgary
http://www.ucalgary.ca/programinfo/SocialSciences/International.html
Now I will synthesize this material into an answer to your question.
The world -- both past and present, and most likely future -- is a
complicated place, with many national and international actors, many
events, and many motivating ideas. In order to make sense of how
these actors, events, and ideas interact -- either at a specific time
or in a particular field of endeavor -- one needs both information and
analytical skills. The information is necessary, but the ability to
analyze it is necessary as well. One could approach every
international situation without international relations theories;
however, the theories provide useful tools for understanding a
situation in the broader context of other events and ideas, both past
and present, and for deciding how to act in a particular situation. A
grounding in international relations theories or concepts is
considered valuable training for a variety of positions in this
globalizing world.
- justaskscott-ga
Search terms used on Google:
"why study international relations"
"why international relations"
[I tried other searches as well, but these two searches resulted in
the pages I have cited.] |
