The Study of International Relations: For and Against Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

Most universities and tertiary level institutions have integrated the study of international relations as one of their courses. The belief has been that international relations study is relevant in enabling learners to study various aspects of a globalised world. International relations are defined as the relationship between countries in terms of their governance, the roles played by the international alliances and multinational companies from the international point of view.

It studies global as well as foreign issues among different countries and the issues include the state roles, Multinational corporations, non governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations .The following essay tries to relate the concept of studying the international relations and in particular the notion that there is no need of studying the international relations. The paper presents a case for and against the study of international relations and a conclusion based on the weight of the two sides.

Case for the study of international relations

It is vital for one to study international relations so as to be familiar with the many issues that continuous to understand the problems that are associated with the international relations such as terrorism and crime, violation of human rights, natural calamities such as floods,draught,earthquakes e.t.c and hence device constructive proposals of addressing these issues. Whenever a crisis hits a country, other nations cooperate in order to save the citizens from extreme suffering (Dudley, 2006).

Thus a student needs to know the countries that collaborates with his or her country and those that do not relate well because he or she may need to import something or conduct business with a country which is an enemy of the state and as far as there is a breach of contract, then the other person may not be liable for the damages caused.

The students need to study the international relations so as to get acquainted with the cultures, institutions, ethnicities as well as the interactions among various states. This knowledge is important because it is an eye opener on the part of the student as he or she gets to know about the global issues and policies (Xintian, 2009).

The students gets a wider view on how certain governments are run and this may assist him or her in the future as he or she becomes a leader whereby there is international relations. Studying international relations is important especially for those students who are studying abroad because they will have the knowledge about the culture and institutions that are present in the country where they are studying and thus avoid violating the laws of that country hence promoting peaceful coexistence.

International relations as a discipline usually related closely to various disciplines such as international law, history, economics, politics, sociology and psychology. It also compliments these subjects as far as international phenomena is concerned and so the students gets familiar with such aspects as the international organizations that exists, international treaties among others.

Learning international relations enables one to know about the policies that different institutuins, corporations as well as governments adopts and this is important in decision making e.g. many banks that have operations in different countries world wide have financial sanctions and prohibition of business activity that are aimed at encouraging a change in behavior of target country, prevent and suppress the financing of terrorists and terrorist attacks e.t.c.The student thus will be able to know which countries are under sanctions by the international community and the reasons why the sanctions are imposed (Gray, 2004, p.66-78).

Also, it’s important for a student to study international law because he or she can benefit an international job in a foreign country. As countries continue to cooperate with one another for mutual benefit, international careers are being created.

There are many jobs that are associated with international relations such as law, on-government organizations, international business and diplomatic services such as ambassadors and high commissions. The students thus can be able to know which countries are conducive to work in as far as security and other factors are concerned.

Case against the study of international relations

There are criticisms however concerning the study of international relations for instance the fact that not all students who study the discipline will end up in an international career or a job concerning the international relations. In studying international relations, students usually learn certain things that is irrelevant as far as their normal life concerned e.g. the political status of a given country does not involve them as far as life after school is concerned an thus rendering the discipline as irrelevant.

Also international relations as a discipline cannot be applied in domestic affairs but only in international matters and therefore those students who will not get an international job or a job that involves the discipline not have a chance to exercise what they have learnt in school fully(Heer,2003,p.37-65).

Conclusion

Despite many criticisms and negative arguments about its study, International relations as a discipline cannot be scrapped all together in school curriculums due to the numerous advantages that it poses on the students. It should be supported and those teaching the discipline should be equipped with the current issues. It is a vital subject that should be encouraged in almost all the schools so as to give students an overview of what goes around the rest of the world.

Reference List

Dudley, P. (February 22, 2006). Embassy: Why Study International Relations in Canada? Canada: The Hill Times Publishing Inc. Web.

Gray, P. (2004).Studies in International Relations. Eastbourne East Sussex: Sussex Academic Press. Pg.66-78.

Heer, J. (2003).The Philosopher. Boston: Boston Globe. Pg.37-65.

Xintian, Y. (2009). Combining Research on Cultural Theory and International Relations. China: Xinhua Press. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2018, December 27). The Study of International Relations: For and Against. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-relations-3/

Work Cited

"The Study of International Relations: For and Against." IvyPanda, 27 Dec. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/international-relations-3/.

References

IvyPanda. (2018) 'The Study of International Relations: For and Against'. 27 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2018. "The Study of International Relations: For and Against." December 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-relations-3/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Study of International Relations: For and Against." December 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-relations-3/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Study of International Relations: For and Against." December 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-relations-3/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1