INTRODUCTI

ON TO Course: International
Relations

INTERNATION Session: 1
IBA-Karachi

AL
Instructor: Sajjad
Ahmad

RELATIONS
INTRODUCTION,
MEANING AND
SCOPE OF IR
IR - a new discipline in Social Sciences
What drove the establishment of IR as a separate
discipline?
Lack of critical focus and inquiry on conditions of
war, conflict, and peace in inter-state relations in
other social sciences disciplines
It clearly explains concepts such as state, nation,
government and sovereignty
 MEANING OF IR
Literal meaning is divided into three components
a. (Inter)  between two
b. (national)  nations
c. (relations) between nations and states
Nation: group of people having same culture, language, life, religion etc.
In IR we mainly speak about relations between states not nations
IR studies what happens outside the state, e.g. interactions between two states
How power is structured, what is predominant form of interaction, why states
go for war etc.
However, IR does not exclude the ‘intra’ aspect
How?
‘Foreign policy is an extension of a state’s domestic policy’
According to Fred Halliday, ‘the state seeks both to compete with
other states by mobilizing resources internally, and to use its
international role to consolidate its position domestically’
For example, a state may go to war or pursue an arms control
agreement to gain domestic advantage.
It may also promote industrialization, cultural diplomacy, better
treatment of ethnic minorities to achieve international goals
This two-front policy may work to the benefit of the state
Both domestic and foreign policy realms are interdependent –
developments in one impacting the other
E.g., Cold War and Pakistan
Ruling elite adopting free-market economy as opposed to socialism
CPEC – not just foreign policy but domestic policy tool to Pakistan’s
economic development
STATE, NATION,
SOVEREIGNTY AND
GOVERNMENT
State:

What qualifies for a state

a. A permanent population
b. Defined territory – territorial contiguity
c. Government
d. Capacity to enter into relations with other states
Nation:
‘Human population sharing a historic territory, common myths and
historical memories, a mass, public culture, a common economy, and
common legal rights and duties for all members’ Anthony Smith

Key elements:
A mass of people occupying a territory with shared commonalities of
language, culture, history, religion, values, beliefs and socio-economic
and socio-political functions which bind them together.
This implies homogeneity
Are there nation-states in this world?
Similar cultural, linguistic or maybe religious characteristics in a
single state?
Independence referendums
Government:
An institution of personnel often known as politicians/parliamentarians
Parliamentarians sit in a legislature, make laws for public according to constitution
Elected by people
Member of political party
Not permanent
They justify their policies in public and being appreciated or criticized for fulfilling or not their
electoral promises
State should be understood as set of institutions difference than government
State is populated by individuals recruited through a process or oral, written, and physical
examinations
Permanent
Bureaucracy, military, judiciary, police, security and intelligence
CSS, PCS, ISSB
Who governs and where does power lie?
Policy failure cannot be attributed to the politicians only. State
institutions bureaucracy implements it
coup d'état – Asia Africa or otherwise July 2016 Türkiye
Sovereignty:
State’s supreme and final authority to execute laws and implement
policies in its domestic politics and external relations without any
internal or external interferences.
Ideal concept
It is violated and also transformed
E.g., Europe
MNCs, Globalization
Financial institutions IMF, WTO – national economic policy of states
is determined by them
Non-state Actors
Institutions and organisations established by common agreement and
consent
E.g., EU, NATO, SAARC
Can be called IGOs – memberships consist of states
INGOs – agreement between states but constituted by citizens of
different nations
Voluntary organisations – don’t speak for themselves or don’t want
share in government
Greenpeace, Oxfam, Doctors without Borders, Save the Children etc.
Non-state actors also include movements like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, which
pose challenge to international peace and security
How do we define IR
“The political, economic, military, strategic, social, cultural, and
environmental relations transpiring between states, governments,
nations, and non-state actors that involve both conflict and
cooperation”
All kinds of relations such as political, economic, military etc.
Relations exist between nations, states and non-state actors
Political Science is the study of intrastate while IR is the study of
interstate
Political Science is the study of intrastate and its branches
1919-20 is the birth of IR
How to eliminate war and guarantee peace