Introduction to international studies

Abstract

This book provides students with a solid foundation in the basic frameworks and concepts of International Studies.

International Studies aims to understand the global complexities of the world in which we live today. Central in these complexities is the position of the human individual. The focal point of study is the interaction of the local, regional, and global, which gives International Studies the character of a 3-D chessboard.

Unique in this textbook, which can also be used as a source book, is the introduction of three global scopes that will help the reader to understand and analyse the global complexities: global structures (such as economics, belief systems, states, intergovernmental organizations), global trends (such as nationalism, power changes, secularization, identity), and global challenges (such as sustainable development, climate change, pandemics, unwanted migration). This textbook approaches International Studies as a field of study that enables students to navigate the three dimensions and the three global scopes. The International Studies student will acquire a broad overview of the various fields and disciplines and, as a consequence, the ability to move across traditional academic boundaries.